Yossi Arbelich Denounces Racist Discourse Around Rambam Hospital as Election Distraction

During a visit to Rambam Medical Center, Yossi Arbelich, chairman of the organization "For Your Sake," along with senior members including President Prof. Yosef Peres and Projector Prof. Hazi Levi, met with Rambam's CEO Dr. Michal Mekel and other hospital leaders. Arbelich addressed recent racist rhetoric targeting the hospital, condemning it as a divisive tactic likely linked to the ongoing election campaign. He suggested the discourse aims to divert attention from government delays in funding peripheral hospitals.

Arbelich emphasized the hospital's inclusive care, citing hundreds of patients referred there, including soldiers, who received excellent treatment. He highlighted the coexistence of diverse groups, Haredim, secular Jews, and Arabs, working side by side in the hospital, united by compassion and commitment to saving lives. Arbelich expressed his hope to extend this unity beyond hospital walls and prevent external societal conflicts from entering medical institutions.

Dr. Michal Mekel thanked Arbelich for his supportive remarks, noting Rambam's ongoing treatment of thousands of combatants and injured since the war's outbreak, alongside hundreds of thousands of patients from all sectors of Israeli society. She stressed the hospital staff's dedication to providing the best medical care around the clock and rejected any divisive discourse within their work environment. Mekel expressed gratitude for Arbelich's important support of Rambam and its personnel.