The disturbing truths willfully ignored by the media.
A disturbing part of Joe Biden’s visit to Israel was the trip he took to east Jerusalem to visit the Augusta Victoria Hospital. The hospital caters to Palestinian patients, and the media coverage – especially that from NPR’s Daniel Estrin — made it seem that Palestinian and Arab Israeli patients have no other options save these “underfunded” facilities. A few sob stories, about how difficult Israel makes it for Palestinians to come to Jerusalem for treatment of cancer and for dialysis, which are the focus of care at the Augusta Victoria Hospital, were broadcast on NPR; It is not true, of course, that Israelis deliberately delay Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank from being admitted to hospitals in east Jerusalem. All of those with life-threatening illnesses that can best be treated in Israel are quickly admitted, and so are many other Palestinians and Israeli Arabs with ordinary illnesses who simply prefer Jewish doctors. Both Israeli Arabs and Palestinians are treated in all the Israeli hospitals, and often received as charity patients, who pay nothing. None of that was mentioned in the coverage of Biden’s visit to the hospital. It wouldn’t fit the NPR narrative.
