The Israel Medical Association has authorized Scholars for Peace in the Middle East to solicit its physician members to sign and circulate to their colleagues, the following letter it has prepared in response to 135 British physicians calling for a World Medical Association Boycott of the IMA. Please respond directly to the IMA at estish@ima.org.il with your name title and affiliation and please copy Scholar for Peace in the Middle East spme@spme.org , so we can guage how many signatures have been added to this list.

Thank you,

Edward S. Beck, Ed.D. President SPME
Esti Sherbelis, International Public Relations Officer Israeli Medical Association

May 2, 2007

In a letter published in The Guardian in April, a group of British doctors called for a boycott of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) and its expulsion from the World MedicalAssociation (WMA) for allegedly failing to uphold internationalmedical ethical standards in the Palestinian territories.

We, the representatives of medicine in Israel, categorically deny these accusations and wish to take a stand in support of the IMA and humane medical treatment for all in Israel.

It is all too clear that Dr. Derek Summerfield is once again feeding his own personal, systematic dislike of Israel and will persist in doing so regardless of the truth.

As for Dr. David Halpin, if the best he can do is quote Amira Hass: Life Under Israeli Occupation – published August 26, 2001 in The Independent, at the height of the Intifida, we suggest he embarks on a more recent and thorough research of the situation, as stipulated below.

Unfortunately, the other signatories were presumably unaware of the reality of the situation.

We would therefore like to clarify some facts and provide a sampling of health activity pertaining to the Palestinian Authority, coordinated between the Israeli and Palestinian Ministries of Health.

• The number of children with birth defects who were operated on in Israel: 1,604 in 2005, 2346 in 2006.
• Palestinian physicians attending medical programs or conferences in Israel or internationally: 30 in 2005, 131 in 2006.
• Palestinian patients permitted to undergo medical treatment in hospitals in Israel: 24,076 in 2005, 29,919 in 2006.
• Palestinian patients given permission to undergo medical treatment in hospitals in East Jerusalem: 30,136 in 2005, 51,156 in 2006.
• Permits granted allowing the import of medical supplies and medication: 400 in 2006.
• Dealing with cases of ambulance delays at barriers: 600 in 2006
• Dealing with requests from external sources, such as Physicians for Human Rights, MPs, IMA: 300 in 2006.
• Palestinian emergency patients transferred by ambulance to hospitals in East Jerusalem or Israeli medical institutions: 800 in 2005, 1,600 in 2006.

We would also like to reiterate what was expressed in a recent IMA letter, namely ” The IMA is not, and has never been,the ‘executive arm of the Israeli establishment. It is an apolitical organization that, like every other nationalmedical organization, concerns itself with medical and healthissues and not the establishment or support of any sort of politicalpolicy.

The IMA has continuously called for fundsto be transferred [to the PA] not in kind but in the form of food and medicineso that help could be given where it is truly needed.

In addition to the above, tens if not hundreds of Palestinianpatients receive medical care in Israel each year, usually ata cost absorbed by the Israeli government. As an example, in 2004, NIS36,645,507 (approximately 8,143,446 USD at the time) were offset. The IMA has intervenedon occasions where a patient was about to be evicted from anIsraeli hospital for lack of funds. The IMA has also intervenedon many occasions of Palestinian patients, physicians, and medicalstudents who encountered difficulties at Israeli checkpoints,including petitions to the High Court of Justice on certainmatters.

The organization has, at several points in the past, attempted to meet withits Palestinian counterparts in an effort to foster mutual cooperationand better understanding, including the release of a joint statement.Almost none of these meetings have taken place, because of refusalon the Palestinian side.”

In addition to the above, several collaborative health care initiatives have taken place in the past few months, including the First International Congress on Chronic Disorders in Children (April 26-27), attended by 300 Israeli and 100 Palestinian doctors at Jerusalem’s Regency Hotel and the First Middle East Symposium on Dental Medicine (Nov. 27, 2006) which represented a further expression of the relationship launched between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Al-Quds University.

