May 2, 2007
In a letter published in The Guardian in April, a group of British doctors called for a boycott of the IsraeliMedical Association (IMA) and its expulsion from the World MedicalAssociation (WMA) for allegedly failing to uphold internationalmedical ethical standards in the Palestinian territories.
We, the representatives of medicine in Israel, categorically deny these accusations and wish to take a stand in support of the IMA and humane medical treatment for all in Israel.
It is all too clear that Dr. Derek Summerfield is once again feeding his own personal, systematic dislike of Israel and will persist in doing so regardless of the truth.
As for Dr. David Halpin, if the best he can do is quote Amira Hass: Life Under Israeli Occupation – published August 26, 2001 inThe Independent, at the height of the Intifida, we suggest he embarks on a more recent and thorough research of the situation, as stipulated below.
Unfortunately, the other signatories were presumably unaware of the reality of the situation.
We would therefore like to clarify some facts and provide a sampling of health activity pertaining to the Palestinian Authority, coordinated between the Israeli and Palestinian Ministries of Health.
- The number of children with birth defects who were operated on in Israel: 1,604 in 2005, 2346 in 2006.
- Palestinian physicians attending medical programs or conferences in Israel or internationally: 30 in 2005, 131 in 2006.
- Palestinian patients permitted to undergo medical treatment in hospitals in Israel: 24,076 in 2005, 29,919 in 2006.
- Palestinian patients given permission to undergo medical treatment in hospitals in East Jerusalem: 30,136 in 2005, 51,156 in 2006.
- Permits granted allowing the import of medical supplies and medication: 400 in 2006.
- Dealing with cases of ambulance delays at barriers: 600 in 2006
- Dealing with requests from external sources, such as Physicians for Human Rights, MPs, IMA: 300 in 2006.
- Palestinian emergency patients transferred by ambulance to hospitals in East Jerusalem or Israeli medical institutions: 800 in 2005, 1,600 in 2006.
We would also like to reiterate what was expressed in a recent IMA letter, namely " The IMA is not, and has never been,the ‘executive arm of the Israeli establishment. It is an apolitical organization that, like every other nationalmedical organization, concerns itself with medical and healthissues and not the establishment or support of any sort of politicalpolicy.
The IMA has continuously called for fundsto be transferred [to the PA] not in kind but in the form of food and medicineso that help could be given where it is truly needed.
In addition to the above, tens if not hundreds of Palestinianpatients receive medical care in Israel each year, usually ata cost absorbed by the Israeli government. As an example, in 2004, NIS36,645,507 (approximately 8,143,446 USD at the time) were offset. The IMA has intervenedon occasions where a patient was about to be evicted from anIsraeli hospital for lack of funds. The IMA has also intervenedon many occasions of Palestinian patients, physicians, and medicalstudents who encountered difficulties at Israeli checkpoints,including petitions to the High Court of Justice on certainmatters.
The organization has, at several points in the past, attempted to meet withits Palestinian counterparts in an effort to foster mutual cooperationand better understanding, including the release of a joint statement.Almost none of these meetings have taken place, because of refusalon the Palestinian side."
In addition to the above, several collaborative health care initiatives have taken place in the past few months, including the First International Congress on Chronic Disorders in Children (April 26-27), attended by 300 Israeli and 100 Palestinian doctors at Jerusalem's Regency Hotel and the First Middle East Symposium on Dental Medicine (Nov. 27, 2006) which represented a further expression of the relationship launched between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Al-Quds University.
Under the Israeli program "Save a Child's Heart", doctors at Wolfson Hospital repair congenital heart defects for children from the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Jordan and Africa; more than 1,000 children, about half from Gaza and the occupied West Bank, have been helped so far by the program.
Teams at BethlehemUniversity and at Tel-AvivUniversity have worked together to investigate the genetic causes of deafness. The Israeli and Palestinian professors leading the project have now launched a graduate research program to enable Palestinian students to pursue post-graduate research in this field at Tel-AvivUniversity .
