Let’s be clear on a few things.
1. This is a dramatization. There is more to Israel and Palestine than this, but this video sheds light on the severe mobility restrictions in the West Bank that make access to health care nearly impossible for many. So by calling this out, I am in no way saying everything that is happening in the West Bank is black and white. I am merely saying that the waiting time for immediate medical attention is a factor of the conflict that needs addressing. This is a call that no matter who you are or where you live, access to health care is a crucial component of the human right to health.
2. This video is based on facts confirmed in a report by the World Health Organization. They found that approval rates for permits to enter Jerusalem to access health care differed widely among districts, and that although permits denied or delayed have decreased over the years, thousands of people are still denied their right to health care. In the West Bank, one in five patients, companions, and visitors who applied through the Palestinian Authority for Israeli permits to enter Jerusalem to access hospitals were still denied.
3. The depiction of soldiers in this video is of course not representative of all soldiers or the military. It is problematic that they paint the soldiers in this negative light, but please remember it is a dramatization and that the core of the video is the issue of access to health care, not the soldiers’ attitude at the checkpoint.
