How Israel’s healthcare system became an instrument of state violence
Muslim and Jewish doctors working side by side in the NICU, Shaare Zedek Hospital
Ghada Majadli writes in Middle East Eye on 21 May 2025:
In recent years, Israel’s defenders have increasingly pointed to the significant presence of “Arab Israeli” doctors and their integration into the country’s healthcare system as evidence against accusations of apartheid.
They highlight examples, including Jewish patients treated by Arab doctors, to promote a narrative of equality and coexistence. But for those familiar with the lived realities of being a Palestinian citizen of Israel – and particularly how it manifests within the healthcare system – this narrative is deeply misleading.
In the weeks following the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 and Israel’s ensuing genocidal war on Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers were subjected to harassment, disciplinary summonses, suspension or dismissal – often for simply acknowledging or expressing sympathy for the suffering of civilians in Gaza. Actions as minor as liking a post, or the rediscovery of old content, have triggered punitive measures.
In a recent study I conducted for the Haifa-based Mada al-Carmel, the Arab Center for Applied Social Research, I gained a profound and intimate understanding of the daily realities faced by nine Palestinian physicians working in hospitals and health clinics across diverse geographical areas in Israel.
Through in-depth interviews, they shared their personal experiences and reflections on both the Israeli healthcare system and their relationships with Israeli colleagues amid the war. What emerged most powerfully was a deep sense of dehumanisation, as intimidation and racism against them has intensified significantly since October 2023.
Palestinian doctors make up nearly a quarter of Israel’s medical workforce. Despite this, they remain structurally marginalised.