Pray for them : Will Israel open its hospitals?

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Will Israel open its hospitals?

Covid-19 has taught us that we are all in the same boat on this blue planet. Death is not confined to one particular continent but to every continent. All of us, whether we are in China or in Mauritius, are showing solidarity, love and care for each other. In Mauritius, the virus of communalism is taking a back seat as the invisible is causing more havoc that one can fear.

Amidst the traumatic period the world is going through there is one country which is showing all its hatred for another group of people. Yes you have rightly guessed! The Israelis are not withholding their racist policies against the Palestinians. Can you expect human reactions for the Zionists? No! I am always surprised that Jews who have known the quasi non-stop history of persecution since immemorial times can behave in such a devilish manner against the Palestinians.

The State of Israel who again will be under the Primeministership of Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of easing the Apartheid of stranglehold to allow the impoverished Palestinians to face the epidemic.

The repression is on the daily agenda. B’TSELEM, the most respected Israeli Human Right Organisation, has charged police officers with ‘Continuing to abuse Palestinians’ despite the Covid-19 emergency. B’TSELEM has stated in a communique dated 20th March 2020. Despite the unprecedented health crisis requiring residents of Israel and the occupied territories to take extreme social isolation measures, the Israel police have chosen now, OF ALL TIMES (emphasis mine) to escalate their abuse and collective punishment of Palestinians.’ Israeli forces (occupation forces)’ invade the crowded neighbourhood daily, even at night and more so on weekends, for no apparent reason and initiate friction with the residents.

  • Issawzya is the area they have been targeted regularly recently.
  • Demolition in places Kafr Qasim village.
  • The total destruction of crops in Bedouin communities in the Naqab Desert.
  • And the racist fabric of the Israeli government can be seen through the regular depiction of Palestinians as carriers of the virus and a threat to the public health. The Israeli government is refusing to heed call from general quarters to release the 5000 Palestinians that are presently rotting in Israeli jails. And among the 5000 prisoners there are 180 children under the age of 16.
  • The Gaza Strip is under siege (debilitating siege would say all independent Human Right Militants) and all its basic services have been decimated.
  • Last week Benjamin Netanyahu criticized only the ‘Arab Speaking Public’ for non-compliance. You will not be surprised that Benjamin Netanyahu did not criticize the Jewish population who without one second of hesitation refused to abide. In fact the Haredi Jews protested on the 22nd of March 2020 in Jerusalem against the closure of schools and Yeshivas.

The racist attitude against the Palestinians is not a novel one. Zionists settlers are full of racists assumptions about Arab way of living for them Arabs don’t have any clue about hygiene. You must understand that all fascists act likewise.

The situation in West Bank is desperate

1.23 Beds per 1000 people (West Bank has a population which surpasses 3.2 million people. 2007 census shows that the Arab population is 2,345,000, Israelis 389,250 and more living in East Jerusalem).

2550 working doctors

20 Specialists Intensive Care

120 Ventilators in all

Conclusion: Health Disaster is on the cards

West Bank is waiting for a catastrophe to happen.

But Gaza Strip is hellish. The United Nations did say recently that by 2020 (and we are in 2020). The situation will be unlivable. Yes, I am not overdramatizing ‘unlivable’.

You must know specially the young readers that the Israelis, the Egyptians, and those at the helm of the Palestinian Authority has brought the health care of Gaza Strip to the brink of collapse.

To know (sorry for the quasi paternalistic approach) that:

  1. 97% of the water is UNDRINKABLE.
  2. Employment statistics is a shame .61% of youth do not have a job.
  • 80% of the population are dependent on foreign assistance.

It is apposite to note that Israel has imposed a ban (even during Covid-19) on the import of technology with possible potential dual use of equipment such as X-Ray scanners, Medical Radioscopes and ventilators…

It is shocking that due to lack of funds (Arabs where are your monies?) there are regular power cuts….

Medical apparatuses stop to function and babies in incubators are the first to suffer. Oh, Israel how can you be so cruel.

And Gaza Strip is (1.8 million rising population) one of the most densely populated area in the world. The population is undernourished.  And if (Pray God it does not happen) Covid-19 spreads its wings how will they stop deaths from piling on their miseries.

What will Israel do? Will Israel give access to its Hi-Tec hospitals? Will Covid-19 become a bridge between the Israelis and the Palestinians?

Take care all of you!

Rama Valayden