Although Dr. Summerfield’s article in this month’s BMJ is entitled
“Palestine: the assault on health and other war crimes”, it appears that
the health issues he cites are merely an excuse for him to lambaste Israel
for assorted other “war crimes” as he perceives it, making one wonder why
and how such an article made its way to the BMJ. We were surprised to see
an article of this sort appear in a respected medical journal such as
this, and feel that this decision to publish it was irresponsible and
unprofessional.
Summerfield can try to excuse his repugnant behavior by claiming that
the “pro-Israel lobby uses the term “anti-Semitic” in a morally corrupt
way”’, but this does not alter the fact that the lies and hatred he spews
in his piece are reminiscent of some of the worst forms of anti-Semitic
propaganda ever espoused.
Issues such as the security fence are clear political issues, and
although I do not wish to enter a political discourse, suffice it to say
that what Dr. Summerfield terms a “grotesque barrier”, whose real purpose,
he asserts with complete confidence is to “permanently lock more than 50
illegal Israeli settlements into Israel proper” has proven its value
regarding its real purpose, which is to block the entry of terrorists and
reduce the number of terrorist attacks. I have no doubt that if one of Dr.
Summerfield’s loved ones would blow up into pieces as a result of a
suicide bomber who managed to infiltrate from an area in which the
“grotesque” barrier was not yet complete, he would understand and feel the
need for such a barrier.
In addition, many of the things that Dr. Summerfield cites are
presented in a complete vacuum, disconnected from reality. Israel is
required to defend its citizens daily from terrorist activity, an
obligation which in no way contradicts the reality in which Israel, on a
daily basis, provides medical care to Palestinian men, women and children.
Some statistics to consider:
According to a report of the Health Coordinator of the Civil
Administration for the West Bank (the full report is attached), in the
first half of 2004 alone, 19 Palestinian children with congenital defects
(cardiac or orthopedic), cancer or other ailments, received operations
overseas, and 206 (as opposed to 118 total last year) received treatment,
including operations, in Israeli hospitals such as Wolfson Hospital in
Holon, Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv, Hadassah and Shaarei Zedek Hospitals in
Jerusalem, Rambam Hospital in Haifa, and Masqad and St. John’s Hospitals
in Jerusalem.
In addition, 800 ambulances passed over the Allenby bridge, 9900
patients got permits to receive medical care in Israel and an additional
9500 received permits for medical care in East Jerusalem. Total permits
for patients, visitors and accompanying persons to Israeli hospitals,
including those in East Jerusalem, totaled 19,679. One thousand special
permits were granted to the medical sector during a closure. 400 requests
by Palestinian companies for the import of raw materials, drugs, food etc.
were granted as were 400 approvals for passage of medical equipment,
medicines or oxygen to the West Bank.
Not only was the care offered, NIS 14,072,751 (approximately
3,127,278 USD) worth of debts of the Palestinian Authority to Israeli
hospitals were offset.
As regards the work of the Civil Administration:1000 delays of
patients and medical personnel at roadblocks during closures were
clarified, 300 inquiries of external bodies such as PHR, ICRC etc. were
responded to, 400 professional opinions were submitted to the Israeli GSS
(who based their security decisions in part on medical recommendations),
136 professional opinions were submitted in legal matters or on the matter
of visitor permits.
The conclusion that can be drawn is that Summerfield’s article is a
collection of outright lies, half-truths and certainly a one-sided view of
the situation and total disregard for the context and history of the
conflict.
With regard to Dr. Summerfield’s obsessive and repeated attacks on
the IMA and the WMA: I again state that the IMA has been far from silent
in the face of alleged health violations, but rather has consistently
forwarded such allegations to the army or the government for their
investigation and addressing of the issue. In more than one case, the
allegations have proved untrue, in some cases, remedial action was taken
and in several the army defended their actions. We have met, and continue
to meet with various Israeli, Palestinian and international
representatives to see how the situation might be improved. We have also
trained medical officers in the ethical complexities of such a volatile
situation, where their kindness and ethical stand might be abused.
However, neither the IMA nor the WMA is willing to take a political stand
on an issue, nor to give credence to the half truths and untruths spouted
by Dr. Summerfield, and unfortunately, published in an otherwise
respectable medical journal despite the clear political agenda and the
total lack of corroboration of any claim made.
