- Email: [email protected]
Israel Medical Association: response to Derek Summerfield
HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Israel Medical Association: response to Derek Summerfield physicians train in Israeli hospitals. As slander the IMA, lies will not become erek Summerfield once again has a result of the IMA holding discustruth. The IMA is well aware that torsucceeded in imposing his simsions with the Israel Defence Forces’ ture is not conducive to good health plistic view of good versus evil on your (IDF) coordinator of civilian activities and therefore we repudiate its use. readership.1 I am genuinely pleased in the West Bank and Gaza, a senior Unfortunately, Summerfield seems to that Summerfield does not live in a Israeli physician was appointed to forget that being blown up in a terrorcountry under the constant siege of liaise between the army and the civilist attack also has a deleterious effect terror, and thus does not need to grapian population and facilitate the provion physical and mental health. ple with complex ethical issues, but sion of medical care (figure). We are The IMA has been fighting to better can merely dictate to others his stanalso in contact with the International the daily existence of the Palestinian dard of exemplary behaviour. Committee of the Red Cross and population and improve the provision Torture is abhorrent and the IMA Physicians for Human in no way endorses it. The Rights. Such efforts go IMA was, and remains, a sigbeyond simple exhortations natory to the Declaration of or declarations. Tokyo. Similarly, the Israeli As to Summerfield’s sugSupreme Court banned the gestion that the IMA be use of physical pressure durexpelled from the WMA: the ing interrogations in 1999, IMA has, over the years, conand the IMA stands firmly tributed greatly to the WMA behind the law. Even before in many capacities. Most this decision, the IMA always recently, we were instrumenunequivocally stated that tal in securing the adoption no doctors should be of a WMA Council involved in torture. This last Resolution on the Assurance fact leads us to conclude that of Medical and Health Summerfield is deliberately Services during the armed blurring the lines between conflict between Israelis and Israeli government policy and IDF soldiers evacuate wounded Palestinians in Bethlehem Palestinians. We are certain the IMA’s role in monitoring that an organisation as respected as the conduct of its members. of health care to the innocent civilians the WMA will not be influenced by Summerfield has stated on more suffering as a result of the past 2 years baseless and defamatory accusations, than one occasion that the IMA “has of unceasing terrorism. To this end, and we therefore reject any intimation declined to sanction its members who we have sought time and again to that the IMA should or will be ousted take part in torture”.2 We continue to meet with our Palestinian counterfrom the WMA. parts, to forge a mutual statement maintain that we have yet to receive, In conclusion, unless Summerfield condemning terrorism and calling for in any forum, the name of one doctor can provide us with actual proof of the improved health services, and, most accused of participating in torture. involvement of Israeli doctors in torrecently, to hold a joint symposium on Blanket accusations are easy to make, ture, rather than blanket denouncethe improvement of health services for but they lack substance and make it ments, the time has long since come this population. We have been difficult for the IMA to deal with the for him to cease this harassment. If informed by neutral organisations that matter effectively. Additionally, we not, we can only conclude that his have tried to assist us in establishing have unfortunately become inured to agenda in writing voluminous articles contact that the Palestinian Medical blanket accusations, which have been condemning Israel is political rather Association has no interest in meeting made throughout history against Israel than humanitarian. or working with us on these projects, and the Jewish people, and which despite the fact that they are aimed at result only in hatred and rabble rousYoram Blachar improving services to the Palestinian ing, rather than in productive discusPresident, Israel Medical Association, population. sion. Ramat Gan, Israel (e-mail: [email protected]) Despite this rebuff, the IMA continSummerfield has also previously ues to extend humanitarian efforts stated that the IMA cannot maintain 1 Summerfield D. What is the WMA for? The to improve the lives of innocent that it has no position on the “highly case of the Israel Medical Association. Lancet 2003; 361: 424. Palestinians and ensure that they deleterious effects on physical and 2 Summerfield D. Medical ethics: the Israeli receive the medical care they need. mental health that flow from the use of Medical Association. Lancet 1997; 350: 63. Many Palestinian patients have been torture in Israel”.3 This statement is 3 Summerfield D. Israeli Medical Association treated in Israeli hospitals, some free patently untrue, and no matter how shirks “political aspects” of torture. BMJ of charge, and a number of Palestinian many times Summerfield seeks to 1995; 311: 755. IDF spokesperson
D
World Medical Association: response to Derek Summerfield he WMA, the independent global representative body for physicians, was founded in 1947, just after World War II. A driving force behind its establishment was the fact that physicians could no longer stand
T
to see how systematic torture and brutal killing, especially during wars and often sanctioned by governments, were destroying patients, societies, and indeed, humanity. It is against this background that
THE LANCET • Vol 361 • February 1, 2003 • www.thelancet.com
we seriously take issue with even the inference in Derek Summerfield’s article1 that the WMA is condoning the involvement of physicians in torture. The Declaration of Tokyo2 clearly states the view of the WMA 425
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet Publishing Group.
