MOSCOW, August 12 (RIA Novosti) - Israeli Health Minister Yael German was accused of backing out of her commitment to make the fluoridation of drinking water optional, The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.
“Banning fluoridation is an anti-social measure that will be a scar on her [Yael German’s] performance and [on] government colleagues who permitted her to initiate and allowed this travesty [to] take place,” Ted Tulchinsky, a Hebrew University School of Public Health professor, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
“This is absolutely shocking arrogance,” he said. “She has not consulted with the local authorities.”
German opposed the fluoridation of water since becoming Israel's health minister in 2013. The nation’s water has been fluoridated for decades and German’s decision was strongly opposed by public health experts.
German agreed to cancel the prohibition of fluoridation and leave it as an option for municipalities to decide upon independently. However, the regulation change has not yet been signed, which is a cause of another wave of criticism, the main point of which is that underprivileged children who do not get fluoride treatments will suffer serious dental decay.
As a result, protests against German’s policy were renewed, with more than 20 mayors signing a petition against the health minister.
