Comment / Israeli media, not IDF, dropped the ball on Haiti aid
The cynicism expressed in the Israeli media about the IDF aid mission to Haiti was unjustified.
By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Israel news IDFThe Israeli aid mission to Haiti, the first to set up a field hospital on the earthquake-stricken island, returned home Thursday.
The cynicism expressed about the Israeli aid mission to Haiti is unjustified. Those who argue that the Israel Defense Forces should have put up a field hospital for the residents of Gaza would do well to recall that after Operation Cast Lead ended, such a hospital to receive wounded Palestinians was to have gone up at the Erez checkpoint, but threats from Hamas put a stop to preparations.
Criticizing the enthusiasm of the IDF Spokesman's Office and the Foreign Ministry in "marketing" the work of Israeli doctors and rescue personnel to the world media was also gratuitous. If the desire to win rare sympathetic headlines spurred Israel to work harder to save lives on the other side of the world, that is a good thing.
The IDF proved again what we have always known: It is the most professional organization in the country, with thousands of doctors serving in the reserves willing to leave their families and risk their lives to fulfill their professional and moral duty.
It is also important to remember that we rightfully criticize other actions by the IDF.
The main purpose of the IDF's field hospital is to support medical services in Israel during times of war or mass disaster. But the Medical Corps always planned to utilize the model to offer humanitarian aid where needed, anywhere in the world. The fact that far-off Israel was the only country that managed to put up an advanced medical facility in Port-au-Prince so quickly after the earthquake demonstrates that this idea is the right one.
With the mission's return to Israel Thursday, the real criticism should be directed toward much of the Israeli media - which overstated its praise for the mission's work and turned them into the heart of the story.
An Israeli doctor who is still in Haiti as part of a civilian aid mission told her family this week that, according to Israeli media reports, after the dismantling of the IDF field hospital there were no more Israelis in Haiti.
But even those few Israeli civilian doctors and others still working in Haiti are a drop in the ocean of suffering. It will be intersting to see whether the Israeli media will continue to cover rehabilitation efforts now that there are no more uniformed Israelis in Port-au-Prince.
Israel donates 0.042 percent of its Gross Domestic Product in aid to developing countries - one fifth of the average amount of aid contributed by members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which Israel is seeking to join.
A large portion of what Israel declares as assistance to developing countries are actually funds earmarked for the absorption of Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. We are far from realizing David Ben-Gurion's vision of becoming a world center for agricultural, technological and educational aid to poorer countries.
Amazement over the IDF's work in Haiti is justified, but we must keep things in proportion. Providing assistance to the world's hungry, poor and sick has not yet become a habit for us.
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Of course one does not deny Israel's remarkable actions in sending a medical team to Haiti so promptly. That is to be applauded and we are sure most appreciated by the Haitians. Unfortunately, one cannot help but contrast this with Israel's refusal to allow Gaza to reconstruct its 4000 homes, schools, hospitals, and civic buildings deliberately destroyed by the IDF. Medical aid, materials and equipment to the hospitals, one year later is still insufficient, and seriously ill men, women and children are still dying by refused entry for treatment in Israel. There was no serious offer to set up a hospital at the Erez checkpoint. There is simply not enough food, fuel and supplies allowed in and repeated appeals by the UN agencies have gone unheeded. It is time that Israel took responsibility for its own war crimes, and urgently lifted the blockade and the iron stranglehold that only creates endless generations of hate from the people that are supposed to be Israel's neighbours.
that the Israeli aid team did a great job in Hatiti - just like many others, too. But it was quite repulsive to read the daily pat-my-shoulder-and-recognize-we-are-the-greatest reporting in the Israeli media. There were no sympathy points won - rather the opposite.
"Many countries sent help to Haiti, some of them countries who can hardly afford it - like Bangladesh? Why was their contribution not mentioned while we were given an hourly diet of "Israeli humanitarian actions" on CNN ?" Many European countries complained that the US took control of Haiti and they decided who could land in Haiti and who could not. It sounds that the Israeli team got help in landing and setting up shop from the American troops as well. People are usually not so cynical, but when they see a neighborhood bully helping an old lady cross the road it makes them wonder what is his true intentions.
Every country in the world praises its good deeds,through politicians and the media , so why not Israel ? Is anyone saying Israel should not have helped Haiti just because they keep on fighting defensive wars ?
While lamenting Israel's lack of aid to developing countries, it should also be noted that much of this "aid" is in fact money for weapons sent to despots and terrorists that Israel supports, from the Central American counter-revolutionary terrorists Israel supported in the 1980s to Israel's present alliances with African dictators. If one were to calculate the amount of this money that legitimately constitutes aid, it would be a far smaller percentage.
I have no doubt that the Israelis and their field hospital did a great job in Haiti and are to be commended. There is also no doubt that some PR people went into overdrive and made sure that we were constantly reminded of how wonderful and humane Israel is. Many countries sent help to Haiti, some of them countries who can hardly afford it - like Bangladesh? Why was their contribution not mentioned while we were given an hourly diet of "Israeli humanitarian actions" on CNN ? I have no doubt that the Israeli doctors and nurses who went did so to help the people of Haiti. I have also no doubt that the Israeli government who sent them there - and their PR firms - saw it as a great opportunity to polish up Israel's tarnished image.
Contrary to normal social behavior and attitudes expressed by civilized nations. The rule applying to Israel is contrary to natural expectations. It's not the so-called evil that Israel commits that elicits hatred among our presumed allies, and of course our enemies, it's our successes. The more good we do the more we will be hated.
KOL HAKAVOD, the Haitians would have been lost without the Israeli interevention, as former Prez Clinton recently proclaimed. Good on you, mates. I am a sick puppy because I still associate those uniforms with the hundreds of butchered Gazan children, the hopelessly maimed, the homeless, the grieving?
... but rather about those politicians who sent it and patted themselves on the back... and who couldn't care less about the ongoing plight of the Pals, that these very politicians are causing...
Better than being Prime Minister to 5 million Papa Doc Duvaliers
... importantly recorded through the lenses of many Haitian eyes, into their minds, and registered deeply and warmly into their hearts. Shame on all who want to believe that Israel did this just for show as your terminal sickness of ignorance of how Jews reach out to help, and your malice due to jealousy, is also not out of reach of Israeli doctors.
It's alleged that Golda Meir once commented to Richard Nixon that she was the prime minister of 5 million prime ministers. I hope all this internal cynicism within Israel about a noble effort by Israel's military in Haiti doesn't mean we have to revise the story to say she was prime minister for 5 million future Richard Goldstones.