'Emotional rights', moral reasoning, and Jewish-Arab alliances in the regulation of in-vitro-fertilization in Israel: Theorizing the unexpected consequences of assisted reproductive technologies

► Ethnographic analysis of a public dispute over state funded fertility treatments in Israel focuses on three main findings. ► Reproductive health policy in Israel is morally justified in 'economic', 'nationalistic', and 'liberal' terms. ► Liberal moral justifications emphasize patient' emotional vulnerability, human rights, and civic entitlement. ► This liberal framing of assisted reproductive technologies propels unexpected alliances between Israeli Jews and Arabs. ► This case invites further explorations of ARTs unexpected consequences within particular networks and socio-cultural settings.