Israel Medical Association: response to Derek Summerfield physicians train in Israeli hospitals. As slander the IMA, lies will not become erek Summerfield once again has a result of the IMA holding discustruth. The IMA is well aware that torsucceeded in imposing his simsions with the Israel Defence Forces’ ture is not conducive to good health plistic view of good versus evil on your (IDF) coordinator of civilian activities and therefore we repudiate its use. readership.1 I am genuinely pleased in the West Bank and Gaza, a senior Unfortunately, Summerfield seems to that Summerfield does not live in a Israeli physician was appointed to forget that being blown up in a terrorcountry under the constant siege of liaise between the army and the civilist attack also has a deleterious effect terror, and thus does not need to grapian population and facilitate the provion physical and mental health. ple with complex ethical issues, but sion of medical care (figure). We are The IMA has been fighting to better can merely dictate to others his stanalso in contact with the International the daily existence of the Palestinian dard of exemplary behaviour. Committee of the Red Cross and population and improve the provision Torture is abhorrent and the IMA Physicians for Human in no way endorses it. The Rights. Such efforts go IMA was, and remains, a sigbeyond simple exhortations natory to the Declaration of or declarations. Tokyo. Similarly, the Israeli As to Summerfield’s sugSupreme Court banned the gestion that the IMA be use of physical pressure durexpelled from the WMA: the ing interrogations in 1999, IMA has, over the years, conand the IMA stands firmly tributed greatly to the WMA behind the law. Even before in many capacities. Most this decision, the IMA always recently, we were instrumenunequivocally stated that tal in securing the adoption no doctors should be of a WMA Council involved in torture. This last Resolution on the Assurance fact leads us to conclude that of Medical and Health Summerfield is deliberately Services during the armed blurring the lines between conflict between Israelis and Israeli government policy and IDF soldiers evacuate wounded Palestinians in Bethlehem Palestinians. We are certain the IMA’s role in monitoring that an organisation as respected as the conduct of its members. of health care to the innocent civilians the WMA will not be influenced by Summerfield has stated on more suffering as a result of the past 2 years baseless and defamatory accusations, than one occasion that the IMA “has of unceasing terrorism. To this end, and we therefore reject any intimation declined to sanction its members who we have sought time and again to that the IMA should or will be ousted take part in torture”.2 We continue to meet with our Palestinian counterfrom the WMA. parts, to forge a mutual statement maintain that we have yet to receive, In conclusion, unless Summerfield condemning terrorism and calling for in any forum, the name of one doctor can provide us with actual proof of the improved health services, and, most accused of participating in torture. involvement of Israeli doctors in torrecently, to hold a joint symposium on Blanket accusations are easy to make, ture, rather than blanket denouncethe improvement of health services for but they lack substance and make it ments, the time has long since come this population. We have been difficult for the IMA to deal with the for him to cease this harassment. If informed by neutral organisations that matter effectively. Additionally, we not, we can only conclude that his have tried to assist us in establishing have unfortunately become inured to agenda in writing voluminous articles contact that the Palestinian Medical blanket accusations, which have been condemning Israel is political rather Association has no interest in meeting made throughout history against Israel than humanitarian. or working with us on these projects, and the Jewish people, and which despite the fact that they are aimed at result only in hatred and rabble rousYoram Blachar improving services to the Palestinian ing, rather than in productive discusPresident, Israel Medical Association, population. sion. Ramat Gan, Israel (e-mail: [email protected]) Despite this rebuff, the IMA continSummerfield has also previously ues to extend humanitarian efforts stated that the IMA cannot maintain 1 Summerfield D. What is the WMA for? The to improve the lives of innocent that it has no position on the “highly case of the Israel Medical Association. Lancet 2003; 361: 424. Palestinians and ensure that they deleterious effects on physical and 2 Summerfield D. Medical ethics: the Israeli receive the medical care they need. mental health that flow from the use of Medical Association. Lancet 1997; 350: 63. Many Palestinian patients have been torture in Israel”.3 This statement is 3 Summerfield D. Israeli Medical Association treated in Israeli hospitals, some free patently untrue, and no matter how shirks “political aspects” of torture. BMJ of charge, and a number of Palestinian many times Summerfield seeks to 1995; 311: 755. IDF spokesperson
D
World Medical Association: response to Derek Summerfield he WMA, the independent global representative body for physicians, was founded in 1947, just after World War II. A driving force behind its establishment was the fact that physicians could no longer stand
T
to see how systematic torture and brutal killing, especially during wars and often sanctioned by governments, were destroying patients, societies, and indeed, humanity. It is against this background that
THE LANCET • Vol 361 • February 1, 2003 • www.thelancet.com
we seriously take issue with even the inference in Derek Summerfield’s article1 that the WMA is condoning the involvement of physicians in torture. The Declaration of Tokyo2 clearly states the view of the WMA 425
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet Publishing Group.