Under the Israeli program “Save a Child’s Heart”, doctors at Wolfson Hospital repair congenital heart defects for children from the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Jordan and Africa; more than 1,000 children, about half from Gaza and the occupied West Bank, have been helped so far by the program.

Teams at Bethlehem University and at Tel-Aviv University have worked together to investigate the genetic causes of deafness. The Israeli and Palestinian professors leading the project have now launched a graduate research program to enable Palestinian students to pursue post-graduate research in this field at Tel-Aviv University.

With funding from the Peres project, Hadassah has trained physicians and nurses in cancer treatments. Advocate Health Care, an ELCA-related institution, sends specialists to train Augusta Victoria’s staff in advanced radiology techniques. This Palestinian-Israeli hospital project also trained psychologists and holds monthly meetings of “Pediatricians Across the Mount”, where staff from three Palestinian hospitals and Hadassah hospital exchange ideas and information.

It saddens us greatly to see and hear of Palestinian civilians receiving inadequate health care, including in Gaza, from which Israel unilaterally withdrew in 2006. It saddens us that funds transferred to the Palestinian leadership are often used for guns and bombs instead of for hospitals and medicines. It saddens us that Hizbollah kidnapped our soldiers and rained missiles on Israeli cities, and then hid amongst civilians and civilian structures such as hospitals. We do our best to help whenever possible, despite these constraints, and have often called for a separation of political and humane issues, so that no one suffers from the current conflict.

The “facts” expressed in the letter of the Palestinian organizations calling for a boycott of the IMA, are a far cry from reality. It is our hope that your readers will form unbiased opinions and recognize the steps that Israeli doctors are taking to improve the health and treatment of all peoples, regardless of race or religion. Those who have preconceived opinions will undoubtedly stick with them. But for those who want the truth, we have attempted to present it.

Sincerely,

Dr. Yoram Blachar, President, IMA

Professor Shmuel C. Shapira MD MPH, Hadassah Deputy Director General

Director Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health

Dr. Jacob Yahav , Director, Kaplan Medical Center

Prof. Zvi Zemishlany, Director – Geha Mental Health Center

Meir Oren M.D., M.Sc., M.P.H Director – General, The Hillel – Yaffe Medical Center

Zvi Stern m.d.Director Hadassah Medical Center- Mt. Scopus

Dr. Orna Blondheim, Director, Haemak Medical Center, Afula

Dr. Raphi Pollack, Medical Director, Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem

SCHARF SHIMON M.D.,M.P.H., Director of the Barzilai Med. Ctr.Ashkelon

Yehezkel Caine M.D., M.Sc. Director General, Herzog Hospital

Dr. Itzhak (Tzaki) Siev-Ner, Head of Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel

Prof. David Branski, M.D, Chairman of Pediatrics, Hadassah University Hospitals, Jerusalem

Amos Etzioni MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology, Director – Meyer Children’s Hospital

PROF. HANOCHHODMD, DIRECTOR ICCU SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, ISRAEL

Ehud Raanani, MD, Head of Cardiac Surgery, Sheba Medical Center, Israel

Dr.Zeev Feldman, Head of pediatric Neurology, Sheba Medical Center, Israel

Prof. Aaron Lerner, Head Child Nutrition Unit, Carmel Hospital

Prof. Arie Lindner, Head, Dept. of Urology, Asaf Harofeh Medical Center & Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council, IMA

Shaul Sofer,M.D., Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Lubner Family Chair in Child Health & Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Yoseph A. Mekori M.D., Professor of Medicine, Dean, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Henry Silver MBBS, BMedSci, DPM, FRANZCP Associate Professor, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Deputy Director Sha’ar Menashe Mental Health Centre, Israel

