{
  "id": 15885778,
  "title": "Right-wing Knesset candidate alleges Arab takeover of Israeli healthcare, drawing backlash",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/right-wing-knesset-candidate-alleges-arab-takeover-of-israeli",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-21T12:26:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-912406"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yitzhak Zaga, a Knesset ministerial candidate representing the Religious Zionist Party and Zehut joint list, made controversial claims about the Israeli healthcare system on Tuesday night. According to a Walla report, Zaga alleged that Arab citizens had taken over the healthcare system and other economic sectors. He claimed that Jewish nurses were unwilling to work alongside Arab doctors, and that Arab medical students were receiving certification without meeting the necessary academic requirements, which he described as a life-threatening situation. Zaga then claimed that the Zehut party was the only political party running for office in the elections that properly understood the situation and had solutions. Professor Hagai Levine, Chair of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, immediately condemned Zaga's statements on Wednesday morning, alleging that they were spreading false and harmful accusations against Arab doctors. Levine argued that Zaga's remarks posed a danger to public health and threatened Israel's identity as a Jewish and democratic state. Zaga's campaign of discrimination against Arab doctors, Levine said, harmed both caregivers and patients. Doctors and nurses from various ethnic and religious backgrounds in Israel, including Arab, Jewish, Christian, and Druze communities, work together to care for patients regardless of their background, and this unique partnership has always existed and will continue to do so.",
  "summary": "Zaga claimed that Jewish nurses are afraid to work shifts where they will be alongside only Arab doctors, and that Arab medical students receive preferential treatment.",
  "key_points": [
    "Right-wing Knesset candidate Yitzhak Zaga alleges Arab takeover of Israeli healthcare.",
    "Zaga claims Jewish nurses refuse to work with Arab doctors, students certified improperly.",
    "Professor Hagai Levine condemns Zaga's statements as false and harmful to public health."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The candidate's rhetoric targets the integrated workforce of the Israeli medical system, threatening the collaborative ethnic partnerships that maintain public health and the nation's democratic identity.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}