IDF Sperm Retrieval Unit
Part of a series on 2023-2024 Hamas-Israel Conflict. [View Related Entries]
This entry contains content that may be considered sensitive to some viewers.
This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!
You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.
About
IDF Sperm Retrieval Unit refers to a program run by the Israeli state and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that seeks to collect viable sperm from the dead bodies of recently killed soldiers or civilians in order to use it for insemination at a later date. The medical procedure, known as posthumous sperm retrieval (PSR), was discussed in a viral video posted by Israel's official X / Twitter account in mid-November 2023 that subsequently sparked considerable discussion and memes online.
Origin
On November 14th, 2023, the official X account of the state of Israel posted a video about a failed postmortem sperm extraction of a man who was killed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th, 2023, attack on Israel. According to the animation, his wife had called for the sperm seeking to "retrieve his seed," but the body was found too late and exposed to too much heat to yield viable sperm.[1]
The video (seen below) went viral shortly after, garnering over 7.3 million views, 2,100 likes, 7,200 reposts and 3,100 comments in just over a day.
Shaylee Atary's husband Yahav was murdered by Hamas terrorists.
She did everything in her power to retrieve his sperm so that their dream of having more children would live on even without Yahav.
Unfortunately she was unsuccessful.
There are still so many families that we… pic.twitter.com/KHhOod6QWT— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) November 14, 2023
The first posthumous sperm retrieval procedure (PSR) was successfully performed in 1980.[2] According to experts, the sperm must be extracted within 24 hours of death for it to be viable. The procedure has been considered controversial, with many medical practitioners wondering about the ethics of using a dead person's sperm. In Israel, postmortem sperm extraction has a decently long history. Usually, only a spouse can demand the procedure, but Israeli courts in a 2007 and then in a 2016 court case ruled that parents of a dead man could extract his sperm and use it to inseminate a surrogate.[3][4]
Following the start of the 2023 Israel-Hamas Conflict, doctors in Israel specializing in embryology were reportedly "inundated" with requests for postmortem sperm retrieval.[5] On November 9th, 2023, the Israel health ministry moved to cut red tape that slowed down authorization of the process, setting up "a special unit that works 24/7 with the IDF and the four hospitals housing sperm banks." Reportedly, in October and the first week of November, 33 postmortem sperm retrieval operations had been carried out on four dead civilians and 29 dead soldiers.[6]
Spread
Immediately after the Israeli state's official X account posted the animated video on November 14th, 2023, numerous online commentators expressed shock upon seeing it. Many found the animated video disturbing and the entire idea macabre, while others considered it a baffling PR move. For example, that same day, X user @Srirachachau made a comment about the clip (seen below) that received over 8,000 likes in a day.[8]
Others joked about the idea of an "IDF sperm retrieval unit" and the procedures that might be practiced to extract viable reproductive fluid from a corpse. On November 14th, X user @GloomyNarwhal posted jokingly about how the procedure would be performed, earning over 400 likes in a day (seen below, left).[9] Some, like user @collectdust (seen below, right), who received almost 40 likes on November 15th, connected the developments back to a 2013 dril post.[10]
Certain political commentators, arguing that Israel is an "ethnostate," tied the state's expressed concern with preserving the bloodlines of soldiers to a eugenicist desire to control and homogenize its population. For example, on November 15th, X user @aedison (seen below, left) called the policy reflective of Israel's "ethnostate" status, receiving over 200 likes in seven hours.[11] Also that day, user @scumbelievable (seen below, right) described the procedure involved and accused Israel of being "obsessed with bloodlines," earning over 2,400 likes in less than a similar timeframe.[12]
Due to similarities with the Space Marines from Warhammer 40,000 and their "gene-seed" (a unique genetic material used to turn normal humans into super-humans within the lore) regarding the "sperm retrieval unit," memes comparing the two also appeared in communities like /r/Grimdank in mid-November 2023.[13] For example, on November 15th, Redditor holyshitisurvivedit posted one such meme to /r/Grimdank[14] that received over 2,600 upvotes in 15 hours (seen below).
Various Examples
External References
[2] Journal of Medical Ethics – Is posthumous semen retrieval ethically permissible?
[3] NBC – Family of dead Israeli soldier can use his sperm
[4] The Times Of Israel – Israeli couple wins right to produce and raise grandchild from fallen soldier son’s sperm
[5] The Times Of Israel – Embryologists inundated with requests for sperm retrieval from the fallen and dead
[6] The Times Of Israel – Health Ministry cuts red tape for sperm retrieval from sons killed in war
[7] The Guardian – Ethiopian women in Israel given contraceptive without consent
[8] X – Srirachachau
[9] X – @gloomynarwhal
[10] X – @collectdust
[12] X – @scumbelievable
[13] Reddit – r/grimdank
[14] Reddit – r/grimdank
Top Comment
Nitpicker
Nov 15, 2023 at 10:37PM EST