Prof. Bernard Belhassen, Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Batya Kristal, MD, MHA, FASN, Assoc. Professor ofMedicine, Head, Department of Nephrology& Hypertension, Western Galilee Hospital

Kluger Yoram MD, FACS, Department of Surgery B, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

Prof. Gil Lugassy, Chairman, Israeli Hematology Association

Dr. Ohad Birk, Head, Genetics Institute, Soroka Medical Center, Israel

Dr. Gerald M.Fraser MD,FRCP, Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Deputy-Director Department of Gastroenterology, Rabin Medical Center

Prof Alexander Battler, MD, FACC, FESC, Director of Cardiology Rabin Medical Center

Prof. Keren Gad MD, Head Dept. Cardiology,Tel-Aviv Medical Center

Incumbent -Chaim Sheba Chair of Cardiology

Yehuda A. Schwarz, MD, Senior Deputy Director of Pulmonary Medicine Dep., Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Ari Zimran, MD, Director, Gaucher Clinic, Shaare Zedek Medical Center

Ass. Professor of Medicine, Hebrew University and Haddassah School of Medicine

Yehuda L. Danon M.D., Professor of Medicine, Schneider Childrens Medical Center

Prof Ami Schattner

Judith Heyd MD, Head, Hematology Unit, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem

Dr. Darwin Telias, Mental Health Center Beer-Sheva and “Matara” Addicitions Treatment Center, Ben Gurion University

Ephraim Rimon, MD

Head Geriatric Department E, F, Harzfeld Medical Center, Gedera

Prof. Joel Sayfan, Head of Department of Surgery, Haemek Medical Center

Pinchas Halpern, MD, Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel

Dr. Meir Weisbrod, Director of the Neonatology/Prematurity Department, Laniado Hospital, Netanya, Israel

Yehuda Limony MD MSc, Child Health Center-Kiriat Gat And Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva

Eran Leitersdorf, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine, Chair in Molecular Genetics, Head, Department of Medicine B, Director, Center for Research, Prevention and Treatment

of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah University Hospital

Dean D. Ad-El MD Head, Department of Plastic Surgery & Burns Rabin Medical Center

Dr. Avi Cohen, Head, Neurosurgery Dept., Soroka Medical Center

Prof. Chaim Lotan, Director, Heart Institute, Chair in Cardiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center

Hadary Amram MD, Head, Trauma Unit,”Ziv” Hospital, Safed

Pnina Green, M.D., Ph.D., The Laboratory for the Study of Fatty Acids

The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University,

And Department of Internal Medicine B, Rabin Medical Center

Dr. Dror Soffer, Head, Trauma Unit, Tel Aviv Medical Center

Prof. Gideon Uretzky, M.D., Chairman, Dept. of Cardiothoracic Surgery,

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center & Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University,

Tel Aviv, Israel

David Pauzner M.D., Deputy Head, Obgyn Wing, Sourasky Medical Center

Dr. Yitzchak Halperin, Barzili Medical Center

Prof. Arie Herman, Head of Ob/Gyn, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center

Dr Shimoni Zvi, Head of Internal Med B Department and Infectious Disease Unit, Laniado Hospital, Netanya

DR SASSON NAKAR

Zalman Weintraub, MD. Neonatology Nahariya

Michael SOUDRY M.D., Professor and Chairman, Division of Orthopaedics and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery A, Rambam Medical Center

Professor Eugene Libson, Hadassah Univ.Hospital, Hebrew University School of Medicine

Dr. Ido Olsha, Head of Department of General Surgery, Yoseftal Hospital – Eilat

Dr Suzy Ronen, Sharei Zedek Medical Center

Morris Mosseri, Cardiology Institute, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba

Dr. Doron Kopelman, Head, Surgery B, Haemek Medical Center

Aroeh Eden MD, Director of Research, Computing and Quality assurance. Department of Anesthesia and CCM Carmel Medical Center

Professor Uri Seligsohn, Sheba Medical Center

Ofer Nativ MD., Prof. & Chairman Department of Urology, Bnai-Zion Medical Center

Prof’ Joseph Ribak, Tel Aviv University

Dr Moshe Hersch, MD, MSc, Director of ICU, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem
Senior Lecturer, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Prof. Moshe Hod, Director, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center

Boris Finkel, M.D.

