Tag: checkpoints

Checkpoints and East Jerusalem

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I spent two nights in a hotel in Ramallah this week. Most of my friends were shocked and couldn’t believe it. They wondered if I would be safe. They wondered if I was staying in a nice hotel. Would I walk the streets at night? To quickly answer the questions, yes I was safe. Yes, the hotel was nice and the room was huge. Yes, we walked to and from dinner and a number of friends walked to go out to a club at night.

As I have previously written, Ramallah is a very modern city. Construction is spectacular. The buildings and architecture is beautiful. Downtown Ramallah is bustling with many businesses, restaurants, cafes, and shops. I never felt scared or uncomfortable. I didn’t advertise I was Jewish, covering up any symbols of Judaism while I was there. It may have felt different if I was publicly Jewish but I had no desire or need to do that while in Ramallah.

We left Ramallah to head to Jerusalem. Ramallah is only 10-15 km (6-9 miles) from Jerusalem. We were heading to East Jerusalem so it was close. That doesn’t mean it only takes 10-15 minutes to get there. We were going through the Calandia checkpoint, which I have heard about but never gone through. It’s one of the major checkpoints that Palestinians use to get into Israel. The traffic was terrible as the checkpoint was backed up. As we got close, we were told to have our passports out, which I have gotten used to when going through the checkpoints. Usually a few IDF soldiers board the bus, look around, and sometimes check passports. Usually it’s not a big deal. This was different.

We were told that we would all have to get off the bus and get our luggage to go through the checkpoint. We unloaded the bus, took our luggage and got in line. Then, like everybody going through the checkpoint, we waited. And we waited. And we waited. The line moved very slowly. We let a family with a young daughter go ahead of us so they wouldn’t have to wait as long. When we finally got to the checkpoint, there was a turnstile to get through. It wasn’t easy with our luggage and after every few people, it would lock in place. One of our group actually got locked in for a few minutes and we joked that he was in jail.

Older man passing through a metal security turnstile at an entrance gate

When we finally got through the turnstile, we put our luggage on the x-ray machine and finally cleared the checkpoint. It took us 30-45 minutes to get through the checkpoint. The night before, during dinner, I was speaking with Palestinian doctors who work in Israeli hospitals. They told me they spend 3 hours getting through the checkpoints each day, each way. The head of the Oncology department at Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem leaves at 5 am every day so he can get through the checkpoint by 8 am. A friend who is a pediatric ICU doctor doing a fellowship at Sheba Hospital intended to leave at 3 am the next day to get through the checkpoint and get to work on time. Would you want your oncologist to be up at 5 am and spending 3 hours in line at a checkpoint before treating you? Would you want your child’s ICU doctor to be up at 3 am to spend 3 hours at a checkpoint and then commute to the hospital before treating your very sick child?

Four men smiling for a selfie in a covered pedestrian walkway.
Crowd of travelers with luggage queuing in a covered pedestrian walkway.

Standing in line at the Calandia checkpoint.

I found myself wondering why Israel can’t create a system for these physicians to make it easy for them to cross. In the US we have TSA Pre and Clear that change the experience of getting through security. I would think Israel could use fingerprints and background checks like TSA Pre and biometrics like CLEAR to make the process easier for physicians working in Israeli hospitals. Even if they had to update it annually instead of every five years, there has to be a solution.

Once clear of the checkpoint, we headed to Augusta Victoria Hospital. I have heard of the hospital but have never been there. We stood outside a beautiful hospital building and heard from their head of nursing and learned about the work of the hospital. Approximately 25% of their patients are from East Jerusalem and 75% from the West Bank. One of their specialties is dialysis and they have a large pediatric program. As a result, many children come five days a week, through the checkpoints, to get dialysis. Rozana has a program that provides a van that takes them directly to and from the hospital at no cost to the family. We met the woman who runs the program and then had a chance to hear from the father of an 18-month-old child who comes daily. Without the bus, it would take him 3 1/2 hours with his 18-month-old, sick child, through four buses and multiple cities to get there. Dialysis is four hours. Then take the four buses through multiple cities, over 3 1/2 hours to get home. It’s an 11-hour day, done every day. Because of the shuttle bus, it takes him 45 minutes each way with no transfers.

From Augusta Victoria Hospital we drove to Al Makassad Hospital, also in East Jerusalem. We got a great briefing on the work of Al Makassad and the partnership we have with them. They also have approximately 25% of their patients from East Jerusalem and 75% from the West Bank. They have a big cardiac department and women’s health program. They are building a brand new facility for women’s health.

