Hi Jessica,
I think that if you and\or anyone from abroad calls or writes to the Israeli authorities about the needed permits, the pressure will be more effective.
Thanks
D
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Mailbag: Let The Child Be Treated!
Posted: 14 Jan 2011 07:21 AM PST
This just in from Gershom Gorenberg:
I am trying to help a three and a half year old Palestinian girl from the West Bank who suffers from CP get essential care at an excellent hospital in Jerusalem. The girl's name is Dalal Rusrus. According to Dr. Eliezer Be'eri of Alyn Hospital in Jerusalem, if Dalal is treated, there is even a chance that she might eventually be able to walk. If she is not treated, she will not even be able to use a wheelchair.
The Civil Administration is refusing to give her parents permission to enter Jerusalem, which makes it impossible for her to receive care. You can help by contacting the relevant spokespeople and asking why they aren't getting permits. If the authorities know the world is interested, there is a reasonable chance that they could grant the permits to avoid the embarrassment. Please note: The girl needs to get a permit by Monday. So send an email today, and take ten minutes when you get up Sunday to make a phone call or three.
The Israeli hospital wants to help her. Israelis and foreign donors have contributed for her care. Instead of letting this humanitarian cooperation take place, the military bureaucracy is standing in the way.
After Dr. Be'eri examined Dalal in the West Bank in October, Alyn hospital invited her to come for a full examination. Two appointments were canceled because her parents could not get permits. Finally, her mother was given a permit and Dalal was given a multi-disciplinary examination on Dec. 20.
Now Dalal is supposed to go to Alyn on Monday, Jan 17 for a preliminary treatment, and then be hospitalized on Jan 23 for two weeks. In order for the treatment to happen, permits are needed for her parents, especially for her father. The mother is caring for a 9-month-old infant and it would be extremely difficult for her to be the one to accompany Dalal. The family has no immediate relatives in the area who would be able to help out.
So what you do is write or call both of the spokespeople below and the Civil Administration health official, say that you are writing a story, and you want to know if the Osama, Sunya and Dalal Rusrus have received permits to enter Jerusalem and if not, why not. The name of the spokespeople link to their email addresses. You should include the ID numbers of Osama, Sunya and Dalal, which you will find below.
IDF Spokesman's Office (Foreign Press Branch):
Lt.-Col. Avital Leibovitz: 972 2-5485807/2, Fax: 972 2-5485825, Mobile: 972 57-8186248
Civil Administration, Judea and Samaria:
Capt. Amir Koren: 972 2-9977372, Fax: 972 2-9977341, Mobile: 972 50-6234081
Civil administration health coordinator:
Dalia Basa: 972-2-9977084, or 972-2-9977022, Fax: 972-2-9977041
Here are the ID numbers:
Osama Rusrus 909512386
Sunya Rusrus 903627057
Dalal Rusrus 420037004
You can find more information on her story at these links:
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/twilight-zone-the-long-road-to-treatment-1.332683
http://southjerusalem.com/2010/12/saving-dalal/
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=crossing_borders_10
For all further info to build the story, you can contact the B'Tselem human-rights organization's fantastic health staffer, Suhair Abdi.
Warmly, Gershom
SIDRA'S LETTER:
I am writing in connection with the child, Dalal Rusrus, who lives in the West Bank and needs to be treated urgently for her CP. As you no doubt know, the doctors at Alyn have offered to treat her, money has been raised internationally to cover the expense, and the only obstacle is that the military authorities are refusing to give her and her parents the necessary permit to allow her to enter Israel.
Having had a very dear friend who was born with CP and, because of the care he received, became a prominent professor at the University, I can attest personally to the effect of proper medical treatment on such patients.
I am myself a professor at Hebrew University and am writing to my colleagues abroad about this incident and the fact that, even with the unresolved situation on the West Bank, Israel is a compassionate country that has achieved wonders in treating its own citizens and many Arabs inside Israel and in the occupied territories. I hope to be able to report that the proper permits have been issued BEFORE January 17, when she has her first medical appointment.
Please answer that indeed these permits have been issued to her and her parents; here, below, are their i.d. numbers:
Osama Rusrus 909512386
Sunya Rusrus 903627057
Dalal Rusrus 420037004
Yours sincerely, Professor Sidra Ezrahi
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