The Health Ministry issued a circular on Monday morning banning medical professionals in Israel from providing conversion therapy.
The circular stresses the risks to mental health posed by conversion therapy and prohibits all professionals from the offering, publicizing, or providing such "therapies."
While the Health Ministry has advised against conversion therapy for years, no formal prohibition had been issued against the practice until now.
Psychologists in Israel can already be punished with a disciplinary offense for providing conversion therapy.
The circular defines conversion therapy as any therapy or consultation given in any way which has the goal of changing the gender identity or sexual identity of a person.
In July 2020, Horowitz attempted to pass a bill that would ban conversion therapy and punish those who provide it as criminals.
Similar attempts to ban conversion therapy in Israel have failed in the past. »