to convene monthly. Several MKs, namely Yael German and Eyal Ben-Reuven, have called the committee "dysfunctional". In February 2016, the Knesset rejected a bill introduced by former Health Minister Yael German that would have banned conversion therapy in Israel for minors. The bill was rejected 37-45. In January 2019, the Israel Medical Association, which represents about 90% of all doctors in Israel, explicitly banned all its members from performing any conversion therapy on patients. In July 2019, interim Minister of Education Rafi Peretz attracted criticism after he endorsed the pseudoscientific practice and claimed to have personally performed such therapies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Peretz's comments as unacceptable, saying they "do not represent [his] government's position" and that "[he] made it clear to him that the Israeli educational system will continue to accept all Jewish children whoever they are and without any difference based on sexual orientation." Thousands of Israeli teachers signed a petition demanding Perez's dismissal, and more than a thousand people protested his comments in Tel Aviv and in Peretz's hometown calling for his resignation, with the presence of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Days later, Peretz backtracked from his comments, calling conversion therapy "inappropriate", but added that "individuals with a homosexual orientation have the right to receive professional help". Following his comments, hundreds of LGBT Israelis recounted their "painful" and "destructive" experiences with conversion therapy. Several conversion therapy advocates and licensed professionals have moved to Israel from the United States, due to a growing number of bans on the pseudoscientific practice there. The Israel Psychological Association opposes conversion therapy. In July 2019, an opinion published in Haaretz called for an outright legal ban on the practice. In July 2020, Israeli MP's passed a bill to begin the process to outlaw conversion therapy, being the first Middle East country to do so. The bill was passed as two of the main coalition parties joined the opposition in supporting it. It must pass two more approvals to become a new law. Blood donation Since 1 June 2017, gay and bisexual men in Israel have been allowed to legally donate blood following a one-year deferral period. However, no deferral was in place for lesbians or bisexual women. In January 2018, the Health Ministry approved a pilot allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood, regardless of when they last had sex. From October 2021, gay and bisexual men can