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Dissecting the "Medical Apartheid" Myth

(HonestReporting) Akiva Van Koningsveld - An article published in Global Public Health, a peer-reviewed medical journal, falsely claims Israel upholds a "system of medical apartheid" in the West Bank and Gaza. The charge is easy to disprove with hard facts. In the five decades following the 1967 Six-Day War, Palestinians have become healthier than ever, with life expectancy having jumped from 48 to 73.8 years. During that same period, the estimated infant mortality rate dropped from 150 to 17 per 1,000 live births. Palestinian cancer incidence and mortality rates are comparable or even lower than in some Western nations, including Israel. Dr. David Stone, emeritus professor of pediatric epidemiology at the University of Glasgow, confirmed in a 2014 paper: "Israel has not damaged Palestinian health. In fact, the opposite is the case. Israeli policies were carefully formulated to improve health conditions in WB/G [West Bank and Gaza] as rapidly as possible. These policies...brought about measurable improvements in Palestinian health and welfare." The Palestinian Authority has been responsible for the health sphere in the West Bank and Gaza for the past 29 years (since 1994). Israel is under no obligation to treat PA residents. Nevertheless, 100,000 Palestinians enter Israel for treatment every year.
2023-05-08 00:00:00
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