Israeli doctors dishonour their profession by accepting as legal the torture of Palestinian captives

• Torture continues

• Doctors disgrace their profession

• Comprehensive violation

During the last week of March and throughout the court proceedings regarding six petitions presented by human rights associations against the use of torture during investigations by the general intelligence agency Al-Shabak, Israeli Attorney-General Shy Netsan announced that Al-Shabak is considering the use of easier-fitting hand-shackles and a less-offensive-smelling head sack to be used on Palestinians under investigation.

Torture continues

In other words, “Israel” intends to continue torturing young Palestinians. If these torture methods are carried out according to the announcements in the secret chapters of the report prepared by the Lanwood committee, they would be considered legal and permitted; however, the significance of the term “torture” has become more complicated in terms of the medical repercussions in this past year than ever before. The Attorney-General replied to one of the petitions against torture presented to the Supreme Court of Justice in this respect on 28 May1998, which had been presented on the initiative of some human rights associations—namely the Citizen Rights group and Hum-kid—saying that doctors are present for 24 hours during the torture session in the intelligence cells, which practice has been going on for more than a year. This indicates that doctors are not only present during the actual torture but they also legalize the torture by their signatures on their medical reports that include the information on their examinations of the captives before, after and during the investigation as well. Aside from the discussion regarding the necessity of the use of torture in the cases known as “tactical bombs”, whereby torture is used and even condoned in order to force the young to give out information in order to prevent any catastrophe as soon as possible, the presence of the doctors during investigation is considered a moral dilemma.

Doctors disgrace their profession

The moral objection to the doctors’ presence during investigation is that they give medical data to the detectives in order that they may determine the degree of torture the captive can stand. Consequently, the doctors examine the captives before, after or during the investigation. In addition, the doctors do not prevent the detectives from carrying on even though they are sure that the torture will hurt the captive thereby dishonouring their profession. These doctors, according to opponents, contradict the Hippocratic Oath, as well as the two international treaties: Tokyo-1975 and the UN charter of medical ethics in 1982, both of which prohibit doctors from participating in torture or any disgraceful deed. These treaties oblige doctors to rescue the life of, as well as prevent the suffering of any human being, ensuring that doctors remain different from detectives because their duty is to serve the people—not to focus on the “tactical bomb”.

In Gaza, during the intifadah, the Doctors for Human Rights Association, which is comprised of 300 doctors and specialists in the medical trades, has been trying for more than a year to make the Israeli Doctors Union adopt new regulations that would prevent Israeli doctors from taking part in investigations carried out by Al-Shabak. However, the Chairman of the Ethical Committee in the union, Eran Dolep, has been hesitating in carrying out this mission. This union was established by Israeli psychiatrist Rohaha Marton, who told doctor Elan Ghal, the Chairman of the Association, that she had established this Association when a doctor called on a dozen Israeli doctors to have a look at the medical conditions in Gaza. Doctor Ghal said that they were astonished when they saw the miserable conditions in Al-Shefa’a Hospital in Gaza, especially the halls crowded with both young and old people in wheelchairs, a kitchen without food even for the cats, and nothing was found in the cellar except some Akamwa fruit. The doctors saw how medicine could be used as a means of blackmail by politicians, and how depriving people of medical care had become a political weapon. This Association grants medical support to the Palestinians and foreign workers, and fights for justice and equity in medical care. During the last six months, the Association has concentrated on persuading the Israeli Doctors Union to prevent doctors from involving themselves in investigations. The Union asked the Association to send a list of the names of those doctors, but the Association replied that these lists are not available except for two or three doctors who had signed some medical test forms used by Al-Shabak. Hadfa Rodovents, the Director of the Association, said that they do not aim to hurt those doctors, especially those who work in prisons, but they are sometimes sent to help in investigations as a part-time job or called from outside, and they will stop this practice as soon as the Union prohibits this. Hadas Zeiv, the Director of Projects in the Union, said that if doctors stopped doing so, torture would also be stopped similar to what happened in Ireland where doctors played a significant role in this respect.

Comprehensive violation

According to Bet’saleem organization reports and official data, between 1,000 and 1,500 Palestinians are investigated annually by Al-Shabak; 850 of these are dealt with according to what the so-called Lendaw Committee outlined as using moderate physical pressure. Professor Ravi Veldan, a member of the Rava’el administration and Peres’s brother-in-law, said that the presence of doctors gives torture a chance to continue.

Q: What is the tactical bomb about?

A: VELDAN: The tactical bomb does not concern the doctor because his mission is to rescue people and reduce their suffering, which is completely different from what happens in Al-Shabak cells. It has been understood that most of the doctors are newcomers from Eastern European countries who have difficulty finding a job or even earning their living decently, but they will stop doing so if they realize that this action will make them lose their license.

Ottoman’s Shirt: The tactical bomb is similar to Ottoman’s Shirt, which is used as a pretext by Al-Shabak members because when they go home, they leave the captives in this trap. Veldan believes that doctors who work for Al-Shabak do not have jobs because they do not have other choices, and they feel embarrassed and isolated because they cannot communicate with the Arab captives. Consequently, those doctors will not be arrested and punished because they have been ordered to do so by Al-Shabak. The Association has been trying to hold a meeting with the Doctors’ Union for five months but in vain because the date has been delayed several times. When Veldan was asked about the reason, he replied that the reasons behind this could not be political because some officials of the Union are cautious not to stir up any trouble which may harm their professional future.

Why do they keep silent? Doctor Raves, a psychiatrist and a member of the Union, said that he had asked to publish an essay in the official magazine of the Union, Medicine, after he had been asked to examine 14 Palestinian captives who presented a petition against torture; however, the essay was not published because it dealt with political and security matters. He added that he had examined the captives and found out that they had been arrested and tortured by depriving them of food and sleep because they had committed minor offenses such as stone-throwing or writing certain mottoes on the walls. The problem is rather complicated because the Ethical Committee could not do anything, and the basic crisis is that some parts tend to consider the humane aspects of torture. The Chairperson of the Ethical Committee believes that the right policy is to be very cautious in order not to be entangled.