The nightmare of dreaming about Malki

Tamimi

For many years after her murder, I rarely dreamed about Malki. 

But lately I do so more often. In the dreams, she returns to us and we welcome her, overjoyed and unquestioning, The gnawing realization that she will re-depart imminently somehow doesn't ruin the reunion. 

We hug her, kiss her, chat and laugh as if tragedy never befell us.

Waking up after those dreams is almost as devastating as it was to first learn of her death.

Facebook ought to be reminded of the heartbreak that the families of the Sbarro victims still endure. That's because, inexplicably, Facebook has been actively disseminating the incitement spewed by Malki's murderer, Ahlam Tamimi.

Her words encouraging terrorist murder were posted [video] to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedies. The Facebook page affording her that platform [link] has remained untouched until now despite our exhortations to Facebook management to remove it.

Tamimi devotes most of her post to bemoaning the diminished status of Palestinian prisoners i,e. terrorist murderers.

She relates that in the past the release of prisoners from their Israeli jail cells would have triggered meaningful festivities. Today all that happens is a few family members come and greet the prisoner at the nearest Israeli checkpoint. No ceremonies, no community involvement.

My daughter Malki הי"ד

Another sign of those murderers' fall from grace, she says, is that families are more reluctant for their daughters to marry released prisoners.

Tamimi sees this decline in ardor and prestige as influencing the media as well. If the public no longer care as much about the prisoner issue, she asserts, the media see less need to give it coverage.

It's not difficult to discern a touch of self pity here. Tamimi may be yearning for the days when she was welcomed by crowds of adoring fans, awarded prizes and named by the students of Jordan Media Institute, a school of journalism, as their "success model".

But, unfortunately for us, the most important recognition for Tamimi - that of Jordan's King Abdullah II - remains unaltered. He persists in defying the US Department of Justice's request for her extradition. He steadfastly denies the validity of the Treaty of Extradition signed by Jordan and the US in 1995, a treaty officially recognized as valid by the US State Department.

Despite Abdullah's brazen defiance of the US, he continues to enjoy the verbal and financial support of the US government and the unabashed adulation of a long list of Congressmen.

Presumably, Facebook has observed that attitude and has consequently been complacent about Tamimi's use of its platform to encourage terror.

With the Jewish Day of Judgment behind us and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, nearly upon us, let's remember this unrepentant mass murderer who deserves no forgiveness - only cold, hard justice. Justice that she has escaped since 2011 when she was freed from Israeli prison and returned to her homeland and family. 

Justice that has eluded her victims' loved ones despite our relentless efforts to galvanize the public.

Freedom of information?

As the second deadline that the Ministry of Welfare set itself nears, we are no closer to learning what we would like to know - namely the names of the institutions operated by the Ministry where victims of Covid-19 resided.

To recap: Some two months ago, I asked that Ministry for Covid-19 statistics regarding residents of institutions for people with disabilities which are supervised by the Ministry [as I wrote here - my request was for a break-down of the number of Covid-19 victims with disabilities according to the individual institutions.

I was given general numbers. But no specific names of institutions involved.

The Ministry told me that I could only learn that by requesting a "segmentation" (their terminology) of the numbers under Israel's Freedom of Information Law.

I duly submitted the form provided on their website and paid for the service.

I was notified that the Ministry has 30 days to respond but also reserves the right to extend that deadline further. Of course, it extended it - by another 30 days. We are now two weeks away from the second deadline.

Coincidentally, I received a survey request - which I was notified is conducted annually - from the Government Unit of Freedom of Information asking me to assess the service I've received from that Unit. 

Needless to say, I graded the Unit ruthlessly and the venting did me some good. Better yet, though, would be some answers to my questions.

Do you think I will ever receive them? (My prediction: Not on your life.)

My other request for information - and its resend - from our Minister of Education, Yoav Galant, has been ignored for a week. It didn't even merit an automated response. 

To recap here as well: I asked him why he attended the grand opening of a new wing at the Aleh Bnei Brak branch. I wondered how he could award his support and blessing to the archaic, maligned solution to care for children with disabilities - institutionalization. 

While we deal with a second lockdown, Haya's hydrotherapy has amazingly continued. The private, local pool is open for rental and here (top of the post) is Haya in her weekly "heaven". 

Incensed by secrecy

Two weeks ago, when our grandchildren had their last pre-school swim in "our" private pool (the local one which we now rent by the hour - I mentioned it here: "Is institutional care really the same as home, love, family?"), we learned that the water contained absolutely no chlorine.

Our son-in-law suspected that when he didn't smell any chlorine. So, after the kids enjoyed their swim, he brought home a sample for a dip stick test (that's the bottle above) which produced the disappointing result.

This week, before I went in with Haya, we brought a jar of those sticks to test the water. Happily, the right color appeared and we had a terrific one hour session.

Here is Haya 'smiling' while floating - that's the tip of her tongue stuck out. We've had no real smiles from Haya for the past twenty years or so.

If only the other information I'm after were as accessible.

