Heroes of Health: Israels Healthcare System as a Model of Jewish-Arab Coexistence | December 2016

Excerpts from the Introduction:

In this report we would like to shine a spotlight on the unique phenomenon of coexistence between Jews and Arabs found in Israel’s healthcare system: we seek to understand how it came to be and how it manifests, in practice, in the daily work of hospital staffs; we will present statistics that confirm the feelings of many from this system, that it is in fact a remarkable model of coexistence; we seek to learn the secret of the success of the healthcare system and to ask how this model can be replicated successfully in additional fields of business.

The lives of Jews and Arabs in the state of Israel are carried out, in almost all fields, in complete segregation: separate living areas, separate education systems, and in the area that true encounter could have been created – the world of business – the segregation, for the most part, is clear. Against this background, the public healthcare system stands out. In hospital hallways, to which many victims of the hate described above are brought, an alternate reality prevails: Arabs and Jews work together for hours and days, during long and exhausting shifts, as one team. They toil towards a shared goal, beyond the sacred work of saving lives, they save Israeli society from a complete dive into the abyss of despair and segregation. Hospital entrance ways in Israel are also the gateways to what could have been here; to what must be here: Christians, Jews and Muslims, religious and non-religious, working together without separation based on nationality or religion.

The healthcare system is evidence that places of work are the most important pillar, and possibly the basis, for creating normal coexistence and a healthy society in this complex and conflicted reality. By means of shared work and true encounter, mutual respect can be created, which will bring down walls and build good and trusting relationships in other areas of life. The replication of the model presented in the healthcare system to additional places of work will bring about real change that will allow coexistence beyond work.