For many new immigrants arriving in Israel, understanding the healthcare system can feel overwhelming at first. But according to physicians from Clalit, Israel’s largest healthcare provider, one relationship often determines how smoothly patients adapt: the connection with their family doctor.
interview with Dr. Benjamin (Benji) Goldstein, Dr. Danna Ekmaty Azria
Dr. Benjamin Goldstein, family physician regional director for Clalit’s Jerusalem District, and Dr. Danna Ekmaty Azria, pediatrician and regional director for Clalit’s Central District, explained in a ynet Global panel discussion why community medicine sits at the core of Israeli healthcare and why that model can be especially valuable for olim navigating a new country.
“The family doctor is your first line for care, your first line for everything basically,” Goldstein said, describing the physician’s role as both caregiver and coordinator between specialists, hospitals and clinics. He explained that patients regularly return to their family doctor after specialist appointments to ensure tests, referrals and follow-up care are properly managed within the system.
The discussion builds on broader concerns raised in an earlier ynet Global feature examining how many immigrants choose a health fund before fully understanding Israel’s healthcare structure. The article noted that many olim base their decision largely on recommendations or familiar brand names, often without comparing accessibility, clinic locations or language support.
Ekmaty Azria stressed that healthcare in Israel is designed around an integrated community-care model rather than standalone doctors. “It’s a full clinic with secretaries, administrative staff, nurses, doctors and often additional services like dietitians, nutritionists and social workers,” she said. “It’s a whole envelope and a whole team who are there to take care of you.”
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Dr. Danna Ekmaty Azria 'healthcare in Israel is designed around an integrated community-care model'
That structure, she explained, becomes especially important for newcomers unfamiliar with Israeli bureaucracy. “A lot of people have no clue about the bureaucracy,” she said, adding that the clinic staff and family doctor help patients navigate referrals, tests and follow-up appointments.
Golfstein, himself an immigrant from Canada, said adapting to the Israeli system can initially be challenging, particularly for patients coming from countries with different healthcare models. But he argued that Israel’s accessibility to medical care often surprises newcomers. “In Canada, a non-urgent orthopedic appointment can take six months to a year and a half,” he said. “In Israel, sometimes it’s three days.”
The doctors also highlighted what they described as one of Israel’s strongest healthcare advantages: continuity of care through unified medical records. According to Golfstein, physicians across the country can access a patient’s consultations, imaging, lab tests and hospital reports through the same public system.
That continuity, Ekmaty Azria said, creates a more personal form of medicine that extends beyond symptoms alone. “The biggest advantage of genuine family medicine is a doctor who knows you,” she said. “Not only your symptoms or complaints, but your family, your work and what you’re going through. It’s a holistic approach, body and soul together.”
Both physicians encouraged new immigrants to actively seek out a family doctor they trust and feel comfortable with, emphasizing that personal compatibility is just as important as professional expertise. “You don’t necessarily need the best doctor,” Ekmaty Azria said. “You need someone you feel you can count on.”
The panel echoed a broader message from healthcare experts interviewed by ynet Global: while Israel’s system may appear complex at first, understanding how community medicine works, and building a strong relationship with a family doctor, can make the transition significantly easier for new immigrants.
In collaboration with Clalit health services
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