The Arab Medical Union in the Naqab: There is no assurance that this department director will treat and help Arab patients, and he must be fired immediately. *Professor Saher: Many Naqab residents, Arabs, and Jews, are my friends, and I love and respect them.
The Arab community in the Naqab is buzzing today with the publication of the statements of one of the most prominent doctors at Soroka Hospital, the only hospital in the Naqab, who spoke about the rate of Arab reproduction and childbirth as a “problematic,” he said. This racist statement, calls for the dismissal of the Director of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery – Prof. (Professor) Gideon Saher.
Mr. Saher spoke yesterday in a home seminar organized by Yamina movement leader Ayelet Shaked, in Omer, and claimed, “On the one hand, we understand that reproduction and childbirth are what destroys us, and it is the Arab womb. On the other hand, we encourage this with child allowances.”
The Union of Arab Doctors in the Naqab immediately addressed the hospital administration, requesting the dismissal of Prof. Saher, who had asked Shaked about “the most problematic society,” claiming that “the rate of reproduction and childbirth is what kills us, it is the Arab womb.” “Therefore, I think that the payment of child allowances should be considered retroactively,” he added. The first child will receive benefits, the second will receive benefits, the third may, the fourth will not, and the fifth will receive a fine.” Shaked responded that the proposal was impractical.
The Arab Doctors Union wrote in its address to Soroka’s administration, “As delegates of Arab doctors in the Negev and representatives of the public, we have no confidence that this department director will treat Arab patients and he must be fired immediately. Whoever considers the Arab womb a threat to him has no place in the health system, and how much more can he not heal the hearts of Arabs.”
In his commentary, the director of the M0ssawa Center for Arab Citizens’ Rights, Jaafar Farah, said, “It is heartbreaking to discover time and time again that there are racist doctors in Israel, doctors who offer to act racist towards Arab women. After he said what he said publicly, it is terrifying to think what he can do when he makes a decision himself about saving the life of an Arab in the operating room. In a regular country, such a doctor would be suspended from work and punished for the violation of incitement to racism!
For his part, Minister of Health Nitzan Horowitz indicated that “the statements of the director of the department in Soroka are tainted with racism, and I condemn them. Of course, they do not reflect what is going on in the health system. Soroka Hospital said it was examining the details.
Subsequently, Professor Gideon Saher commented, “I have been running the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in Soroka for 17 years, and I treat all residents of the Negev faithfully, without discrimination on the basis of religion, gender or race. Many Negev residents, Arabs and Jews, are my friends and work with me, I love and respect them. I regret that my words were not understood correctly and I apologize if any of the citizens of the State of Israel were offended.”