Israeli and Palestinian Medical Professionals Solve Problems Together

Professionals from Israel, the West Bank, and even Gaza work together to develop medical apps. What emerged were some special bonds.

By Barry Danino
Haaretz
January 30, 2025

"…In the midst of the war in Gaza and with the suffering on both sides surging to new heights, a hackathon for Israeli and Palestinian professionals took place in the center of Tel Aviv. 

“The attendees included men and women from Israel and Palestine – Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron. Even a mental health nurse from the Strip, took part via Zoom…

"Behind the hackathon initiative stand two nonprofit organizations – Tech2Peace and Rozana – and funding from USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development…

"Rozana works in the region to forge collaborative efforts between Israeli and Palestinian health care professionals through seminars and in-hospital training…

"Part of the day was devoted to networking through casual conversation during the breaks, where topics covered shared areas of interest…

"In the meantime, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order freezing nearly all foreign assistance for three months. For Rozana, this means a halt to all the plans and activities for 2025.”

Barry Danino is deputy director of the Pediatric Orthopedics Department at the Dana Children's Hospital in Ichilov Hospital.

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