Israeli leaders – including openly racist Ayelet Shaked – have been discussing strategies to slow Palestinian population growth. The Palestinian birth rate, higher than that of Israeli Jews, is a “threat” to the Jewishness of the state.
Little Faroud Abu Naja died while Israel “studied” his request for a travel permit to obtain medical care just 66 miles from his home. Faroud is one of over 4,000 residents of Gaza whose medical care Israel has interfered with so far in 2022.
It’s been a problem for years, but it’s getting worse: Israel routinely denies travel permits for Gazan children needing advanced medical treatment; Israel also blocks entrance of advanced medical equipment to Gaza’s doctors.
Israeli women with breast cancer receive medical and social support; Palestinian women regularly experience medical negligence when fighting the same disease.
Israel exercises brutal control over the Palestinians of Gaza, denying seriously ill or injured patients permission to travel the few miles to the West Bank for life-saving medical procedures – often for no reason.
Following weeks of criticism, Israel’s Health Ministry reverses decision to bar a Palestinian student at Tel Aviv University from getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Sometimes it’s naïve to believe that one is guaranteed basic human rights,” she stated.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Israel’s government has occasionally committed to helping to the Palestinians under its occupation – but consistently failed to follow through. Could this be considered genocide?
Being a child while Palestinian is full of risks. Airstrikes, home (and school) invasions, home (and school) demolitions, inability to access medical care – these are just some of the dangers of being not-Jewish in a land under Israeli control.
While Israel boasts of its great Covid vaccine rollout, it keeps making very public, deliberate decisions to snub Palestinians, even though it’s legally responsible for their welfare. Can the world keep ignoring such delinquency?