Head of Psychogeriatric Ward

Head of Holocaust Residence

Lev HaSharon Mental Heath Center

Prof Avry Chagnac, MD, Rabin Medical Center- Hasharon Hospital

Prof. Z.H. Rappaport, Director, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Rabin Medical Center

Professor Mauro Rathaus, Meir Medical Center

PROF. SHOENFELD YEHUDA, MD.FRCP, Head, Department of Medicine ‘B’ and Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center

Vardiella Meiner, M.D.Dept of Human Genetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem

Prof. Daniel Benharroch, Head of Hematopathology Unit, Dept. of Pathology,

Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva.

Ofer Z. Shenfeld MD., Chairman of Urology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center

Nathaniel Laor, Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Science and Philosophy,

Tel Aviv University

Dr. Charach Gideon

Zohar Barzilay MD FCCM, Professor of Pediatrics, Sheba Medical Center

Prof. N. Gadoth Chairman Adult & Pediatric Neurology

–MA`AYNEI-HAYESHUA Medical Center

Gilutz Harel M.D, Director of Intensive Coronary Care Unit.

Assistant director, Cardiology Department, Ben-Gurion University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Soroka University Medical Center

Michael Hoffman, MD

Deputy Chief Director

Department of Internal Medicine A, Tell Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

Prof. Haim Bibi MD, Head Pediatric Department, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa

Shmuel Yurman MD, Head Neonatal Department & NICU Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

Ehud Melzer M.D, Head Department of Gastroenterology & Liver Disease

Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, ISRAEL

Professor Eugene Libson MD.FRCR, Hadassah Medical Center

Prof. Meller, Director- National Unit of Orthopedic Oncology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Hillel Halkin MD, Professor of Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Prof. Israel Potasman, Director, Infectious Dis., Bnai Zion Med. Ctr., Haifa

Dr. Chanan Tauber, Former president of the Israel Orthopedic Association

A. Mark Clarfield, MD, FRCPC, Head of Geriatrics, Soroka Hospital.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University.

Shai Brill M.D, Beit Rivka Geriatric Rehabilitation Hospital

Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor, MD DSc

Director, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center &

Director, Stem Cell Center Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Haim Ring MD, MSc PMR, Professor and Chairman,

Neurological Rehabilitation Dept.Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center

Dr. Jacob Atsmon, Head, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Director, Clinical Research Center

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Dr. Alona Paz, Infectious diseases specialist

Infectious diseases unit, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa

Dr Ilan Treves

Prof. D. Hochner, Head of Maternity Unit, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Jerusalem

Gadi Shaked, MD, Department of Surgery, Trauma Unit, Soroka University Medical Center

Prof. H. Matzkin, Head of Urology Dept., Tel Aviv Medical Center

Shlomo Keidar MD, Rambam Medical Center

HERSHKOVICH JACOB MD, SOROKA MEDICAL CENTER, BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL

Jacob Arad M.D, Director of Emergency Dept,.Joseftal Hospital, Eilat Israel

Prof. Michael Glikson, MD, FACC, FESC, Director of Pacing and Electrophysiology

Heart Institute, Sheba Medical Center

Dr. Arieh Markel, Head, Internal Medicine A, Haamek Medical Center, Afula

Prof. Amos M. Cohen, Hematology Unit, Hasharon Hospital Rabin Medical Center

Juza Chen, MD, Director of Sexual Dysfunction Clinic, Department of Urology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Dr. Zvi Davidovich

Prof. Ilana Ariel, MD, PhD, Head, Perinatal Pathology Unit, The Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem

