Israel spurns blood of Ethiopian-born lawmaker

[Jesus Malverde]

The refusal of Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross to accept blood from an Ethiopian Jewish lawmaker sparked demands on Wednesday for a review of guidelines seen as deeply discriminatory.

The rejection of the blood from Pnina Tamano-Shata by an official of Magen David Adom came at a donor drive outside parliament and was caught on video footage which was widely aired by Israeli television channels.

"Under health ministry directives, we are unable to accept blood from donors of Ethiopian Jewish origin," the health official is heard to say as he spurns the donation.

http://www.france24.com/en/20131211-israel-spurns-blood-ethiopian-born-lawmaker/

She recalled that 16 years ago, the revelation that health authorities were secretly throwing away blood donations from Ethiopian Jews had sparked a massive protest in Jerusalem.

Israeli Parliament Throws Out Blood Bank Collectors
The leader of Israel’s parliament ordered a blood-collection crew to leave the premises on Wednesday after it refused to take the blood of an Ethiopian-born lawmaker,

“Under health ministry directives, we are unable to accept blood donors of Ethiopian Jewish origin,” a health official at the blood drive said, according to AFP.

The Magen David Adom, Israel’s equivalent of the Red Cross, runs the country’s blood bank service and has a policy to not take blood from people who were born or have lived for more than a year since 1977 in a country where HIV is prevalent, the Jerusalem Post reports.

“I thought this was behind us, but now it turns out I was wrong,” said Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. “This unacceptable phenomenon has no place in the Knesset.”



Read more: Ethiopian-Born Israeli Lawmaker Blood Rejected | TIME.com http://world.time.com/2013/12/12/israeli-parliament-throws-out-blood-bank-collectors/