Jews and Arabs Work Together to Open a Free Holistic Medical Clinic and Peace Center in the Palestinian Village of East Barta'a.

The Village of Barta'a is located in Wadi Ara, straddling the border between Israel and Palestine. The western half of the village (West Barta'a) was absorbed into Israel in 1948 and its inhabitants are Israeli citizens. The eastern half (East Barta'a) is part of the West Bank, occupied by Israel in '67, and its inhabitants are Palestinians. In recent years the Separation barrier has been erected to the East of the village. Eastern Barta'a residents are therefore unable to travel freely to the western side of the village (Israeli territory), and now also unable to travel freely to the Palestinian territories on the Eastern side; they are in a 'seam' or no-man's land between Israel and The Wall. As a result, East Barta'a residents live in a closed ghetto, surrounded by police and soldiers, forbidden to cultivate their land by the army, and are restricted by surrounding checkpoints. They are cut off from medical and education and municipal services of their Palestinian local and national government. Their livelihood sources are blocked, many families are divided in half and the ongoing stress and curfew create difficult economic and emotional distress. The village is committed, despite all, to non-violent approaches to peace and relief.

The Middleway charity, founded by Matrix Board Member Dr. Stephen Fulder, is a Jewish/Arab organization promoting a more spiritual and compassionate approach to peace-making and social change. It has initiated a program to support the village through the establishment of a holistic and family practitioner clinic, which also acts as the center for classes, dialogue and Jewish Arab meetings. The project is a combination of humanitarian activity and peace-building. That is, Palestinians that are helped by Jewish Israelis themselves become ambassadors in their community and spread the message that there is hope and that not all Israelis are military occupiers.

Barta'a was chosen because it highlights the absurdity and the suffering of the conflict, because of its accessibility and safety, and because it can act as an example for other similar places.

Medical Services

Before the project, East Barta'a had lost all its medical and health services, including hospital services, dentistry, midwifery, etc., all cut off by the Separation Wall. The place was left with only one elderly retired doctor who saw occasional patients, one occasional visiting dentist from Israel, and one doctor from the United Nations who came once a week for 4 hours.

In the 9 months since the start of the project, the Palestinian local authorities have made available a location for the clinic. This is clean, well decorated and well looked after. It has 4 small treatment rooms, and one small kitchen, plus a large room for meetings and educational projects.

The project has succeeded in arranging:

1. A visiting Israeli family physician once a week (free clinic).
2. A gynecology/obstetrics doctor who sees 40-50 women patients every week at minimal charge.
3. A dentist who sees 4 times more patients than before at minimal charge.
4. Free weekly holistic health treatments by a chiropractic, reflexologist, homeopath, Reiki and healing practitioner.

At the same time, extensive negotiations with a major Israeli hospital (Rambam) has been successful in arranging for the first time, free initial treatment for seriously ill Palestinians from Barta'a, and especially for seriously ill children on the referral of the visiting Israeli family doctor. The Volunteers from the Middleway organization have been able to arrange for certain severe cases from inside the Palestinian territories to gain permission to enter Israel, to be accompanied and brought to the Rambam hospital for treatment. For example 2 year old Mohammed Balut from Jenin, suffering from bad burns, was brought to the Rambam hospital for free treatment, along with his mother. The volunteers provided accompaniment, money, food, clothes, etc., for the mother and child.

Community Education and Peacemaking

Free classes in Hebrew have begun for Palestinian women, at the center, taught by an Israeli Arab woman, and organized by Middleway. The Palestinians are motivated to learn Hebrew partly so that they can negotiate with the Israeli soldiers at the crossing points. 60 women come to the classes regularly. There are also weekly community health classes for women on movement, exercise and health, taught by an Israeli Jewish woman, and on herbal self-care, taught by Dr. Stephen Fulder.

At the same time there are regular dialogue meetings, sharing circles and peacemaking meetings with Israeli and Palestinian participants. Up to 80 people participate each time.

Activities for Children

Visiting Israeli and international performers have been several times with puppet shows for Barta'a children, held at the center. Children have been meeting for sharing, and an opportunity to tell their stories and to release some of the pain and trauma. There have been meetings with creative artists and story tellers from Israel, in peace-making events with Palestinian children.

Middleway sees this project as an important model for bringing peace and healing to communities in conflict in the Middle East.

For details about opening dates and other activities: Morin: 0505509150 , Nazem: 0542190543


Activities with children: There is a plan to build a children's play area in the village, in which Israelis and local people work together for the benefit of the children, and promoting peaceful and non-violent culture. Children's activities include games, plays, singing and music. Barta'a children live in depravation: most of them have never seen the sea, been to the zoo, or left Barta'a at all so it is intended to take them to the sea and show them another side of Israel.
Dialogue: The only Israeli Jews that Barta'a people know, especially the children, are the Israeli soldiers. Middleway wants them to meet and get to know different Israeli Jews, such that both sides will get a glimpse into the complexity of each other's lives, from which a wish for mutual support will stem. This also supports those struggling for a non-violent response to the tragedy and difficulties of life in the village.
Improving connection with the authorities: Middleway is making contact with the military and police in the region, to help create mutual understanding between Barta'a residents and the soldiers, and try to ease the passage across the Separation Wall.