PHM-Exch> Call for Endorsements – Stand in Solidarity with the People of Palestine

[Jyotsna Singh]

Stand in Solidarity with the People of Palestine
https://phmovement.org/requesting-endorsements-stand-in-solidarity-with-the-people-of-palestine/
Requesting endorsements from health workers in the United States During the
last 4 weeks of the holy month of Ramadan, Palestinians have faced
increasing levels of violence and persecution at the hands of the Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) and Israeli settlers. The ongoing violence faced by
Palestinian civilians has culminated in the horrific events that have
ensued over the past weeks, with the forced expulsion and destruction of
property of Palestinian residents in Sheikh Jarrah. During this time, we
have also witnessed extreme violence committed upon Palestinian worshippers
on the grounds of the Al-Aqsa Masjid— one of the holiest sites for Muslims.

During this time, the IOF has used weapons of war banned under
international law (e.g tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, live ammunition) on
civilian populations and religious congregations. In occupied Gaza, jets
have targeted civilian areas, residential towers, refugee camps, medical
clinics, and major roads as well as other necessary infrastructure with
dozens killed and several more injured. These are undeniable war crimes
under international law. In addition to these horrific acts, Israeli lynch
mobs have taken to the streets while chanting “Death to Arabs” in the
occupied territories. The actions of Israelis have been defended and
reinforced through the support and violence of the IOF. This targeted and
indiscriminate violence against Palestinians leading to death, serious
injury, property destruction, and forced displacement are undeniably
understood as pogroms and are akin to the examples of ethnic cleansing and
genocide seen throughout the 20th century.  Racism, bigotry, and forced
displacement has no place in the 21st century.

This is a global health crisis of historic proportion, where Palestinians
have been disproportionately targeted by violence and suffering. This
violence is not new and has been ongoing since the inception of the Israeli
occupation as a settler colonial state in 1948 and the years preceding the
historic Nakbah. It is imperative that we stand up for indigenous people
who face oppression and violence everywhere. As physicians, it is vitally
important to stand up for marginalized communities in the name of
preserving and ensuring health for all. Racism is merely a preface to
violence and erasure. We must always denounce racism and violence, in all
its forms.

As citizens of this country it is necessary we recognize our responsibility
to denounce these heinous acts. Although this violence is occuring in
occupied Palestine, the United States is the largest and most fervent
supporter of Israelis, both financially and legally. As American physicians
in training, it is imperative we stand up against this violence and
advocate for the human rights of all Palestinians.

The issue of Palestinian human rights abuses is also of great importance
because of the connections that tie it to the injustice faced by Black
Americans, Latinx communities, immigrant communities, and the indigenous
people of America in the US. One of the primary connections between these
human rights abuses committed by the United States government is police
violence. Police have long been used as a form of violent suppression to
control indigenous and minority communities of color. Although this police
violence occurs in the US, several police departments across the country
participate in a joint US-Israeli law enforcement training in occupied
Palestine. During the recent protests across the US after the unlawful
murder of George Floyd, US police used an Israeli-developed technique
called “kettling,” which involves surrounding protestors from all sides and
crowding protestors against riot police. This has led to far more incidents
of brutality and arrest during peaceful protests. Along the US-Mexico
border, much of the border wall is inspired by the Israeli apartheid walls
and is built by the same companies that have built the fortified apartheid
wall in occupied Palestine and surrounding Gaza. The injustice, inhumanity,
and genocide that face Palestinians mirrors the history of the US and the
indigenous peoples of the first nations in the Americas. The few remaining
indigenous communities continue to this day to face injustice, repression,
and violence from the US state. For all these examples and many more, it is
crucial we understand the connections between the shared colonial violence
sponsored by the US abroad and enforced at home.

It is imperative for any institution that prides itself on upholding
diversity and inclusion within its staff, student, and patient populations
to support and recognize the degradation of human rights and health in
Palestine. Furthermore, it is important that we recognize the immense
emotional toll and stress these recent events place upon its staff and
student who are Palestinian, Arab, and who have family/friends that are
close to this crisis. We stand in solidarity with the many Palestinian and
Arab students, staff, and communities who are grieving injuries inflicted
by the Israeli occupation and violence, past and present.

We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine who are currently
experiencing unprecedented levels of violence and subjected to crimes
against humanity and war crimes by the Israeli occupation, its military
forces, and its citizens.
Please click here <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJJQFBS> to endorse the
above statement.

In Solidarity,

Ayman Youssef, MD Candidate, UTMB Class of 2022

Jaysonn Vel, MD Candidate, UTMB Class of 2023
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