First: The Freedom of Information Department at the Ministry of Welfare still hasn't provided me with the data regarding the names of the institutions where the Covid 19 victims with disabilities lived. They were required to provide the information - they call it "segmentation" - within 30 days.. When that milestone is reached - in this case that was this past Thursday - they are entitled to grant themselves an extension which they've already told me they will do. They said the Ministry needs extra time because it's been "swamped" since the pandemic started with requests for information regarding people with disabilities.

Hmm. Wonder why?

Second: I also would like more information from Aleh about the "grand opening" of their new wing at the Bnei Brak branch. Despite the fanfare, attendant dignitaries (including Minister of Education Yoav Galant) and proud announcement on the Aleh Facebook page, no details about this expansion were supplied. I am curious about the following: How many more lucky children will be institutionalized at this wing? What will their ages be? Is the wing already occupied?  I'd like answers in order to ascertain how many steps backward we have regressed with this expansion. I submitted those questions to Aleh via their website's contact page one week ago but have received no response.

Once again, Wonder why?

You can't cherry-pick your scientific data

Institutionalized children as depicted in "The science of
early adversity" (The Lancet) quoted in this post

A recent promotional piece ["Joint Educational Activity with Southern Israel Rehabilitation Centers" | August 31, 2020] on the ALEH website describes how its Negev/Ofakim rehabilitation center

was proud to host a forum of health-related professionals from Ashdod’s Barzilai Medical Center, Ber Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center and Macabbi HMO’s Bayit B’Lev... A joint initiative of the various department directors, the forum aims to hold bi-monthly meetings, provide academic activity and ensure that professionals in health-related fields receive ongoing updates regarding advancements and breakthroughs in matters concerning rehabilitation... Discussion moved on to the current COVID-19 crisis and complications stemming from the more serious incidents of illness. Apart from the immediate need to save lives after exposure to the virus, the group discussed and reviewed the authentic need for rehabilitation after initial recuperation...

In their Hebrew Facebook version of this article (which I am translating now to English) but not in the English version quoted above, they then say

"The forum serves to strengthen the link and cooperation between the departments in the hope that they will progress to joint research. Likewise, core subjects of  rehabilitation are being dealt with, challenging clinical cases are presented along with brainstorming sessions to reach solutions".

For an enterprise that prides itself on partnering with "scientific experts", Aleh does a studious job of ignoring the reams of scientific data, relating to the deficiencies of institutionalization - Aleh's primary activity.

Cherry-picking the scientific data is simply not on. Deleting scientific findings to suit your goal of entrenching and expanding your large, closed institutions is deplorable.

Here are just a few of the reputable articles that Aleh.has chosen to disregard.

Ending institutionalisation of children | The Lancet (Editorial) | Published:July 25, 2015

"Childhood is a time when the seeds of a person's future health and wellbeing are sown. Ideally, it happens within a family setting that provides individualised care in a loving, safe, enriching, and happy environment. Sadly, more than 8 million vulnerable children worldwide do not have access to such care and grow up in large institutions or orphanages. Such environments share conditions that can be detrimental to children..."

Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children | Niall Boyce, Jane Godsland, Edmund Sonuga-Barke | The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health | Published: June 23, 2020 (Archived)

"...This Lancet Group Commission advocates global reform of the care of separated children through the progressive replacement of institutional provision with safe and nurturing family-based care."

The science of early adversity: is there a role for large institutions in the care of vulnerable children? | The Lancet | Anne E Berens, MSc, Prof Charles A Nelson, PhD | Published:January 28, 2015

"It has been more than 80 years since researchers in child psychiatry first documented developmental delays among children separated from family environments and placed in orphanages or other institutions. Informed by such findings, global conventions, including the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, assert a child's right to care within a family-like environment that offers individualised support. Nevertheless, an estimated 8 million children are presently growing up in congregate care institutions..."

Children in Institutional Care: Delayed Development and Resilience | Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development | Marinus H. van IJzendoorn and others | Published December 21, 2011

"...Children exposed to institutional care often suffer from “structural neglect” which may include minimum physical resources, unfavorable and unstable staffing patterns, and socially emotionally inadequate caregiver‐child interactions."

One very early such report appeared over 100 years ago on January 2, 1915 under the title "Are Institutions for Infants Necessary?", by Henry Dwight Chapin MD [online here]:

In considering the best conditions for the relief of acutely sick infants and for foundlings or abandoned babies, two important factors must always be kept in mind: (1) the unusual susceptibility of the infant to its immediate environment, and (2) its great need of individual care. The best conditions for the infant thus require a home and a mother. The further we get away from these vital necessities of beginning life, the greater will be our failure to get adequate results in trying to help the needy infant. Strange to say, these important conditions have often been overlooked, or, at least, not sufficiently emphasized, by those who are working in this field.

Writing about that century-old article, Berens and Nelson, referred to above, wrote in their January 2015 "The science of early adversity" piece that:

Following the publication of this [1915] article nearly a century ago, scientific studies began to document stunted cognitive, social, and physical development among children placed in institutions during key developmental years. In 1989, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (endorsed by nearly all countries, although not in the USA) drew upon scientific findings to generate international normative standards, asserting that “the child, for the full and harmonious development of his other personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love, and understanding”.

Why don’t we hear ALEH making statements like these?