Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Middle East

Kiwis for Balanced Reporting On The Mideast New Zealand Media bias

March 8, 2011

Exposing The Myth of ‘Apartheid’ Yet Again

Following the refusal of NZ newspapers to publish an article written on this subject last October by a retired Kiwi now living in Israel, another article, detailing daily life there, was again submitted a few weeks ago.
This deals with his experiences in one of the major hospitals in Jerusalem where he witnessed first hand how patients and their families from a multitude of ethnic and religious backgrounds all interacted in friendship, concern and support. In other words the exact opposite of what is portrayed in the media and by those whose agenda is to accuse Israel of discrimination and other crimes.

 

It came as no surprise that once again the NZ newspapers evinced no interest in publishing this first hand account of reality in the Jewish State. The response from one editor was ‘not for us’ and the 2nd was ‘I will pass’. The response from all the other newspapers was a deafening silence.
Therefore in the interests of providing you with facts which you would otherwise never see, we reprint the article here.

HEALTHY REALITIES – A SYMBOL OF HOPE

By Michael Kuttner

The steady and unrelenting drip feed of misinformation served up to the public, has established in many minds a firm conviction that Israel is guilty of every crime falsely attributed to it. One of these is the claim that Israel is an ”‘partheid’ State. This has become a trendy slogan for those whose knowledge of the actual situation on the ground is nil and who do not moreover ever want to be confused by actual facts.

Having spent five days in a Jerusalem hospital after surgery, let me describe my own personal experiences there, which exposes the myths proclaimed by those whose hatred of Israel's existence receives so much publicity. My enforced stay in Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus, a suburb in Jerusalem, revealed in stark reality a total and complete commitment to equality and compassion, principles upon which this country is founded.

First a quick historical background: Hadassah Hospital was opened in 1939 to serve all the residents of Jerusalem and was at the time the most modern facility in the region. It's location in the suburb of Mount Scopus, next to the Hebrew University, not only meant that the hospital was set in beautiful grounds but that it also was able to take advantage of its proximity to advanced research facilities. From the very first day its doors were open to all, without discrimination. Despite this, Arab gangs from the surrounding villages carried out almost daily terror attacks, not only against the hospital itself, but also on patients and doctors making their way to Mt. Scopus. The Mandatory British Authorities did virtually nothing to stop these murderous actions and it was therefore no surprise when on 13 April, 1948 a convoy of doctors and nurses on their way to the hospital was ambushed by Arab terrorists, resulting in 78 medical staff being murdered.

With the end of the British Mandate and Israel's rebirth as a Jewish State, the surrounding Arab nations launched a war intended to eradicate any Jewish presence in the Holy Land. Following their failure to achieve these aims an uneasy armistice prevailed. From 1948 until 1967, Jordan illegally occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and effectively cut off the enclave of Mt. Scopus. The isolated hospital and university stood empty, garrisoned only by a token number of Israeli police to ensure that looting and damage was not carried out. For 19 years these institutions which had been a beacon of learning and healing for all, remained deserted, effectively blockaded by the Jordanian army. An alternative hospital and university were meanwhile built elsewhere in Jerusalem. This situation existed until the Six Day War in 1967 when after Jordanian shelling of West Jerusalem, Israeli forces finally regained control of all these areas. A massive effort to restore Hadassah Hospital to its former glory was undertaken and after the expenditure of millions of dollars (all donated), the updated, upgraded facility was finally reopened in 1975. Despite all that had transpired, the medical staff in accordance with their professional calling and in the spirit of Judaism, once again began treating all those in need, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.

Fast forward to today: the only evidence of the medical convoy massacre of 1948 is a plaque outside the entrance of the hospital. Surrounded by a garden and benches, it is surreal to see Arabs and Jews sitting peacefully alongside each other, socializing and blissfully unaware of the drama which had unfolded there. Entering the beautifully restored building one is immediately struck by the diversity of the people who have come to receive the medical expertise for which Hadassah is so renowned. Religious Jews, Arab Moslems in traditional garb and Christian Nuns, all mixing freely and without any sense of tension or hostility. From the time I arrived for pre op. consultations through my operation and until my discharge five days later, I and my fellow roommates were simply patients and human beings. It made no difference whether we were Moslems, Christians or Jews, secular or religious, settlers, leftists or Hamas supporters — all of us were treated equally and without distinction. Moreover, our families, waiting for us to emerge from the operating theatre and recovery room, or visiting us later in the wards, talked and interacted without any inhibitions.

Conditioned as the NZ public are by tales of strife, it will be a complete revelation to learn that in every Israeli hospital, the experiences I witnessed are replicated every day of the week. A few examples to explode the myth of ‘apartheid’ Israel:

  • The Arab porter wheeling me to the operating theatre and wishing me a speedy recovery.
  • My Arab neighbour in the bed next to me asking how I was feeling & exchanging get well wishes.
  • The Arab Moslem doctor intern doing his daily rounds together with his Jewish colleague.
  • Arab & Jewish patients watching the World Cup matches together and cheering on their favourite teams.
  • My blood pressure & temperature being taken by a young Moslem female nurse, dressed in traditional (white) head covering.
  • A 19 year old Moslem Arab youth admitted in the middle of the night with appendicitis and being comforted by Jewish nurses until his family arrived.
  • Religious Jews and Moslems praying side by side from their respective prayer books.

These personal experiences confirmed what I had already known but which the world ignores. Those who accuse Israel of being an ‘apartheid’ State are not interested in facts but rather in furthering their visceral hatred of the Jewish State. Israel's unconditional commitment to equality, demonstrated by its hospitals at home and rescue missions to disasters areas abroad, are shining beacons amidst the deligitimisation swirling around it. Having spoken to many of the Arab beneficiaries of Israel's health system it is abundantly clear exactly to whom they prefer entrusting their health and future welfare. These are the realities as opposed to the constant untruths disseminated far and wide.

At least this reality gives us all some hope for a more peaceful future one day.

Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who was for many years actively involved with several Jewish Communal organisations. He now lives with his family in Israel and is a member of Kiwis for Balanced Reporting in the Middle East.