With funding from the Peres project, Hadassah has trained physicians and nurses in cancer treatments. Advocate Health Care, an ELCA-related institution, sends specialists to train Augusta Victoria’s staff in advanced radiology techniques. This Palestinian-Israeli hospital project also trained psychologists and holds monthly meetings of “Pediatricians Across the Mount”, where staff from three Palestinian hospitals and Hadassah hospital exchange ideas and information.
It saddens us greatly to see and hear of Palestinian civilians receiving inadequate health care, including in Gaza, from which Israel unilaterally withdrew in 2006. It saddens us that funds transferred to the Palestinian leadership are often used for guns and bombs instead of for hospitals and medicines. It saddens us that Hizbollah kidnapped our soldiers and rained missiles on Israeli cities, and then hid amongst civilians and civilian structures such as hospitals. We do our best to help whenever possible, despite these constraints, and have often called for a separation of political and humane issues, so that no one suffers from the current conflict.
The “facts” expressed in the letter of the Palestinian organizations calling for a boycott of the IMA, are a far cry from reality. It is our hope that your readers will form unbiased opinions and recognize the steps that Israeli doctors are taking to improve the health and treatment of all peoples, regardless of race or religion. Those who have preconceived opinions will undoubtedly stick with them. But for those who want the truth, we have attempted to present it.
Sincerely,
Dr. Yoram Blachar, President, IMA
Professor Shmuel C. Shapira MD MPH, Hadassah Deputy Director General
DirectorHebrew University-HadassahSchool of Public Health
Dr. Jacob Yahav, Director, KaplanMedicalCenter
Prof. Zvi Zemishlany, Director - Geha Mental HealthCenter
Meir Oren M.D., M.Sc., M.P.HDirector – General, The Hillel - YaffeMedicalCenter
Zvi Stern m.d.Director Hadassah Medical Center- Mt. Scopus
Dr. Orna Blondheim, Director, Haemak Medical Center, Afula
Dr. Raphi Pollack, Medical Director, BikurCholimHospital, Jerusalem
SCHARF SHIMON M.D.,M.P.H., Director of the Barzilai Med. Ctr.Ashkelon
Yehezkel Caine M.D., M.Sc. Director General, HerzogHospital
Dr. Itzhak (Tzaki) Siev-Ner, Head of Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel
Prof. David Branski, M.D, Chairman ofPediatrics, HadassahUniversityHospitals, Jerusalem
Amos Etzioni MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology, Director - Meyer Children's Hospital
PROF. HANOCHHODMD, DIRECTORICCU SHEBAMEDICALCENTER,ISRAEL
Ehud Raanani, MD, Head of Cardiac Surgery,Sheba Medical Center, Israel
Dr.Zeev Feldman, Head of pediatric Neurology, Sheba Medical Center, Israel
Prof. Aaron Lerner, Head Child Nutrition Unit, CarmelHospital
Prof. Arie Lindner, Head, Dept. of Urology, AsafHarofehMedicalCenter & Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council, IMA
Shaul Sofer,M.D., Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Lubner Family Chair in Child Health & Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Yoseph A. Mekori M.D., Professor of Medicine, Dean, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, TelAvivUniversity
Henry Silver MBBS, BMedSci, DPM, FRANZCP Associate Professor, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Deputy Director Sha'ar Menashe Mental Health Centre, Israel
Prof. Bernard Belhassen, Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory,Tel-AvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Batya Kristal, MD, MHA, FASN, Assoc. Professor ofMedicine, Head, Department of NephrologyHypertension, Western Galilee Hospital
Kluger Yoram MD, FACS, Department of Surgery B, RambamMedicalCenter, Haifa, Israel