Slide titled “Infrastructure Transformation” listing hospital renovation and development projects, including outpatient, gynecology, orthopedic, neurosurgery, parking, elevators, HVAC, and day care facilities.
Slide titled “Endoscopy Expansion” showing an expected 3,000 additional cases per year, with increased capacity leading to more patients served and reduced pressure with better access.
Slide titled “Neurosurgery & Specialized Services” outlining expansion needs, including infrastructure, technology, equipment, and workforce, with a diagram showing specialized care leading to clinical capability.
Orthopedic expansion infographic showing 1,880 orthopedic operations in 2024, a planned 30% bed-capacity increase, and 565 additional patients per year, with more beds leading to more capacity and patients.
Slide titled “Women’s Health Transformation” showing a roadmap from existing services through renovation and expanded capacity to better access and patient experience, with projections of 1,500+ obstetric and approximately 500 gynecology patients per year.
Centers of Clinical Excellence listing Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Women’s Health, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Nephrology, and Advanced Diagnostics.
Slide titled “Technology Transforming Clinical Care” showing MRI, Cath Lab, and Gynecology Laparoscopy installations with beneficiary counts.
Al-Makassed at a Glance infographic showing its 1968 founding, 270 beds, 890+ employees, 105 residents, JCI accreditation, Al-Quds University academic affiliation, and core tertiary medical services.

After hearing about the work of Al Makassed, we got a brief tour. We heard from one of their cardiac physicians who did a followship at Sheba Hospital funded by Rozana. The work he is doing now is greatly enhanced and improved because of the time he spent with this fellowship. He still keeps in touch with his colleagues at Sheba and uses them for difficult cases. It’s powerful to see actual cooperation in practice and the impact that it has. We also got to see the nursery and these beautiful babies being cared for. It was a very human moment. One of the things that I love about my work is that I get to help people who are making real change on the ground. I am a part of organizations that are changing the world. When I have an opportunity to see that work in person, meet the people who are doing the work and impacted by the work, it fills me with joy and gratitude. Visiting the hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and seeing the impact gives me great hope.

Cardiologist in blue scrubs speaking with colleagues in a hospital corridor.
Healthcare professional in blue scrubs speaking with several people in a hospital corridor
Newborn baby lying in a hospital incubator in a neonatal intensive care unit
Newborn baby sleeping in a hospital bassinet, with medical staff visible in the background

One of the major challenges facing all the Palestinian hospitals is economic. We heard this from every hospital we visited and even from the Israeli Minister of Health. The Israeli government has been withholding tax dollars from the Palestinian Authority (PA) as long as they continue their ‘pay for slay’ policy. As a result, the hospitals aren’t being paid by the PA for all the public insurance claims. This is anywhere from hundreds of millions of dollars to over a billion dollars per hospital. When we met with the Israeli minister of health, he told us he was shocked that the entire Palestinian health system hadn’t collapsed. I’m not knowledgeable enough to comment on reasons for withholding the tax funds or their effectiveness. I do know that there has to be a way to ensure the health system doesn’t fail. It may require paying the doctors and nurses directly instead of through the PA. There have to be creative thinkers who can figure out a way to accomplish the goals without destroying the Palestinian health system. The collapse of the Palestinian health system would be devastating for Israel as all health care would need to be provided by Israeli hospitals. It would overwhelm the Israeli health system and the Israeli economy.

We went for lunch in the Old City of Jerusalem at a fabulous restaurant where the Israeli Minister of Health spoke to us. He discussed the shortage of doctors and nurses and how important the work of Rozana is to benefit the Israeli health system. He focused on the need for the fellowships and how much they benefit Israel both in terms of serving patients and reducing the burned on the Israeli health system when they return to their hospitals in the West Bank. When the doctors in Palestinian hospitals do fellowships in Europe or other countries, they often do not return. When they do the fellowships in the Israeli hospitals they do return, strengthening the health system. It was clear that he believed how important it is to have a strong health system for the Palestinians to reduce the burden on the Israeli health system.

Dinner was a highlight as we had many of our stakeholders including participants in Rozana programs with us to speak about the impact of these programs. It was powerful listening to them talk about their experiences and how they have changed their lives. The more time I spend with Israelis and Palestinians, the more I believe that we must find a pathway to peace. The people want it. They want to live their lives, raise their children, work and enjoy life. The current paradigm isn’t sustainable for anybody. The work I am a part of doesn’t make peace. That’s up to the politicians and leaders in both Israel and the PA. Working with the people, building bridges, building relationships and helping to understand each other is something I can be a part of it. At Al Makassed Hospital, as I looked at the newborn babies, I thought perhaps they could have a different reality. Perhaps the Israeli and Palestinian children born today won’t have to hate, won’t live with constant violence and hate. Working with the people on the ground, not the politicians, gives me hope that perhaps, maybe even in my lifetime, the reality will change. I’m proud to be a part of that. I’m proud that the work I do helps build a stronger, safer, and more secure Israel while also benefiting Palestinians, Druze, Christians, Bahai, and every religion and ethnicity in Israel and the West Bank.

