Healing War Wounds: Treating Victims of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
"Medicine for Peace"
We usually think of war in terms of soldiers and officers. Tragically, most victims of conflicts are civilians. The recent political violence inside Israel and the Palestinian Authority is a case in point. Civilians from both sides are suffering from the conflict and its consequences. And in the midst of this violence are involved international humanitarian organizations. Since March 2002, eight Scandinavian volunteers from the Dan Church Aid and the Icelandic Church Aid have been working with medical and non-governmental organizations on the West Bank. Four of the volunteers are medical students, and upon their arrival in Israel they met with twelve Israeli medical students from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The meeting offered an opportunity to discuss and present the reality of the Palestinian civil society in the West Bank and Gaza today. It was also an eye-opening experience to hear about the situation from the perspective of Israeli colleagues.
Exchanging different perspectives is important. No less crucial in these exchanges was discussing the role of international humanitarian organizations in the context of a bi-national conflict. Too often, their work is perceived as interference rather than as help. Thus, a dialogue between Israeli medical staff and humanitarian aid workers working in the West Bank and Gaza can be a welcoming opportunity to share their knowledge about medical, social and psychological suffering.
Opening up the dialogue to a larger audience can only foster better exchange of medical information and further cooperation among all parties concerned. After all, all the participants are genuinely concerned with providing medical aid in the region and look forward to organizing similar cooperative ventures in the near future. It is there humanitarian aims that spurred the Chaim Herzog Center for Middle East Studies and Diplomacy to co-host with the Faculty of Health Sciences (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) a one-day symposium on "Human Aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." This past June, Palestinian members of international and national NGO's, Israeli specialists on war-related trauma, and political scientists discussed the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian areas. All the speakers looked forward to the renewal of the peace process, and, more importantly, to the recovery of all the peoples in the region.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
It is our pleasure to host you all at the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Chaim Herzog Center for Middle East Studies and Diplomacy of the Ben Gurion University on the occasion of the second meeting with foreign students who visit the region and are eager to learn new things about the humanitarian and medical aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
We think that this meeting which was organized at the initiative of both our medical students Association and a group of Danish medical students, holds a tremendous importance for mutual understanding and for further cooperation between all who are interested to encourage contacts and exchange of opinions.
We are sure that the open presentations and discussions will contribute to the general atmosphere among all those involved in medical aid in our region and that the meeting will promote the organization of similar cooperative events.
We wish you a constructive and enjoyable meeting.
Gabriel M. Gurman, M.D. Prof. of Anesthesiology, and Critical Care Associate Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences
Dr. Dror Ze'evi, Chairman, Chaim Herzog Center
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Program
25/06/02
17:00 Meeting between Danish students and Israeli students who participated in the meeting on March 13, 2002
26/06/02
Morning session
Hosted by: The Faculty of Health Sciences
Moderator: Prof. Gabriel M Gurman, MD, Associate Dean for Public Relations
09:15 Greetings
Avishay Braverman, President, Ben-Gurion University of Negev
09:30 Presentation of Humanitarian Aid Activities and Responsibilities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Fuad Ismil, chairman of MSF in the west bank and Gaza
10:00 Current Humanitarian Aspects of the Conflict in the West Bank and the Gaza strip
Fuad Ismil, chairman of MSF in the west bank and Gaza
11:00 Coffee break
11:15 Medical and Humanitarian Impact of Terror in Israel. Human Suffering, and Rehabilitation
Rami Mosheiff, M.D.Head of Orthopedic Trauma Services
M. Shochina, M.D. Head of Rehabilitation Department, Hadassah Medical Center Jerusalem
12:00 Psychological Distress
Solomon Yavrozki MD, Psychiatrist, "Sharei Zedek" Medical Center, Jerusalem
12:45 - 13:30 Lunch
Afternoon session
Hosted by: Chaim Herzog Center for Middle East Studies & Diplomacy
Moderator: Dr. Dror Ze'evi, Chairman of the Chaim Herzog Center.
13:30 Presentation of the Camp David Negotiations, the following escalation of the conflict and the possibility for renewal of the peace process
Speakers:
13:30 Ghassan Abdullah ,Beir Zeit University, Bier Zeit
14:00 Joel Peters, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
14:30 Discussion
15:30 Closing Remarks
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Due to the current situation in the Middle East, innocent civilians from both sides are suffering from the conflict and its consequences. The reality gap and distrust between the two parties are serious and profound. The international humanitarian involvement in the area claims to help people in need, while others regard it as a sharp one-sided interference. In this perspective, it is more important than ever to open a channel of informative dialogue. This dialogue between humanitarian aid workers and Israeli medical and welfare staff, based on shared information regarding medical, social and psychological suffering, can support moderate forces on both sides by increasing awareness. However, it is clear that such dialogue should be presented in the context of the current political situation.
Since the beginning of March 2002, a group of 8 Icelandic and Danish volunteers from the Dan Church Aid and Icelandic Church Aid has been working with medical and other non-governmental organizations on the West Bank. Four members of the group are medical students. Upon their arrival, they met with 12 Israeli students from the medical faculty of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. For the foreign students working in the West Bank, it was an eye-opening experience to hear about the situation in the eyes of their Israeli colleagues. The meeting also offered an opportunity to discuss and present the reality of the Palestinian civilian society in the West Bank and Gaza today.
The meeting was conducted in an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect, and all participants suggested that a second meeting be held after the Danish students had been in the area for some time. However, the participants agreed that opening the meeting to a larger audience would greatly enhance the impact of such an event. The result was that a second meeting, comprising two major sessions, would be held at the end of June, with the participation of national and international NGO's who are presently working in the West Bank and in Gaza. The first session will be hosted by the Medical faculty- BGU and the second session by the Chaim Herzog Center for Middle East Studies & Diplomacy in BGU.
Goals
· To present and discuss the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian areas
· To present and discuss the Camp David Negotiations, the following escalation of the conflict and the possibility for a renewal of the peace process.