ARAB DOCTORS SE NO CHANGE IN CIVAD CONTROL OF WEST BANK HEALTH SERVICES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000700920069-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: March 1, 1986
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700920069-7
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E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PBTS, ECIN, KPAL, IS, JO
SUBJECT: ARAB DOCTORS SEE NO CHANGE IN CIVAD CONTROL OF
WEST BANK HEALTH SERVICES.
2. WHEN DEFENSE MINISTER RABIN TOLD SENATOR MATHIAS
FEBRUARY 20 (PARA 5, REF) THAT THE GOI HAD RECENTLY
APPOINTED AN ARAB DOCTOR TO HEAD HEALTH SERVICES IN THE
CIVAD, WE BELIEVED IT COULD MARK THE BEGINNING OF
"DEVOLUTION". SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATIONS WITH TWO
WELL-CONNECTED PALESTINIAN PHYSICIANS INDICATE TO US
THAT RABIN MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKENLY REFERRING TO THE
APPOINTMENT OF AN ARAB TO A SENIOR BUT LOWER POSITION
TRADITIONALLY HELD BY WEST BANKERS, I.E., AS "DIRECTOR",
NOT "CHIEF" OF HEALTH SERVICES.
3. BOTH DR. ISA SALTI, DIRECTOR OF RAMALLAH HOSPITAL
AND PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB MEDICAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION
(AMWA) AND DR. AHMED ZUWAITER, DIRECTOR OF THE MOUNT
DAVID CRIPPLED CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, CLAIM THEY HAVE
HEARD NOTHING ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ARAB TO THE
TOP JOB IN HEALTH SERVICES. BOTH ARE IN A POSITION TO
KNOW AND WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN CONSULTED BY THE GOI
PRIOR TO AN APPOINTMENT. BOTH, IN FACT, WOULD BE AMONG
THE HANDFUL OF LIKELY CANDIDATES IF THE GOI DECIDED TO
ALLOW A PALESTINIAN TO MANAGE HEALTH SERVICES.
4. DR. SALTI EXPLAINED TO US THAT AN ISRAELI PHYSICIAN,
DR. SAFER, IS THE NUMBER ONE MAN IN THE CIVAD HEIRARCHY
AS CHIEF OF HEALTH SERVICES. BELOW HIM ARE TWO
POSITIONS TRADITIONALLY FILLED BY ARABS; DIRECTOR OF
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700920069-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700920069-7
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HOSPITAL SERVICES (DR. MOHAMED SAID KAMEL) AND DIRECTOR
OF HEALTH SERVICES (DR. SAID SHAHIN). NEITHER SALTI NOR
ZUWAITER FORSEE THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ARAB TO REPLACE AN
ISRAELI AS CHIEF OF HEALTH SERVICES. ZUWAITER NOTED
THAT HE SEES NO SIGN THAT THE GOI'S TIGHT CONTROL OF THE
HEALTH SYSTEM IS DIMISHING IN ANY WAY. HE TOLD US THAT
DR. SAFER AND HIS ISRAELI COLLEAGUES ARE INVOLVED IN
EVEN THE MOST MUNDANE DECISIONS CONCERNING THE
DAY-TO-DAY FUNCTIONING OF THE SYSTEM INCLUDING DECIDING
WHICH DOCTORS CAN TAKE LEAVE AND WHEN.
5. RABIN MAY HAVE MADE AN HONEST MISTAKE WHEN HE TOLD
MATHIAS THAT AN ARAB HAD BEEN APPOINTED IN CHARGE OF
HEALTH SERVICES. SHAHIN WAS RECENTLY NAMED TO HIS
PRESENT JOB AS DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICES AFTER A LONG
SEARCH FOR A CANDIDATE WHICH LEFT THE POSITION VACANT
FOR NEARLY A YEAR. BUT HE RANKS AS THE NUMBER THREE MAN
IN THE HIERARCHY WHICH, IN THE CIVAD SYSTEM, IS A LONG
WAY FROM BEING NUMBER ONE.
DRAPER
END OF MESSAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700920069-7