Surge in doctors leaving 'Israel' amid staggering economic crisis

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
17 Aug 2024 16:39
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Israeli Channel 13 reports a dramatic increase in doctors leaving the country, driven by political instability and economic challenges.

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Beds are ready at Rambam Hospital in an underground parking garage in preparation for an escalation in hostilities, in Haifa, occupied Palestine, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (AP)

Israeli Channel 13 has reported "disturbing data" on a significant increase in the number of doctors leaving "Israel", noting that the rate has surged to ten times the usual level.

Gil Feir, Deputy Director-General for Medical Affairs at Ichilov Hospital and responsible for human resources, confirmed this "quiet exodus".

Initially just an idea among doctors during the political turmoil in Tel Aviv, it has become a tangible reality since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Feir linked this trend to the perception among the Israeli elite that "their place is not here and they do not want to stay."

Israeli media journalist Merav Sevar of Israel Hayom commented that it is "sad that the government is fighting to ensure there is no societal backbone here, that children remain uneducated, and that doctors are leaving."

She added that Israeli occupation Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wants an economy on the basis of "if you follow my rules," leading to a downgrade of "Israel's" credit rating.

Economic analyst Matan Hudorov argued that the data reflect the scale of the problem, stating that "the economy is ultimately not based on 10 million people but on 300,000 to 400,000 productive individuals, including researchers, doctors, scientists, and high-tech employees."

"If 10% or 15% of them leave, there will be no modern economy here," he maintained.

In response to a suggestion that the country could manage without these groups and rely solely on those with ideological backgrounds, Hudorov said, "Then let’s move past the Stone Age and start the economy from scratch." He added, "The problem is that there is no backbone... the problem is that there is no basis."

'Israel's' inflation climbs above 3% target range amid mounting fears

This comes as "Israel's" Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.6% in July, pushing the annual inflation rate to 3.2%, above the Bank of Israel's 3% target, Israeli media reported on Friday.

Notable price increases included fresh fruit and vegetables (3.2%), culture and entertainment (1.8%), and housing costs (0.8%).

Clothing and footwear prices reportedly dropped by 2.4%, while furniture and household equipment fell by 0.6%.

The Israeli occupation's Central Bureau of Statistics also reported changes in home prices between April-May 2024 and May-June 2024, which are not part of the general CPI.

Furthermore, Israeli media reported that prices increased by 0.7% on average in July, the seventh straight month of rises after earlier declines.

Throughout occupied Palestine, prices increased by 1.5% in the north, 1.2% in Haifa, 0.7% in occupied al-Quds, 0.6% in the center, 0.5% in Tel Aviv, and 0.2% in the south. New apartment prices dropped by 0.9%.

Additionally, Israeli media underscored that year-over-year, the housing price index rose by 4.7%, with Haifa seeing a 9.7% increase, followed by 6.3% in the north, and smaller rises in other regions. Conversely, it was also reported that new home prices fell by 0.6%.