MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) has expressed objection to a recent documentary broadcast on Israeli television and which showed a man who decided to end his life because of his inability to cope with Parkinson’s disease.
The documentary, which aired on Channel 2’s program “Uvda” hosted by journalist Ilana Dayan, showed the story of Mati Milo (brother of former government minister Roni Milo), who suffered from Parkinson’s for 25 years. As his condition continued to deteriorate, Milo contacted Dignitas, a Swiss company that allows terminally ill patients to drink a deadly cocktail and kill themselves for a fee.
Milo flew to Switzerland with his daughter to put an end to his life, and they were accompanied by Dayan and the crew of “Uvda”.
Feiglin took issue with the fact that Milo was presented by the program as a hero for choosing to put an end to his life. In a moving speech before the Knesset plenum, Feiglin admitted that his wife, too, is dealing with Parkinson’s.
"Mr. Speaker, my wife has Parkinson's. Every morning she wakes up. Makes a huge effort to feed the children. Encourages people. Every day for my wife is a huge victory. A tremendous victory of life in the face of almost impossible conditions,” he said.
“But today,” continued Feiglin, “my wife is upset because Channel 2 last night showed a documentary about a dear Jew named Mati Milo, who is in a very similar situation to hers - or was - and decided to end his life.”
“In this film, his act is defined as a victory. And I ask, is there no limit to populism? Is there no limit to the need to achieve ratings at any cost? Do they not understand over there at Channel 2 that this action may well encourage suicide? To see the victory of death rather than the victory of coping with life? And I would like from here to ask Channel 2 to show another film, this time about those who were in the same situation and chose life. And life is their victory, not death,” said Feiglin.