Gay Israeli Men Are Being Turned Down by Canadian Surrogate Mothers Over Gaza War: 'I Don't Have Any That Will Consider It At All'

Some Canadian surrogates are refusing to carry children for Israeli clients in light of the Gaza war, a standstill disproportionately impacting gay men.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine is influencing Canadian surrogacy services, with agencies reporting that their surrogates are increasingly unwilling to carry children for Israeli clients, particularly gay men seeking surrogates due to limitations at home.

Sally Rhoads-Heinrich, head of Surrogacy in Canada, noted that many surrogates have outright declined to work with Israeli clients, some citing objections to "genocide" and others expressing concerns for the babies' safety in a volatile region.

"Lately, I don't have any (surrogates) that will consider it at all," she told the National Post.

Fertility lawyer Sara Cohen, whose clients are mostly gay Israeli men, expressed frustration, pointing out that surrogates appear to be treating Israelis as a monolithic group rather than individuals.

"It was making a decision about an entire group of people," Cohen said, lamenting the reluctance she has observed in recent months.

Israel only recently authorized surrogacy arrangements for gay couples, leading many prospective parents to explore surrogacy options abroad.

Agency heads say Canadian surrogates form uniquely close bonds with intended parents under the country's altruistic surrogacy laws, which may add to their reservations.

Ontario surrogate Lisa shared her own internal struggle.

"I would just prefer to spend my time with a couple where I'm not seeing expressly negative things in the media," she said.

"They feel judged, they feel discriminated against," Rhoads-Heinrich said of the hopeful parents combating a challenging global perception.

"I fully understand that it's not the general population of Israel's fault for this abhorrent war," said another surrogate included in the National Post's report. "But the idea of a child that I birthed growing up in an active war zone is just too anxiety-inducing."