Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) was founded in 1988 with the aim of striving to was founded in 1988 with the aim of striving to
promote medical human rights in Israel and in the promote medical human rights in Israel and in the
territories under its effective control. The basic territories under its effective control. The basic
values of PHR-Israel are human dignity, protection values of PHR-Israel are human dignity, protection
of bodily and mental integrity, and promotion of of bodily and mental integrity, and promotion of
the right to health and medical care.
the right to health and medical care.
These values guide the association's activities and These values guide the association's activities and
campaigns. We believe that it is our duty to be campaigns. We believe that it is our duty to be
fully informed of human rights violations, to fully informed of human rights violations, to disseminate this information and to struggle disseminate this information and to struggle
against such violations and for the right to health, against such violations and for the right to health,
Major Projects Major Projects
1.1.
Occupied Territories Occupied Territories
2.2.
Migrant Workers (“Foreign Workers”) Migrant Workers (“Foreign Workers”)
3.3.
Prisoners and Detainees Prisoners and Detainees
4.4.
Right to Health of Residents of Israel Right to Health of Residents of Israel
Occupied Territories Occupied Territories
Since 1967 the Palestinian population in the Gaza Since 1967 the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem has lived
Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem has lived under Israeli occupation. The State of Israel, as under Israeli occupation. The State of Israel, as
the occupying power, is obligated to respect, the occupying power, is obligated to respect,
protect and realize the right to health for all protect and realize the right to health for all
residents of the Occupied Territories.
residents of the Occupied Territories.
Restrictions on Freedom of Restrictions on Freedom of
Movement
Movement
Closure, Curfew, Closure, Curfew,
Blockade,
Blockade,
Roadblock
Roadblock
Ramifications Ramifications
Red Crescent ambulances evacuate only Red Crescent ambulances evacuate only 30% of the patients directly from their 30% of the patients directly from their
homes. The rest are required to reach the homes. The rest are required to reach the
roadblocks on their own.
roadblocks on their own.
Until September 2000: 95% of women gave Until September 2000: 95% of women gave birth in hospitals.
birth in hospitals.
Since September 2000: 50% of women give Since September 2000: 50% of women give birth in hospitals.
birth in hospitals.
Since September 2000: a rise of 500% in Since September 2000: a rise of 500% in
the number of stillbirths in the rural regions.
the number of stillbirths in the rural regions.
Attacks on Ambulances Attacks on Ambulances
Red Crescent ambulance in Jenin which was shot in April 2002. As a result of the shooting Dr. Sliman Khalil, Director of the Palestine Red Crescent
Society in Jenin, was killed.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
Protest, Tel-Aviv
Protest, Tel-Aviv
The Mobile Clinic
The Mobile Clinic
Goals Goals
Primary care to patients who cannot access medical Primary care to patients who cannot access medical care.
care.
Exposing the situation to the medical team, thereby Exposing the situation to the medical team, thereby passing on the information to the Israeli public. Re- passing on the information to the Israeli public. Re- humanization of Palestinian society in the eyes of the humanization of Palestinian society in the eyes of the Israeli public.
Israeli public.
A gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian population.A gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian population.
Cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian physicians.Cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian physicians.
Protest against the government's policies of closure and Protest against the government's policies of closure and occupation.
occupation.
Resistance to the government’s attempts to lock Israeli Resistance to the government’s attempts to lock Israeli human rights activists out of the Occupied Territories.
human rights activists out of the Occupied Territories.
Use of the information gathered during mobile clinics for Use of the information gathered during mobile clinics for advocacy and campaigns.
advocacy and campaigns.
Migrant Workers
Migrant Workers
Overview Overview
In 21
In 21
stst-century -century Israel, hundreds of thousands of Israel, hundreds of thousands of people live without rights and without access people live without rights and without access
to the Israeli public healthcare system. This to the Israeli public healthcare system. This
includes migrant children and adults, with or includes migrant children and adults, with or without work permits, women trapped in the without work permits, women trapped in the
sex industry, asylum seekers, refugees and sex industry, asylum seekers, refugees and
others. All arrived in
others. All arrived in Israel mainly in order to Israel mainly in order to find a livelihood, and some have lived in
find a livelihood, and some have lived in Israel Israel for many years, gradually becoming part of
for many years, gradually becoming part of Israeli society and economy.
Israeli society and economy.