It’s not easy. I was speaking with a friend of mine later that night who applauded me for doing this work and saying how it was too hard for her. I get it. I understand it. For many people the damage since 1948 has simply been too great. October 7th was a breaking point for them and they have given up hope. Immediately after October 7th I felt that way. The time I have spent with Palestinians over the past six months has shown me a different reality and the possibility for a different future. Some of my friends joke that I have become a ‘lefty’. I don’t think I have changed from who I have always been – somebody who loves Israel, wants the best for Israel, and is a staunch defender of Israel. What has changed is that I don’t believe it has to come at the expense of others. There is a way to ensure a safe, secure, and democratic Jewish state of Israel while also understanding that other people live here and want to have the same things we want. To live in peace. To raise their children. To work their land or their jobs. To be able to have freedom of movement and for many, have the opportunity to go to the beach. I refuse to think that we can’t have both. It’s not easy and it won’t be quick. It will take many steps and the building of trust that isn’t there right now. I do believe it is possible. So I will continue to do my part to make that belief into reality. No matter how long it takes.

Group of adults posing together outdoors in a sunny park

Hebron and Ramallah

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

My time in Israel switched on Monday as I began traveling with Rozana, one of my clients. Rozana is an unbelievable organization that does work with medical diplomacy in the West Bank, Israel, and Gaza. I’ve traveled with them around the region to see the work in person before and it is truly amazing to see the impact they have in the West Bank, Israel, and Gaza.

We started our day by leaving Tel Aviv and heading to Al Rahma Hospital just outside Hebron. Al Rahma is a new rehabilitation hospital outside Hebron that will be the only rehab hospital in the area. When finished, it will be a state-of-the-art hospital that provides the full range of rehabilitation including mental health. They will be 3D-printing prosthetics to make them affordable, especially for children who outgrow them quickly. When I visited in June, the first floor was not finished nor was the top floor while those in the middle had no walls or flooring yet. This time it was different. The main floor was spectacular as they wait for the equipment, which should arrive in the next two weeks. The top floor was beautiful and should be operational by the end of the year. The middle floors are slowly being built out with flooring and walls in place. It was really exciting to see the hospital coming together and to know the impact it will have on so many patients. It is estimated that Al Rahma will serve over 1 million people in the Hebron governorate and surrounding areas, as well as patients recovering from severe injuries, strokes, spinal and brain injuries, and post-surgical complications, including wounded children from Gaza.

A vertical banner welcoming the Rozana Board Delegation to Al-Rahmah Charitable Rehabilitation Hospital, featuring logos of Rozana and the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, with the message about support for the hospital's Day After Project.

I saw the CEO of Al Rahma, Dr. Akram Amro, who has become a friend. His passion for the hospital and helping people is always inspiring. I look forward to him coming to the United States in 2027 and being able to introduce him to people. He is a special man who breaks the stereotypes about Palestinians. I also saw my friend Dr. Muhammad Talahma, a board member of Al Rahma and the head of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at Palestinian Polytechnic University. We met on my visit in June and hit it off. I look forward to visiting in 2027 and taking a day to visit him and get the tour of the university and of Hebron. We had a great conversation during the day and continued to build our friendship. I got to see Malak, a remarkable young woman who runs the Women4Women program, providing quality healthcare to women in the periphery of Hebron who otherwise don’t get their health needs taken care of. We became friends in June and it was great to catch up with her.

Two men posing together in a professional setting, with a hospital welcome banner in the background.
Dr .Akram Amro
Two men smiling together for a selfie, standing against a light-colored wall.
Dr. Muhammad Talahma
A smiling man and woman posing for a selfie in front of a health clinic van, with blue skies in the background.
Malak

As a passionate Zionist, people often ask me how I can have Palestinian friends who live in Hebron and Ramallah. It’s because I get to know people as people. I don’t worry about their titles or their backgrounds. I don’t worry about their religion or the color of their skin. When I find good people who I connect with and enjoy speaking with and spending time with, they become my friends. Zionism is about the Jewish people having their own sovereign state, not about anybody else not having a state. It was how I was raised and what I believe in. It’s what I taught my children – Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish, democratic state and to judge people by who they are, not by some random label. I didn’t realize it when I was learning it as a child, but it is the lesson the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King was teaching in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

The Governor of Hebron came to greet us. He wanted to make sure we knew how much he and Hebron appreciated the work Rozana is doing to get the new Al Rahma hospital built and open. The need is great and it was important to him to take the time to thank us. It’s amazing to see the leadership that shows up because of the work of Rozana. By taking care of the medical needs of the people and training the medical professionals, we make a difference in the lives of millions of people. That is seen and appreciated. It also feels really good to know you are helping so many people improve their lives. After lunch we left Al Rahmah and headed from Hebron to Ramallah.

