Physicians for Human Rights-IsraelPhysicians 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, for individuals and for the community. for individuals and for the community.
Major ProjectsMajor Projects1.1. Occupied TerritoriesOccupied Territories
2.2. Migrant Workers (“Foreign Workers”)Migrant Workers (“Foreign Workers”)
3.3. Prisoners and DetaineesPrisoners and Detainees
4.4. Right to Health of Residents of IsraelRight to Health of Residents of Israel
5.5. Unrecognized Bedouin Negev VillagesUnrecognized Bedouin Negev Villages
Occupied TerritoriesOccupied 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 MovementMovement
Closure, Curfew, Closure, Curfew, Blockade, Blockade, RoadblockRoadblock
RamificationsRamifications
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 Until September 2000: 95% of women gave birth in hospitals.gave birth in hospitals.
Since September 2000: 50% of women Since September 2000: 50% of women give birth in hospitals.give 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 the number of stillbirths in the rural regions.regions.
Attacks on AmbulancesAttacks 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-AvivProtest, Tel-Aviv
The Mobile ClinicThe Mobile Clinic
GoalsGoals 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 Protest against the government's policies of closure
and occupation. and 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 Use of the information gathered during mobile clinics
for advocacy and campaigns.for advocacy and campaigns.
Migrant WorkersMigrant Workers
OverviewOverviewIn 21In 21stst-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 inothers. All arrived in Israel mainly in order to Israel mainly in order to find a livelihood, and some have lived infind 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 SeekersSeekers
In 2001, when the world celebrated the In 2001, when the world celebrated the jubilee of the signing of the Refugees jubilee of the signing of the Refugees Convention, Israel began to take the first Convention, Israel began to take the first steps towards implementing the convention. steps towards implementing the convention. Israel has done very little over the years to Israel has done very little over the years to protect migrant people who were persecuted protect migrant people who were persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality or because of their race, religion, nationality or political stand. For years, Israel refrained from political stand. For years, Israel refrained from establishing a system for recognition of establishing a system for recognition of refugees. As a result, many remained refugees. As a result, many remained stateless for extended periods. Many came to stateless for extended periods. Many came to PHR-Israel requesting medical treatment, with PHR-Israel requesting medical treatment, with a background of extreme distress and severe a background of extreme distress and severe human rights violations.human rights violations.
The Open ClinicThe 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, one evening for gynecology, and one morning for one evening for gynecology, and one morning for pediatrics. Since the clinic was founded, over pediatrics. Since the clinic was founded, over 10,000 patient files have been opened. 10,000 patient files have been opened.
Prisoners and DetaineesPrisoners 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 cannot justify denial of their right to receive cannot justify denial of their right to receive adequate medical care and decent living adequate medical care and decent living conditions. conditions.
Main ProblemsMain 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
InterrogationInterrogation
Police Detention Center Police Detention Center InspectionsInspections
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 improvements. The Israel Prisons Service Israel Prisons Service and the IDF do not allow and the IDF do not allow independent inspections independent inspections of their facilities. of their facilities.
Health Rights of Residents of Health Rights of Residents of IsraelIsrael
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.
HotlineHotline 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 and to the definition of and to the definition of the law. 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 communities, e.g., a lack of national EMS centers and various language-EMS centers and various language-related medical services (mental health, related medical services (mental health, speech therapy); discrimination speech therapy); discrimination regarding budgets allotted to hospitals regarding budgets allotted to hospitals in Nazareth, and more.in Nazareth, and more.
Unrecognized Bedouin Villages Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negevin the Negev
Even prior to the State of Israel there were Even prior to the State of Israel there were many Bedouin villages in the Negev desert many Bedouin villages in the Negev desert in the south of Israel. Today, there are 46 in the south of Israel. Today, there are 46 villages which are not "recognized" by the villages which are not "recognized" by the State, and they are home to about 76,000 State, and they are home to about 76,000 people - all citizens of Israel. This "un-people - all citizens of Israel. This "un-recognition" leads to a lack of recognition" leads to a lack of infrastructure and basic services (such as infrastructure and basic services (such as connections to the electricity and water connections to the electricity and water networks, sewage systems and waste networks, sewage systems and waste disposal) – leading to health hazards and disposal) – leading to health hazards and infectious disease – as well as a lack of infectious disease – as well as a lack of proper access routes to the villages, proper access routes to the villages, limited emergency services, and limited emergency services, and substandard primary healthcare facilities. substandard primary healthcare facilities.
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