Prof. Gil Lugassy, Chairman, Israeli Hematology Association
Dr. Ohad Birk, Head, Genetics Institute, Soroka Medical Center, Israel
Dr. Gerald M.Fraser MD,FRCP, Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Deputy-Director Department of Gastroenterology, RabinMedicalCenter
Prof Alexander Battler, MD, FACC, FESC, Director of CardiologyRabinMedicalCenter
Prof. Keren Gad MD, Head Dept. Cardiology,Tel-AvivMedicalCenter
Incumbent –Chaim Sheba Chair of Cardiology
Yehuda A. Schwarz, MD, Senior Deputy Director of Pulmonary Medicine Dep., Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Ari Zimran, MD, Director, Gaucher Clinic, ShaareZedekMedicalCenter
Ass. Professor of Medicine, HebrewUniversity and HaddassahSchool of Medicine
Yehuda L. Danon M.D., Professor of Medicine, SchneiderChildrensMedicalCenter
Prof Ami Schattner
Judith Heyd MD, Head, Hematology Unit, ShaareZedekMedicalCenter, Jerusalem
Dr. Darwin Telias, Mental HealthCenter Beer-Sheva and "Matara" AddicitionsTreatmentCenter, BenGurionUniversity
Ephraim Rimon, MD
Head Geriatric Department E, F, HarzfeldMedicalCenter, Gedera
Prof. Joel Sayfan, Head of Department of Surgery, HaemekMedicalCenter
Pinchas Halpern, MD, Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel
Dr. Meir Weisbrod, Director of the Neonatology/Prematurity Department, LaniadoHospital, Netanya, Israel
Yehuda Limony MD MSc, Child Health Center-Kiriat GatAndBen-GurionUniversity of the Negev, Beer Sheva
Eran Leitersdorf, MD,Professor of Internal Medicine,Chair in Molecular Genetics,Head, Department of Medicine B,Director, Center for Research,Prevention and Treatment
of Atherosclerosis, HadassahUniversityHospital
Dean D. Ad-El MD Head, Department of Plastic Surgery & BurnsRabinMedicalCenter
Dr. Avi Cohen, Head, Neurosurgery Dept., SorokaMedicalCenter
Prof. Chaim Lotan,Director, Heart Institute,Chair in Cardiology,Hadassah-HebrewUniversityMedicalCenter
Hadary Amram MD, Head, Trauma Unit ,”Ziv” Hospital, Safed
Pnina Green, M.D., Ph.D., The Laboratory for the Study of Fatty Acids
The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, TelAvivUniversity,
And Department of Internal Medicine B, RabinMedicalCenter
Dr. Dror Soffer, Head, Trauma Unit, TelAvivMedicalCenter
Prof. Gideon Uretzky, M.D., Chairman, Dept. of Cardiothoracic Surgery,
TelAvivSouraskyMedicalCenter & SacklerSchool of Medicine, TelAvivUniversity,
Tel Aviv, Israel
David Pauzner M.D., Deputy Head, Obgyn Wing, SouraskyMedicalCenter
Dr. Yitzchak Halperin, BarziliMedicalCenter
Prof. Arie Herman, Head of Ob/Gyn, AssafHarofehMedicalCenter
Dr Shimoni Zvi, Head of Internal Med B Department and Infectious Disease Unit, LaniadoHospital,Netanya
DR SASSON NAKAR
Zalman Weintraub, MD. Neonatology Nahariya
Michael SOUDRY M.D.,Professor and Chairman,Division of Orthopaedics and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery A,RambamMedicalCenter
Professor Eugene Libson, Hadassah Univ.Hospital,HebrewUniversitySchool of Medicine
Dr. Ido Olsha, Head of Department of General Surgery, YoseftalHospital – Eilat
Dr Suzy Ronen,ShareiZedekMedicalCenter
MorrisMosseri, Cardiology Institute, MeirMedicalCenter, Kfar Saba
Dr. Doron Kopelman, Head, Surgery B, HaemekMedicalCenter
Aroeh Eden MD, Director of Research, Computing and Quality assurance. Department of Anesthesia and CCMCarmelMedicalCenter
Professor Uri Seligsohn, ShebaMedicalCenter
Ofer Nativ MD., Prof. & Chairman Department of Urology, Bnai-ZionMedicalCenter
Prof' Joseph Ribak, TelAvivUniversity
Dr Moshe Hersch, MD, MSc, Director of ICU, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem
Senior Lecturer, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Prof. Moshe Hod, Director, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, HelenSchneiderHospital for Women,RabinMedicalCenter
Boris Finkel, M.D.
