Defense Minister Israel Katz called on Sunday morning for an IDF investigation into allegations levied on Saturday against Arab hospital employees accused of mistreating four soldiers at the Rambam Health Care Campus.
In a Saturday post on Instagram, David Chesterman, the brother of one of four soldiers wounded in Lebanon last week, alleged that the four soldiers’ families were not allowed to see their wounded loved ones, and that the soldiers were waiting for ages to receive food and water.
The Israeli hospital stated that, following the conclusion of an internal investigation, it rejected all claims of wrongdoing towards the wounded soldiers by their staff.
“I view with the utmost seriousness the testimonies that have been published regarding the treatment of wounded IDF soldiers at the hospital,” Katz said.
“The heroic IDF soldiers who were wounded while defending the State of Israel deserve the most dedicated and best possible care, as well as respectful treatment for themselves and their families,” he added.
“I instructed the IDF to immediately and thoroughly investigate all the allegations raised with the hospital and the relevant authorities.
“If it is found that any staff member treated the wounded soldiers improperly or egregiously, it will not be allowed to pass without action. We will not allow anyone to treat IDF soldiers who were wounded defending the country in this manner.
“We will demand answers, draw conclusions, and act to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.”
Hadash condemns call for investigation into alleged Arab abuse of IDF soldiers
In response to Katz’s demand, the Arab Israeli Hadash party strongly condemned the defense minister, calling his statement on the allegations “a dangerous exploitation of the authority of the state and the military establishment for political and racist persecution.”
“These instructions come in the wake of a racist incitement campaign led by elements on the far Right, without any evidence or factual basis, and with the clear goal of intimidating the Arab doctors, nurses, and employees at the hospital, who provide professional and dedicated care to the entire public every day,” Hadash stated.
Hadash called on human rights organizations and trade unions, both Arab and Jewish, to oppose Katz’s “dangerous decision.”
Jafar Farah, director of the Mossawa Center and the second-place candidate on Hadash’s Knesset list, also reacted to Katz’s statements, as well as those made by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
According to Farah, the two ministers “are trying to make political capital on the backs of the Arab medical teams who work 24 hours to treat the severely wounded without distinction.”
Farah added that “The government ministers are the reason there aren’t enough positions in the healthcare system.”
Ben-Gvir calls for probe into possible nationalistic sentiments of nurses
In turn, Ben-Gvir also called for the Health Ministry to investigate whether the Rambam nurses were motivated by nationalistic sentiments.
“If the serious testimonies emerging from Rambam Hospital are accurate, this is a grave scandal that should concern every citizen in Israel. It is unthinkable that hospital employees would harass, humiliate, or abuse wounded soldiers and the families of soldiers who risk their lives for the security of Israel’s citizens,” Ben-Gvir wrote in a statement.
“These testimonies require an immediate, thorough investigation without any whitewashing, including an examination of whether, in some cases, the harassment was nationalistically motivated. Anyone who harms our soldiers and their families should know that there will be consequences,” he added.
“I expect Rambam’s management and the Health Ministry to investigate the matter thoroughly and take severe action if the allegations are found to be true.”
Brother of wounded soldier alleges mistreatment by staff
In the Instagram post sent out on Saturday evening, Chesterman claimed that “my brother was seriously wounded in Lebanon, and what happened afterward is simply inconceivable.
“Three days ago, he was hospitalized together with three other fellow soldiers. He was sedated and ventilated, and only woke up yesterday afternoon, suffering from burns all over his body, pain, fever, and hallucinations,” he wrote.
“At night, a new shift arrived on the ward, all of them Arabic speakers. They removed all the families from the wards and locked the doors.
“Four seriously wounded soldiers found themselves alone for an entire night, surrounded by an Arabic-speaking staff behind locked doors. It’s completely insane.”