The Israeli healthcare system is crumbling due to growing violence

By: E. Mahdavi

Notwithstanding the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the occupied territories during 2020, the pattern of aggression directed towards medical personnel has persisted without alteration. There were shockingly 306 physical assaults and 5,616 instances of verbal violence, threats, and property damage. The year 2021 witnessed 313 cases of physical assault and 6,505 cases of verbal assaults, threats, and property damage.

Dr. Zeev Feldman, a distinguished figure in the Israeli medical community, vice president of the Israel Medical Association, and director of the paediatric neurosurgery department of Sheba Medical Centre, voiced his concern regarding the violent attacks against medical staff. Feldman stated that it is unacceptable for physicians to feel insecure and fearful at their workplace, and aggressive individuals should not be permitted to interfere with the work of medical staff.

The Hebrew daily Ma'ariv recently reported that a Knesset Research Centre report revealed that there have been approximately 10,000 attacks against medical teams since 2018, with only 76 indictments filed and merely 39 perpetrators sentenced to prison or community service.

According to Dr. Liran Nevat Golan, physical and verbal aggression are part of Israeli medical workers everyday lives. "There are dangerous cases that have been revealed in the media, but for every dangerous case, there are countless other cases that go unreported," he explains. Have you heard that at our emergency department, a patient attempted to knife a doctor? You would have known if he had succeeded in attacking the doctor. Often, the threat of violence looms over our heads."

Sema, a healthcare professional at a medical facility situated in central Israel, argues that the situation is rapidly deteriorating with an unprecedented surge in the incidence of aggression targeted at medical staff."Personally, I have been the target of verbal abuse on various occasions, although most of the time I was able to move on", says Dr. Golan, adding that It is intriguing to note that aggressive people are often healthy people who, through their hostile behaviour, prevent those who need help from receiving it.

The prevalence of violence against medical personnel in densely populated occupied Palestine is a cause for concern. This issue sheds light on the absence of a strong national identity and the harsh nature of the Zionist regime. Despite the Israeli government's efforts to conceal it, this growing social crisis is not limited to healthcare professionals; rather, it can be seen at all levels of society, ranging from everyday disputes on the streets to political disagreements among those in power.

The proposal put forth by the extremist Zionist Minister of Internal Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, regarding the possession of firearms has the potential to escalate societal violence to a more dangerous level, particularly towards medical professionals.