Dr. Shimon Rochkind, Specialist in Neurosurgery & Microsurgery, Director, Division of Peripheral Nerve Reconstruction, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Dr. Naomi Rahimi-Levene, Head, Blood Bank, Asaf Harofeh Medical Center

Eran Segal, MD, Director, General ICU, Sheba Medical Center

Michael Giladi, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Acting Director, the Infectious Disease Unit, Director, The Bernard Pridan Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases
Tel Aviv Medical Center

DR MICHAEL BENNETT, MB BS FRCP FRCPath CONSULTANT HAEMATOLOGIST

Yehuda Ullmann, Acting Head, Plastic Surgery Dept,.Rambam.Medical Center

Eli M Eisenstein, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center

Prof. Simcha Yagel, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centers

Professor Tamir Ben-Hur, M.D., Ph.D., Head, Department of Neurology, Hadassah – Hebrew University Medical Center

Prof Zvi Zadik, Director, Pediatric Endocrine Unit, Kaplan Medical Center

Chairman Israeli Pediatric Endocrine Associatiion

Fred M Konikoff, MD, MSc., Professor of Medicine, Head, Dept of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Meir Medical Center

Dov Inbar, MD, Schneider Children’s Medical Center

Dr. Itzhak Rosner, Director of Rheumatology, Bnai Zion Medical Center

Raphael Catane MD, Professor & Chairman, Department of Oncology, Sheba Medical Center

David Jonathan van Dijk, MD, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Nephrology

Director of the Diabetic Nephropathy Clinic, Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Rabin Medical Center

Eli Konen M.D., Head of Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center

Prof. Alex Simon, Director of IVF Center, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem

Dr. Haim Shtarker, Head, Orthopedic Unit, Nahariya Medical Center

Dr Kleinman Yosef, Head of Internal Medicine, Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem

Davidovitch Michael MD, Chairman of the Israeli Organization for Child Development and Rehabilitation

Dr. Simon M. Schlanger,M.D.;Oncologist

T. Tichler, M.D., Chief, Oncology Inpatient Ward, Davidoff Cancer Center, Beilinson Hospital

Treasurer of the Israeli Oncology and Radiotherapy Association

Dr Michael Gdalevich, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon

Prof. Uri Kramer. Director, Pediatric Epilepsy Service, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Prof. Zvi Ram, Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Tel Aviv Medical Center

Dr Alon Reshef, Head of psychiatric outpatient clinic, Afula. Israel

Dr. Nissim Razon, Neurosurgeon, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Haim Gutman, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Surgery

Tel Aviv University, Sackler School of Medicine.

Head, Surgical Oncology Service, Rabin Medical Center

David Huminer M.D., Rabin Medical Center

Ernst Voss MD, Gynaecologist, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem

Dr. Yacov Fogelman, “Leumit” HMO

Sergey Preisman, M.D., Director of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer

Dr. Haim Bitterman, President of the Israel Association of Internal Medicine

Dr. Menahem Fisher, Deputy Chairman, Israeli Gynecology Association

Dr Igal Hekselman MD MHA-Medical Director, Health insurance system & Clalit Mushlam

Miriam Zalish MD, Head, Glaucoma Unit, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot

Prof. Yehuda G. Wolf, M.D., Head, Dept. of Vascular Surgery, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Alexander Kantarovsky MD, Vascular Surge ry, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

Dr. Michael Stein, Head, Trauma Unit, Rabin Medical Center & Chairman, Israeli Trauma Association

Professor David Greenberg, Herzog Hospital, Jerusalem

Prof Amos Katz, M.D., Director, Department of Cardiology, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, & Associate Dean for student Affairs, Faculty of Health Sciences Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Prim. Dr. Hava Eva Bugajer-Gleitman, Chief of Medicine of the Helia Clinic for Physical Therapy, Vienna, Austria

Harvey A. Risch, MD, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut, USA