Arab-Palestinian Citizens of Israel: Discrimination in Access to Health; Lower Health Indicators
Date
23.11.2011
Description
Since the founding of the State of Israel, the Arab-Palestinian minority in the country has suffered systematic discrimination as compared to Israel’s Jewish citizens in allocation of public funding and in access to services and conditions that are preconditions for a healthy life. This document outlines some basic disparities in allocation of specific resources relevant to health, and the resultant inequalities in basic health indicators, with special focus on the Bedouin-Arab community in the Negev desert in southern Israel, which has the lowest health indicators in the country. Factors such as poverty; discriminatory budget allocation; access to education, employment and safe housing; and access to basic services including clean water, sanitation and electricity, are known to be health-defining factors. Their restriction ultimately results in significant health inequality between Jews and Arabs .
