Israel's Rabin Medical Center of Petach Tikvah treats victims of terror and war, accidents and catastrophes, whether they are Jews, Arabs, Israelis or foreigners. The hospital has always been committed to national and international humanitarian needs, providing medical expertise and lifesaving care around the globe. Rabin Medical Center played an important role in caring for immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, for example, many of whom came directly from the airport to the hospital for medical assistance.

In 1986, the city of Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union experienced the most severe nuclear leak in history. Our hospital was one of the first to offer help to radiation victims. A large group of afflicted children came to Israel to be treated at our facilities.

The Palestinian Authority assumed responsibility for health services in the West Bank and Gaza under the 1994 Israeli- Palestinian peace accords, but tertiary care remains virtually nonexistent in Gaza, and many Palestinians seek medical treatment in Israel. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2007 more than 7,000 Palestinians received medical treatment in Israel, a 50% increase from 2006.

As a premier hospital providing vital lifesaving medical services, medical treatment is provided to the Palestinian population whenever it is requested. The following case, describing one little boy's fight for life and the hospital's role in this fight, reflects Rabin Medical Center of Petach Tikvah's tradition of humanitarian medical care.