Head of Psychogeriatric Ward
Head of Holocaust Residence
Lev HaSharon Mental Heath Center
Prof Avry Chagnac, MD, RabinMedicalCenter-HasharonHospital
Prof. Z.H. Rappaport, Director, Dept. of Neurosurgery,RabinMedicalCenter
Professor Mauro Rathaus, MeirMedicalCenter
PROF. SHOENFELD YEHUDA, MD.FRCP, Head, Department of Medicine 'B' and Center for Autoimmune Diseases, ShebaMedicalCenter
Vardiella Meiner, M.D.Dept of Human Genetics,HadassahUniversityHospital,Jerusalem
Prof. Daniel Benharroch,Head of Hematopathology Unit,Dept. of Pathology,
SorokaMedicalCenter,Beer-Sheva.
Ofer Z. Shenfeld MD.,Chairman of Urology,ShaareZedekMedicalCenter
Nathaniel Laor, Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Science and Philosophy,
TelAvivUniversity
Dr. Charach Gideon
Zohar Barzilay MD FCCM, Professor of Pediatrics, Sheba Medical Center
Prof. N. Gadoth Chairman Adult & Pediatric Neurology
- MA`AYNEI-HAYESHUAMedicalCenter
Gilutz Harel M.D,Director of Intensive Coronary Care Unit.
Assistant director, Cardiology Department,Ben-Gurion University, Faculty of Health Sciences,Soroka University Medical Center
Michael Hoffman, MD
Deputy Chief Director
Department of Internal Medicine A, Tell AvivSouraskyMedicalCenter, Tel Aviv, Israel
Prof. Haim Bibi MD, Head Pediatric Department,CarmelMedicalCenter, Haifa
Shmuel Yurman MD, Head Neonatal Department & NICUHillelYaffeMedicalCenter
Ehud Melzer M.D, Head Department of Gastroenterology & Liver Disease
KaplanMedicalCenter, Rehovot, ISRAEL
Professor Eugene Libson MD.FRCR, HadassahMedicalCenter
Prof. Meller, Director- National Unit of Orthopedic Oncology, TelAvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Hillel Halkin MD, Professor of Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, TelAvivUniversity
Prof. Israel Potasman, Director, Infectious Dis., Bnai Zion Med. Ctr., Haifa
Dr. Chanan Tauber, Former president of the Israel Orthopedic Association
A. Mark Clarfield, MD, FRCPC, Head of Geriatrics, SorokaHospital.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-GurionUniversity.
Shai Brill M.D, BeitRivkaGeriatricRehabilitationHospital
Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor, MD DSc
Director, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, RambamMedicalCenter
Director, StemCellCenterBruce Rappaport Faculty of MedicineTechnion - Israel Institute of Technology
Haim Ring MD, MSc PMR, Professor and Chairman,
Neurological RehabilitationDept.LoewensteinRehabilitationCenter
Dr. Jacob Atsmon,Head, Clinical Pharmacology Unit,Director, Clinical ResearchCenter
TelAvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Dr. Alona Paz,Infectious diseases specialist
Infectious diseases unit, BnaiZionMedicalCenter, Haifa
Dr Ilan Treves
Prof. D. Hochner, Head of Maternity Unit, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Jerusalem
Gadi Shaked, MD, Department of Surgery, Trauma Unit, SorokaUniversityMedicalCenter
Prof. H. Matzkin, Head of Urology Dept., TelAvivMedicalCenter
Shlomo Keidar MD, RambamMedicalCenter
HERSHKOVICH JACOB MD, SOROKAMEDICALCENTER, BEER-SHEVA , ISRAEL
Jacob Arad M.D, Director of Emergency Dept,.JoseftalHospital, Eilat Israel
Prof. Michael Glikson, MD, FACC, FESC, Director of Pacing and Electrophysiology
Heart Institute, ShebaMedicalCenter
Dr. Arieh Markel, Head, Internal Medicine A, HaamekMedicalCenter, Afula
Prof. Amos M. Cohen, Hematology Unit, HasharonHospitalRabinMedicalCenter
Juza Chen, MD, Director of Sexual Dysfunction Clinic, Department of Urology, Tel-AvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Dr. Zvi Davidovich
Prof. Ilana Ariel, MD, PhD,Head, Perinatal Pathology Unit,The Hadassah-HebrewUniversityMedicalCenter, Jerusalem
