The Formation and Transformation of Medical Apartheid in Palestine: A Historical Examination

Abstract

Apartheid is clearly defined as a crime against humanity under international law, involving inhuman(e) acts committed in the context of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other. The term apartheid has long been used to describe the experience of the Palestinian people. Despite its increased use in recent years, the term “medical apartheid” has not been as formally defined by public health bodies. In this article, we use a settler colonial lens to track the formation and expansion of health care services in Palestine/Israel that has mirrored the current reality of systematic oppression and domination, where Jewish Israelis and Palestinians across fragmented geographies enjoy differential access to the full enjoyment of their right to health. We examine the development of the health care services accessible to Palestinians to explore larger notions of statehood/statelessness, (denial of) sovereignty, citizenship, de-development, dependency, humanitarianism, and aid as they shape the life, health, illness, and death of Palestinians. By exploring the historical events that led to the formation of separate and unequal health care systems, built by and for different populations in Palestine/Israel, we identify the contours of Israel's medical apartheid system.