A man in a dark suit gestures while presenting in front of a screen displaying a pie chart with red and blue segments, indicating percentages.

Hebron to Ramallah is only 42 km as the crow flies. If there was a straight road connecting them, it would take between 30 and 40 minutes depending on traffic. With the roads as they are, it is 61 km. Without checkpoints it shouldn’t take more than an hour. There are checkpoints and many of them are closed, forcing you to drive all over the place to get there. Imagine driving from Washington, DC, to Philadelphia but being forced to go through Pittsburgh to get there. That’s what it is like. Instead of taking us an hour, it took us three and a half hours. Instead of getting to the hotel in time to check in, relax, and then go to our final meeting of the day, we were late to the final meeting and skipped the hotel. This is what people in Hebron and Ramallah deal with every day. Not just to get into Israel but to go from one city to another.

Our final meeting of the day was with Yassir Abbas, the son of President Mahmoud Abbas. We were grateful that he waited for us and was still willing to meet. He was happy we were there and apologized for the amount of time it took for us to get there. He then said he wanted to make up for all the time we missed and wanted to give us lots of time to talk, ask questions, and learn.

It was fascinating to listen to him talk. I always wonder when they elaborate on a return to the 1967 borders if they really remember that it was under Jordan and Egypt’s control at that time, and there was no hope of an independent Palestinian state. What makes those borders so significant? Has it just been a talking point for that many years? Simply a return to Arab-controlled land? Wouldn’t it be better to talk about building a contiguous Palestinian state that includes their big cities and preserves room for growth? They always include Gaza when Gaza has not been under the control of Israel since 2005 and not under the control of the PA since the people there elected Hamas in 2006. Of course they want full control of East Jerusalem as well, which includes the old city of Jerusalem and the holy sites. He shared with us that they also demand a Palestinian-controlled road through Israel connecting the West Bank and Gaza. I can’t imagine the security risks to Israel under those conditions. Wouldn’t a more thoughtful and targeted approach provide the opportunity for there really to be a Palestinian state that provides not only full self-governance but dignity and the ability to travel and truly control their full economy? His talk reminded me of the American politicians who always promise things they know they can’t deliver, everybody knows they can’t deliver them, and yet they vote for them anyway.

As he talked about what it would take for peace and the creation of a Palestinian state, he also was clear that in his mind, there would be no land swaps. He openly stated that the residents of the big towns in the West Bank would be welcome to be resident aliens of the Palestinian state. He clearly did not say citizens with equal rights. If they chose not to, they could move. It reminded me a lot of what Smotrich and Ben Gvir are doing in area C to the agricultural villages in making life unbearable and unsafe to they move.

One of our group asked him about the failure of Camp David 2 with President Bill Clinton. It was interesting to hear him say that what Clinton says about being so close to a deal wasn’t true. According to him, they were nowhere close to a deal, they weren’t being offered anything close to what was reported, and it has all been a lie since then to put the responsibility of the failure on his father and the PA’s shoulders. I always find it interesting to listen to the narratives of people and begin to understand how they understand the world. After listening to him speak, I felt that any hope for a two-state solution is at least 25 years away and maybe longer.

A group of people in a formal setting, with one man shaking hands with a woman, while others look on. The environment appears to be an office space.
A large group of people gathered around a conference table in a modern office setting, smiling and posing for the camera.
A group of people gathered around a conference table in a meeting room, engaged in discussion. Various documents and food items are on the table, with two flags displayed in the background.
A group of four men engaged in discussion around a table, with two flags in the background, one featuring a logo and the other representing Palestine.

Yassir Abbas, also known as Abu Amar, was a very kind host. He spent much longer with us than planned and ensured we had plenty to eat and drink. Coffee, tea, soda, pastries, and even shwarma. The Arab hospitality is wonderful and was on full display. I was surprised with the time he gave us and his continued pushback when we told him we were taking up too much of his time. When we finally left for our hotel in Ramallah, we were tired from a long day.

It was a powerful day. From experiencing the joy of the progress of Al Rahma Hospital to the challenges of getting from Hebron to Ramallah, we got different emotional experiences. Meeting with Yassir Abbas was a fascinating experience that will likely be the focus of a future post as I process the experience. Seeing my friends at Al Rahma and spending time talking to them was meaningful. The day provided a lot of hope about a future where people connect and hate isn’t the focus. It also showed how far apart the politicians are from an actual peace agreement and the challenges both governments are creating rather than working to find solutions. I find myself grateful that I am working on the ground with the people and not the politicians. Working with the people provides an opportunity to have an impact and make change. The more time I spend with Palestinians and Israelis that are working together, the more I believe that there can be a future in which we live together in peace. The politicians will determine when that time is; however, the people can help make that time arrive sooner as they bridge divides and see each other as people.