Israel Matzav: More 'Israeli apartheid'

Sunday, November 28, 2010

More 'Israeli apartheid'

Here's another example of 'Israeli apartheid': 180,000 'Palestinians' (from Judea, Samaria and Gaza - that does not include 'Israeli Arabs') were treated at Israeli hospitals this year (Hat Tip: Daily Alert).

“Up until September 2000, a Ramallah resident could have taken his car and driven to Ichilov Hospital [in Israel],” began Commander of Judea and Samaria Division, Brig. Gen. Nitzan Alon. “But from September 2000 we’ve been in a state of terror. Hundreds were killed, Jews and Palestinians alike. The battles took place in the heart of the cities, in places where enemies stood side by side with civilians, with difficult conditions and limited ability to evacuate. We could not practice medicine beyond the minimum. In those days, we were on the verge of a humanitarian crisis.”

But today, he says, the situation is different. Thanks to many efforts on both sides, stability has been restored. “The political leadership is able to make decisions not in the context of buses exploding. And now, along with direct military activity – patrolling, arrests, crossings – we are starting a new kind of routine. Medicine is an integral part of it. In today’s reality, we are obligated to do a lot more than the minimum. Our addressing of the situation should be as wide ranging as possible,” said Brig. Gen. Alon.

Dalia’s full name is Dalia Basa, medical coordinator of the Civil Administration. In reality, she is the link to everyone who deals with medicine in the territories. In today’s lectures, her name has been mentioned repeatedly, always with respect. In an interview with IDF website, she says pleasantly, “A bond of mutual trust has been created between us. I always tell them the truth. When the Palestinians don’t do what they’re required, I don’t ignore their behavior; but with that, I will always listen. I hear them. I understand their problems.”

The work is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There will always be medical incidents. Health is not something one can impose a curfew on or demand to freeze. “I am available around the clock. Even on Shabbat, even at 3 a.m. if needed. There is a constant contact between me and the doctors on both sides, the ambulance drivers and the patients themselves.”

And, unbelievable though it may sound, because of desire and will, it is working. Last year, 180,000 Palestinian citizens entered Israel to receive treatment. 3,000 emergency patients were transferred from Israeli to Palestinian ambulances using the “back to back” method, without warning. “Ultimately, this is a rewarding experience. There is frustration, of course there is. But on the other hand, there are people who see me on the street or in hospitals, hear my name and say ‘You saved my son’s life’. When you get home in the end of the day and examine your life, you know that you saved lives. You know you did a lot of good.”

Read the whole thing.

And keep it in mind the next time you hear someone call Israel an apartheid state. Ask them how many blacks were treated at white South African hospitals during the apartheid era, and under what circumstances. And then show them the picture above of Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv or of any of Israel's other hospitals and tell them that 180,000 'Palestinians' and thousands more 'Israeli Arabs' were treated at Israeli hospitals this year - many without payment.

Damned ingrates. We owe them nothing.

Labels: Hadassah Hospital, Ichilov Hospital, IDF Civil Administration, IDF Judea and Samaria Division