Israeli Lawmaker Demands Halt to Medical Training Program for Palestinian Staff

Member of Knesset Limor Son Har Melech of the Otzma Yehudit party has urgently called for the immediate cessation of a medical training program for 47 staff members from An-Najah University in Nablus. The program, funded by a $550,000 donation from the Emmanuel family, is set to train 11 pediatricians and 36 nurses at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Medical Center.

Son Har Melech directed her demand to Health Minister Uzi Netanyahu, Health Committee Chairman Yonatan Mishriki, and Ichilov Medical Center Director Professor Roni Gamzo. She is seeking detailed answers regarding who approved the program, whether the Ministry of Health granted its consent, and what resources and training slots will be allocated.

The lawmaker highlighted Israel's own severe shortages in medical residency positions and personnel, arguing that public health resources should prioritize Israeli citizens. She previously raised concerns about training medical personnel from "enemy populations" in Israeli hospitals during her tenure as chair of the Health Committee, warning against allocating limited resources to those outside the Israeli healthcare system.

"This is a serious and outrageous move," Son Har Melech stated. "The Emmanuel family, which has already caused damage to the people of Israel, cannot turn a public hospital in Israel and the resources of the Israeli health system into a training infrastructure for dozens of staff members for the enemy's health system." She reiterated that Israeli public resources must first and foremost strengthen the Israeli healthcare system and benefit Israeli citizens, concluding, "The Israeli health system is not the training center of the Palestinian Authority."