Dr. Yuval Maroz, an anesthesiologist at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital, criticized the Medical Association's decision to strike due to the reform in an interview with Israel National News. Dr. Maroz claims that the problem is more fundamental - the taking of the health system hostage to promote political interests.
Dr. Maroz began by saying: "I think the mistake is in the presentation of the question. Unfortunately, we have reached a situation where the discussion is in general under what conditions the Medical Association will shut down the health system, and the basic mistake is that they think they are allowed to shut down the health system for political interests."
Regarding the use of the health system in the fight against the reform, Dr. Maroz said: "My understanding of medical matters is better than most people's. On the other hand, in legal and political matters I have no advantage over anyone else. We have no right to use the authority we have in our hands to promote political interests. It is forbidden to shut down the army or the doctors just because they can. Here too, the Medical Association has no right to take the health of the citizens of Israel as hostage to political interests."
Dr. Maroz ended by describing the group that formed around his opinion and claimed: "There are a lot of people in our group, and we did not ask or condition it on support or any position regarding the reform. Some oppose, but the fundamental issue is not whether we think the Association should support or oppose, but that there is no place to bring politics into medicine. There is no place to mix them up. Medicine should be left to doctors, and those who want to express a political position should go out and demonstrate, but not take health hostage. All contacts between doctors and patients should be neutral, regardless of politics."