Medical genetics in Israel.

The state of Israel was founded in 1948 and includes approximately 4.5 million Jews and 1 million of non-Jews, mainly Muslim Arabs. Subgroups can be distinguished within each of these two groups: among the Jews according to their country of origin and among the non-Jews according to their religion or even their village of origin. The precise origin of each patient is particularly important for the medical geneticists since in each subgroup some hereditary disorders have been reported with an increased frequency. This knowledge also allows in some cases for preventive genetic screening. The reasons for the relatively high frequency of mendelian disorders in the different communities in Israel are numerous including mainly a founder effect with genetic drift and selection. In Israel, medical genetics is a recognized medical speciality and there are eleven clinical genetic centers in the country. These centers are in close contact with the individuals active in the different fields of human genetics in Israel both for service and research.