Last month, it was all over the news how the evil Israelis are killing Palestinians by refusing to allow them to enter Israel even for medical reasons. From Ynet:
A Palestinian father of six who was diagnosed with a brain cancer died at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital on Wednesday while waiting for an entry permit to Israel, where he was set to undergo brain surgery and receive chemotherapy treatment at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.
Three weeks ago, at the request of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel), Dr Elsalam Abria of Haifa’s Rambam Hospital wrote an opinion saying that Muhammad el-Harani would die within a few days or weeks unless he receives proper treatment in Israel.
Ran Yaron, co-director of PHR-Israel’s Occupied Territories Project, said that after el-Harani was diagnosed with cancer last February he was referred to Ichilov Hospital to undergo brain surgery and chemotherapy treatment, which are not conducted in any medical center in Gaza.
El-Harani’s request was rejected for security reasons, prompting PHR-Israel to file an urgent appeal on his behalf to the IDF’s District Coordination Office. El-Harani’s hearing, which was scheduled to take place at the Erez Crossing at the beginning of the week, was postponed by the army.
“The Shin Bet is continuing its harmful policy against cancer patients,” Yaron said, “we are very concerned for the fate of 12 others who have requested entry to Israel for treatment.”
Wow, that sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Except for the fact that it’s a lie. el-Harani isn’t dead. And Physicians for Human Rights knew about it the day after those stories were published.
Muhammad al-Harrani, a father of six from Gaza diagnosed with cancer who reportedly died while waiting for a permit to enter Israel, miraculously “came back to life.” This was not the result of a miracle, but rather, just part of the tactics used by al-Harrani’s family in a bid to secure a permit for him.
Al-Harrani is currently awaiting an entry permit into Israel, so that he can undergo head surgery at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and receive radiation and chemotherapy treatment. At the end of April he was summoned to a questioning session at the Erez Crossing as part of the permit process, but the session was postponed by a week.
On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, al-Harrani’s story was published. His family reported to the “Physicians for Human Rights†organization that he died. “The sick man could not withstand the wait for the permit,†claimed Ran Yaron, Director of the Occupied Territories Department who blamed the Shin Bet for adopting cruel policies against cancer patients.
However, the next day, the organization discovered that al-Harrani was still alive. Members of group estimated that his brother, who reported the death, “killed†him so he does not report to the questioning session.
So what does PHR have to say for itself? Gee, this never happens.
“This is a rare case where a family member knowingly provided false information to the organization,†Physicians for Human Rights said. “Usually, the organization receives information from the families and from the hospitals, but in this case the information was received from the family and was not confirmed by the hospital.”
So, effectively, PHR just admitted that they took the words of Palestinians, who have every incentive to lie to portray Israel in as evil light as possible, and did no due diligence themselves. Needless to say, the Shin bet is pissed.
“We view these harsh accusations on your part with great severity; not even a minimal inquiry into the facts was conducted.†The Shin Bet noted that due to the suspicion of his involvement in terror activities, al-Harrani was indeed called in for a security check, and it was indeed postponed by a week.
In other words, the Palestinian cancer patient tried to duck out on the Shin Bet interview. Why is that, we wonder? Could have have something to hide?
Not that that would matter to PHR. Even terrorists dying of brian cancer should be allowed into Israel in their worldview.
Not in mine.