Refugees and Asylum Refugees and Asylum
Seekers Seekers
In 2001, when the world celebrated the jubilee In 2001, when the world celebrated the jubilee of the signing of the Refugees Convention,
of the signing of the Refugees Convention, Israel began to take the first steps towards Israel began to take the first steps towards
implementing the convention. Israel has done implementing the convention. Israel has done
very little over the years to protect migrant very little over the years to protect migrant
people who were persecuted because of their people who were persecuted because of their
race, religion, nationality or political stand. For race, religion, nationality or political stand. For
years, Israel refrained from establishing a years, Israel refrained from establishing a
system for recognition of refugees. As a system for recognition of refugees. As a
result, many remained stateless for extended result, many remained stateless for extended
periods. Many came to PHR-Israel requesting periods. Many came to PHR-Israel requesting
medical treatment, with a background of medical treatment, with a background of
extreme distress and severe human rights extreme distress and severe human rights
violations.
violations.
The Open Clinic The Open Clinic
The Open Clinic was founded in 1998, with the The Open Clinic was founded in 1998, with the goal of offering primary and secondary medical goal of offering primary and secondary medical care to migrant workers. It is run by volunteers, care to migrant workers. It is run by volunteers,
and opens 3 evenings a week for general care, and opens 3 evenings a week for general care,
Prisoners and Detainees
Prisoners and Detainees
The State of Israel holds thousands of people in The State of Israel holds thousands of people in custody. These prisoners and detainees are held custody. These prisoners and detainees are held
by the police, army or Prisons Service, who are by the police, army or Prisons Service, who are
responsible for their welfare. The fact that these responsible for their welfare. The fact that these
people's freedom has been taken from them people's freedom has been taken from them
Main Problems Main Problems
Numerous cases of medical neglect; isolation of Numerous cases of medical neglect; isolation of prisoners for extended periods; holding mentally prisoners for extended periods; holding mentally
ill patients in regular jailing facilities;
ill patients in regular jailing facilities;
overcrowding; poor sanitation conditions;
overcrowding; poor sanitation conditions;
shackling of sick prisoners to hospital beds;
shackling of sick prisoners to hospital beds;
torture during interrogations.
torture during interrogations.
Doctors' Participation in Torture Doctors' Participation in Torture
of Palestinian Detainees under of Palestinian Detainees under
Interrogation
Interrogation
Police Detention Center Police Detention Center
Inspections Inspections
For the past 6 years, For the past 6 years, Physicians for Human Physicians for Human Rights-Israel has been Rights-Israel has been visiting and inspecting visiting and inspecting police detention centers.
police detention centers.
These visits lead to These visits lead to identification and identification and publicizing of
publicizing of
fundamental problems, fundamental problems, and ultimately to
and ultimately to
improvements. The Israel improvements. The Israel Prisons Service and the Prisons Service and the IDF do not allow
IDF do not allow
independent inspections independent inspections of their facilities.
of their facilities.
Health Rights of Residents of Health Rights of Residents of
Israel
Israel
The National Health Insurance law, passed The National Health Insurance law, passed in 1994, was intended to guarantee equal in 1994, was intended to guarantee equal
health services for all. Despite good health services for all. Despite good
intentions, the law and its implementation intentions, the law and its implementation
suffer from several faults: many services suffer from several faults: many services
are not included in the free range of are not included in the free range of
services provided under the law (e.g., in- services provided under the law (e.g., in- patient nursing care, mental healthcare, patient nursing care, mental healthcare,
dental care); The range of services is dental care); The range of services is
being eroded since the Finance Ministry being eroded since the Finance Ministry
prevents updates and does not transfer all prevents updates and does not transfer all payments to the HMOs; private healthcare payments to the HMOs; private healthcare has crept into the public and state medical has crept into the public and state medical
institutions.
institutions.
Hotline Hotline
Physicians for Human Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the Rights-Israel and the
Adva Center for Social Adva Center for Social
Justice run a joint Justice run a joint hotline to handle hotline to handle applications from applications from
residents insured by residents insured by
the National Health the National Health
Insurance law. The Insurance law. The hotline responds to hotline responds to
questions regarding a questions regarding a
range of issues and range of issues and
problems relating to problems relating to rights under the law rights under the law
Palestinians citizens of Israel suffer from Palestinians citizens of Israel suffer from ongoing systematic discrimination,
ongoing systematic discrimination,
expressed, inter alia, by the level and expressed, inter alia, by the level and
scope of medical services that are scope of medical services that are available, or not available, in Arab available, or not available, in Arab
communities, e.g., a lack of national EMS communities, e.g., a lack of national EMS
centers and various language-related centers and various language-related
medical services (mental health, speech medical services (mental health, speech
therapy); discrimination regarding therapy); discrimination regarding
budgets allotted to hospitals in budgets allotted to hospitals in
Nazareth, and more.
Nazareth, and more.
Unrecognized Bedouin Villages Unrecognized Bedouin Villages
in the Negev
in the Negev
