AIDS in Israel: Challenge and Success

This book chronicles more than four decades of engagement with the AIDS epidemic (HIV/AIDS) in Israel and around the world. Written by Prof. Zvi Bentwich—the physician who treated Israel’s first AIDS patient—it uniquely blends an autobiographical account with a broader medical, social, and historical narrative.
The book traces the dramatic evolution of AIDS from a terminal illness to a chronic condition that can be managed over a lifetime, while also exploring profound social issues: the fight against stigma and discrimination, the development of the LGBTQ+ community, healthcare for Ethiopian immigrants, and the role of human rights in public health policy.
It also addresses global health and humanitarian efforts in Africa, focusing on poverty, underdevelopment, and health inequities. Through these perspectives, the book offers lessons that continue to resonate in contemporary responses to epidemics and public health crises worldwide.

The history of the fight against AIDS is closely linked to the life of Prof. Zvi Bentwich—physician, researcher, and social activist. In 1982, he treated Israel’s first AIDS patient and later became one of the country’s pioneers in AIDS research and treatment.
He established an AIDS research institute and treatment center at Kaplan Medical Center, where he also served as head of the internal medicine department. Prof. Bentwich played a central role in founding Israel’s AIDS Task Force, shaping prevention and public education strategies, and developing treatments that have allowed people living with HIV to have healthy children.
Prof. Bentwich is Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a specialist in internal medicine and immunology, and head of the Center for Tropical Diseases and AIDS at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. In 2011, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to medical research and Israel’s healthcare system, particularly in the fields of AIDS and cancer.
Beyond his clinical and academic work, he is widely recognized for his commitment to human rights, having served as Chair of Physicians for Human Rights and led medical–humanitarian projects in Africa