Avira, I actually am abhorred personally by the concept of abortion after the child has self awareness and can feel pain – at whenever point that is.
That being said, if a major halachik posek has a shita which has not been shown to be a ta’us, it becomes very difficult to argue from halocho that something is clear cut assur. As great as r midge was, we simply don’t pasken based on my rov is greater than yours. If someone in shomayin is going to rely on the tzitz eliezer – so long that he is not rabbi shopping my bet is he is in good standing.
What seems to me more relevant here is under what circumstances the tzitz eliezer was mattir and if any comparison can be made btwn his heter and the agenda if the crazies on the left who see zero moral problem w abortion whatsoever.
Remember, the tzitz eliezer was living in a time when even the left was advocating (at least publicly…) that abortions should be legal and rare.