Dr. Shimon Rochkind,Specialist in Neurosurgery & Microsurgery,Director, Division of Peripheral Nerve Reconstruction,TelAvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Dr. Naomi Rahimi-Levene, Head, Blood Bank, AsafHarofehMedicalCenter
Eran Segal, MD, Director,General ICU,ShebaMedicalCenter
Michael Giladi, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Acting Director, the Infectious Disease Unit, Director, The Bernard Pridan Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases
Tel Aviv Medical Center
DR MICHAEL BENNETT, MB BS FRCP FRCPathCONSULTANT HAEMATOLOGIST
Yehuda Ullmann, Acting Head, Plastic Surgery Dept, .Rambam.MedicalCenter
Eli M Eisenstein, M.D.,Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah-HebrewUniversityMedicalCenter
Prof. Simcha Yagel, Hadassah-HebrewUniversityMedicalCenters
Professor Tamir Ben-Hur, M.D., Ph.D., Head, Department of Neurology, Hadassah - HebrewUniversityMedicalCenter
Prof Zvi Zadik,Director, Pediatric Endocrine Unit, KaplanMedicalCenter
Chairman Israeli Pediatric Endocrine Associatiion
Fred M Konikoff, MD, MSc., Professor of Medicine, Head, Dept of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, MeirMedicalCenter
Dov Inbar, MD, Schneider Children's MedicalCenter
Dr. Itzhak Rosner, Director of Rheumatology, BnaiZionMedicalCenter
Raphael Catane MD, Professor & Chairman,Department of Oncology, ShebaMedicalCenter
David Jonathan van Dijk, MD, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Nephrology
Director of the Diabetic Nephropathy Clinic, Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, RabinMedicalCenter
Eli Konen M.D., Head of Department of Diagnostic Imaging,ShebaMedicalCenter
Prof. Alex Simon, Director of IVFCenter,HadassahUniversityHospital, Jerusalem
Dr. Haim Shtarker, Head, Orthopedic Unit, NahariyaMedicalCenter
Dr Kleinman Yosef, Head of Internal Medicine, BikurCholimHospital, Jerusalem
Davidovitch Michael MD,Chairman of the Israeli Organization for ChildDevelopment and Rehabilitation
Dr. Simon M. Schlanger,M.D.;Oncologist
T. Tichler, M.D.,Chief, Oncology Inpatient Ward,DavidoffCancerCenter, BeilinsonHospital
Treasurer of the Israeli Oncology and Radiotherapy Association
Dr Michael Gdalevich, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon
Prof. Uri Kramer. Director, Pediatric Epilepsy Service, TelAvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Prof. Zvi Ram, Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, TelAvivMedicalCenter
Dr Alon Reshef, Head of psychiatric outpatient clinic, Afula. Israel
Dr. Nissim Razon, Neurosurgeon, TelAvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Haim Gutman, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
TelAvivUniversity, SacklerSchool of Medicine.
Head, Surgical Oncology Service, RabinMedicalCenter
David Huminer M.D., RabinMedicalCenter
Ernst Voss MD, Gynaecologist , HadassahUniversityHospital , Jerusalem
Dr. Yacov Fogelman, "Leumit" HMO
Sergey Preisman, M.D., Director of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Unit, ShebaMedicalCenter, Tel Hashomer
Dr. Haim Bitterman, President of the Israel Association of Internal Medicine
Dr. Menahem Fisher, Deputy Chairman, Israeli Gynecology Association
Dr Igal Hekselman MD MHA-Medical Director,Health insurance system & Clalit Mushlam
Miriam Zalish MD, Head, Glaucoma Unit, KaplanMedicalCenter, Rehovot
Prof. Yehuda G. Wolf, M.D., Head, Dept. of Vascular Surgery, TelAvivSouraskyMedicalCenter
Alexander Kantarovsky MD, Vascular Surgery, HillelYaffeMedicalCenter
Dr. Michael Stein, Head, Trauma Unit, RabinMedicalCenter & Chairman, Israeli Trauma Association
Professor David Greenberg, HerzogHospital, Jerusalem
Prof Amos Katz, M.D., Director, Department of Cardiology, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, & Associate Dean for student Affairs, Faculty of Health Sciences Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel