Alternative medicine in Israel: a case of non-regulation

The state of Israel is well known for its intervention in many aspects of its citizens' lives. Yet alternative medicine, a widely demanded service pertaining to a critical aspect of human life, remains outside the confines of state intervention. During Israel's fifty years of existence not a single law has been enacted to regulate alternative medicine. It is neither recognized nor banned. The major argument of this paper is that state unconcern, depicted as the antithesis of regulation, presents in a nutshell the ideological, economic, and social dilemmas confronting state and society. Official attitudes toward alternative medicine thus mirror the structure of values and the structure of power. In each of these domains positive and negative forces are identified, those seeking change (either toward banning or toward recognition) and forces aiming at preserving the status quo.