Doctors At Israel's Ziv Hospital Treat Wounded Syrians

The relationship between Syria and Israel is one of the most hostile in the Middle East. But as Syria's civil war wages on, doctors at an Israeli hospital put politics aside every day for the good of humanity.

Staff provides Syrians with medical treatment, psychological care & social support

A ten–year-old boy lost both his legs in his country's civil war, which continues to rage on. His six-year-old cousin lost one leg, with the other severely shattered.

Despite the fact these boys are Syrian, they are receiving treatment at Israel's Ziv Medical Center. It is located in the TZAHAR region – an area of Israel that bridges the geographical gap with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County (Florida), as well as an acronym of the three cities it includes: Tzfat, Hazor HaGlilit and Rosh Pina.

Doctors visiting Syrian children at Ziv Medical Center in northern Israel.

Ziv Medical Center is the only hospital in Israel's Upper Galilee and northern Golan Heights saving the lives of Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze. Over 225 wounded Syrians, primarily children, have received medical treatment that they are unable to receive in their war-torn villages.

There are small moments of joy at the hospital. An eight-year-old girl was returned to Syria with an external fixation device on her leg. She later made it back to Ziv Center to continue her orthopedic treatment and visit with staff. Together, they celebrated her ninth birthday.

Ziv Medical Center is situated in Tzfat, a city in Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's Partnership 2Gether region known as TZAHAR. It is in close proximity to the international borders with Lebanon and Syria. During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the hospital sustained direct hits from rockets; nevertheless, the medical and administrative staff worked non-stop, caring for both military personnel and civilians.

Dr. Oscar Embon, Director of Ziv Medical Center said the hospital will continue to provide humanitarian aid to these patients for as long as necessary.

"Our doctors and our teams provide the wounded Syrians with high quality medical treatment, as well as psychological and social support following the traumatic experiences they have endured," said Dr. Embon.

Dr. Oscar Embon (second to the right) with others at Ziv Medical Center.

"These are civilians," he continued, "people whose whole world has come crashing down around them. They are suffering not only from severe injuries but come to us with nothing: no food or clothing, and no means of communicating with their homes."

An initiative of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the TZAHAR region connects to the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County as part of the Partnership2Gether program. Together, organizations in South Florida and Israel utilize this partnership to build global Jewish community by sharing ideas, strengths, challenges and models of success.