Dr. Yoram Blachar
President, Israel Medical Association
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
15 December 2004
Yoram Blachar
President, Israel Medical Association
2 Twin Towers, 35 Jabotinsky St. P.O.Box 3566, Ramat Gan 52136, Israel
Rapid Response:
Response from Israel Medical Association
Although Dr. Summerfield’s article in this month’s BMJ is entitled
“Palestine: the assault on health and other war crimes”, it appears that
the health issues he cites are merely an excuse for him to lambaste Israel
for assorted other “war crimes” as he perceives it, making one wonder why
and how such an article made its way to the BMJ. We were surprised to see
an article of this sort appear in a respected medical journal such as
this, and feel that this decision to publish it was irresponsible and
unprofessional.
Summerfield can try to excuse his repugnant behavior by claiming that
the “pro-Israel lobby uses the term “anti-Semitic” in a morally corrupt
way”’, but this does not alter the fact that the lies and hatred he spews
in his piece are reminiscent of some of the worst forms of anti-Semitic
propaganda ever espoused.
Issues such as the security fence are clear political issues, and
although I do not wish to enter a political discourse, suffice it to say
that what Dr. Summerfield terms a “grotesque barrier”, whose real purpose,
he asserts with complete confidence is to “permanently lock more than 50
illegal Israeli settlements into Israel proper” has proven its value
regarding its real purpose, which is to block the entry of terrorists and
reduce the number of terrorist attacks. I have no doubt that if one of Dr.
Summerfield’s loved ones would blow up into pieces as a result of a
suicide bomber who managed to infiltrate from an area in which the
“grotesque” barrier was not yet complete, he would understand and feel the
need for such a barrier.
In addition, many of the things that Dr. Summerfield cites are
presented in a complete vacuum, disconnected from reality. Israel is
required to defend its citizens daily from terrorist activity, an
obligation which in no way contradicts the reality in which Israel, on a
daily basis, provides medical care to Palestinian men, women and children.
Some statistics to consider:
According to a report of the Health Coordinator of the Civil
Administration for the West Bank (the full report is attached), in the
first half of 2004 alone, 19 Palestinian children with congenital defects
(cardiac or orthopedic), cancer or other ailments, received operations
overseas, and 206 (as opposed to 118 total last year) received treatment,
including operations, in Israeli hospitals such as Wolfson Hospital in
Holon, Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv, Hadassah and Shaarei Zedek Hospitals in
Jerusalem, Rambam Hospital in Haifa, and Masqad and St. John’s Hospitals
in Jerusalem.
In addition, 800 ambulances passed over the Allenby bridge, 9900
patients got permits to receive medical care in Israel and an additional
9500 received permits for medical care in East Jerusalem. Total permits
for patients, visitors and accompanying persons to Israeli hospitals,
including those in East Jerusalem, totaled 19,679. One thousand special
permits were granted to the medical sector during a closure. 400 requests
by Palestinian companies for the import of raw materials, drugs, food etc.
were granted as were 400 approvals for passage of medical equipment,
medicines or oxygen to the West Bank.
Not only was the care offered, NIS 14,072,751 (approximately
3,127,278 USD) worth of debts of the Palestinian Authority to Israeli
hospitals were offset.
As regards the work of the Civil Administration:1000 delays of
patients and medical personnel at roadblocks during closures were
clarified, 300 inquiries of external bodies such as PHR, ICRC etc. were
responded to, 400 professional opinions were submitted to the Israeli GSS
(who based their security decisions in part on medical recommendations),
136 professional opinions were submitted in legal matters or on the matter
of visitor permits.
The conclusion that can be drawn is that Summerfield’s article is a
collection of outright lies, half-truths and certainly a one-sided view of
the situation and total disregard for the context and history of the
conflict.
With regard to Dr. Summerfield’s obsessive and repeated attacks on
the IMA and the WMA: I again state that the IMA has been far from silent
in the face of alleged health violations, but rather has consistently
forwarded such allegations to the army or the government for their
investigation and addressing of the issue. In more than one case, the
allegations have proved untrue, in some cases, remedial action was taken
and in several the army defended their actions. We have met, and continue
to meet with various Israeli, Palestinian and international
representatives to see how the situation might be improved. We have also
trained medical officers in the ethical complexities of such a volatile
situation, where their kindness and ethical stand might be abused.
However, neither the IMA nor the WMA is willing to take a political stand
on an issue, nor to give credence to the half truths and untruths spouted
by Dr. Summerfield, and unfortunately, published in an otherwise
respectable medical journal despite the clear political agenda and the
total lack of corroboration of any claim made.
Dr. Yoram Blachar
President, Israel Medical Association
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests