Topic: West Bank

1 chapters across the catalog

32: Nocebo
• 32:48 - 36:08

32: Nocebo

West Bank Fainting Epidemic of 1983

In 1983, nearly 1,000 Palestinians, mostly schoolgirls, were hospitalized for fainting and blurred vision in the town of Arabah. While initial reports blamed Israeli chemical warfare or nerve gas, investigators eventually ruled the event as mass hysteria triggered by extreme psychological stress. The hosts note how both Israeli and Palestinian authorities attempted to weaponize the medical event for political leverage.