Aiding Palestinian Hospitals: Do Not Stand Idly by the Blood of Your Neighbor: I am YHWH/ Breathing-spirit of all life. (Lev. 19

Photo of a sick woman

Aiding Palestinian Hospitals: DO NOT STAND IDLY BY THE BLOOD OF YOUR NEIGHBOR: I AM YHWH/ Breathing-spirit of all life. (Lev. 19:16).

On May 22, 2006, we received a plea from "Physicians for Human Rights – Israel" one of the civil-society organizations that are supported by the New Israel Fund.

They asked for emergency help for Palestinian hospitals caught in a time of crisis.

The Shalom Center responded by inviting our members and readers to contribute, and within three days $15,000 had been raised. If you want to help, please pay special attention to the information at the end of this message. Thanks - AW

----- Original Message -----

Call for Donations to Aid Palestinian Hospitals

The financial crisis affecting the Palestinian Authority (PA) due to the stoppage of international aid and the freezing of the tax revenue by the state of Israel, has had a grave impact on the Palestinian population in the occupied territories and has led to an acute shortage of basic needs, such as medicines and food.

A number of Palestinian hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have asked us at Physicians for Human Rights-Israel to assist them in acquiring a number of medicines and medical equipment needed for the daily functions of the hospitals. During visits we have conducted to several hospitals we witnessed the harsh reality of a scarcity of life-saving medicines and medical equipment to be used in the operating rooms.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, together with several Israeli peace and human rights groups, began a campaign to raise funds in order to aid the Palestinian areas that were hardest hit as a result of the financial crisis, and to provide, as best we can, some of the urgent medical needs of the Palestinian hospitals, with whom we have been in contact for many years.

Additionally, we are handling individual cases of patients from the occupied territories who have not received permits needed to enter Israel for urgent treatment, or patients that the PA is not paying for their treatment, due to the financial crisis. This activity also involves legal costs.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel feels obligated to support our colleagues working in the Palestinian health system, who in this difficult time are doing all they can in order to grant the best medical service to the Palestinian population, and to aid patients and medical teams who are carrying the burden of this difficult crisis.

We turn to you with this urgent appeal asking that you donate to this activity according to your ability. In light of the urgency of the matter, we ask that those who are able to donate contact us as soon as possible, so that we can begin to transfer the aid immediately. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel plans on organizing shipments within the upcoming days.

We kindly request that you pass this message on to others, with the hope that they will answer our request and join us in this aid mission.

More information about the crisis is available on our website:
www.phr.org.il

How to donate:

All of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel's activities are supported by donations from individuals and organizations. Inside Israel, donations to the organization are recognized as tax deductible. From outside Israel, tax deductible donations can be made through the New Israel Fund.

[Note from The Shalom Center: The NIF Website says the following about making contributions designated for a specific group, such as PHR- Israel: "Donor-Advised Giving: Due to credit charges that must be absorbed by the New Israel Fund, we cannot accept donor advised contributions on-line. Your check of $100 minimum (smaller amounts are permitted for honor or memorial gifts) can be mailed to: New Israel Fund , 1101 14th Street, N.W.Sixth floor, Washington, DC 20005.]

For more information regarding PHR-I donations please contact: Daniel Hasson, +972-3-687-3718 or write:

mail@phr.org.il

SINCE THE NEW ISRAEL FUND PROCESS IS CUMBERSOME & TIME-CONSUMING, WE AT The Shalom Center CAN OFFER THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVE:

If you go to our donation page and fill out the donation info AND ALSO FILL OUT THE "ON BEHALF OF" BOX WITH THE FOLLOWING PHRASE: "PHR-I/ Palestinian hospitals" WE WILL SEND YOUR GIFT TO Physicians for Human Rights in Israel to use for emergency aid to Palestinian hospitals.

The Shalom Center is a tax-exempt 501c3 organization, so ALL of your gift will be tax-deductible under US law for US taxes, depending on your own tax and income situation.

Please note -- for the first $15,000, we absorbed the 3% cost of doing this that The Shalom Center owes our donation software firm, treating it like our own tzedakah gift. We cannot continue to do this.

So again -- go to: --

http://www.theshalomcenter.org

Click on the big blue "Donate Now" button on the right-hand side of the Home Page.

Fill it out, and BE SURE TO FILL IN THE "In behalf of" space with the phrase"PHR-I/ Palestinian hospitals."

DO NOT STAND IDLY BY THE BLOOD OF YOUR NEIGHBOR: I AM YHWH/ Breathing-spirit of all life. (Lev. 19:16).

Many many thanks -

Arthur

Universal: