We request endorsements from health workers in the United States 

Stand in Solidarity with the People of Palestine

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.  In Solidarity, Ayman Youssef, MD Candidate, UTMB Class of 2022 Jaysonn Vel, MD Candidate, UTMB Class of 2023

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Signatories Uzair Javaid, MS3, Galveston, USA Omar Abdelaziz, Medical Student, Houston, USA Amitava Guha, Health Activist, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People's Health Movement, India), New Delhi, India Mahmuda Bibi, MS, Penang, Malaysia Ayeesha Mohammed, Medical Student, Galveston, USA Alice Rothchild, MD, retired Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harvard Medical School, Jewish Voice for Peace, Seattle, USA Radha Holla, Independent Researcher, Noida, India A. Joseph Layon, MD, FACP, Professor of Anesthesiology, Intensivist, Gainesville, USA John Battista, MD, Riverbend Psychiatric Associates, New Milford, USA Kelsey Gaspard, BSN student nurse, San Antonio, USA Alex Murcer, MS3, Galveston, USA  Daniel Alcaraz, MS3, Galveston TX, USA Stephen Braden, MD Candidate, Class of 2022, UTMB, Galveston, USA James Pittman, Medical Student, Galveston, USA Sally Kordab, Medical Student, Galveston, USA Martha Garcia, UTMB: SOM, Galveston, USA  Brian Rodriguez, Medical Student, Galveston, USA Ajit Koduri, MS3, UTMB, Galveston, USA Hani Serag, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA Diana Cabrera, Medical Student, Galveston, USA Kristine Lane, UTMB SOM Class 2022, Galveston, USA Mutmainnah Bello, Student, Sugar Land, USA Hamza Uddin, Student, Galveston, USA Sarah Zeidat, PharmD Candidate, Houston, USA Jamie Piel, MD Candidate, Galveston, USA  Jenna Gage, MS3, League City, USA Gabrielle Segal, MD Candidate, UTMB Class of 2023, Galveston, USA Amjad Khuffash, DMD/MPH Candidate, Hunt School of Dental Medicine / UT Health, School of Public Health, Houston, USA Joshua Torres, Edinburg, USA Pisey Long, Program Assistance, Social Action for Community and Development, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Sara Nabhan, Clinical Trial Manager, McKesson, Houston, USA Roshaneh Ali, Medical Student, Galveston, USA Sheila Patel, OMS, Fort Worth, USA Mahmoud Mouzahem, Pharmacy Technician and Owner, Hem and Company, Houston, USA Vincent Bulathsinghala, Attorney-at-law, Janawaboda Kendraya, Katana, Sri Lanka Juned Kamal, Bhopal, India Jaffar Tazan Nyombi, Co-founder and Social Enterprise Director, Action for Fundamental Change and Development, Kampala, Uganda  Lara Hattab, Behavior Therapist, Houston, USA Nora Abdullah, Resident Physician, Colleyville, USA Pech Polet, Managing Director, Women's Network for Unity, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Diana Hindi, Hearing Aid Tech, Houston, USA Nadia Abdo, Medical Student, LMU DCOM, Knoxville, USA Osama Kaplan, Medical Assistant, Texas Clinic Healthcare System, Houston, USA Sophea Chrek, Researcher, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Mohammed Hamid, Medical Student, Richmond, USA Ayah Oglat, MD, ECU, Greenville, NC Huson Nounu, Student Doctor, OMS-II, Knoxville, USA Biya Ahmed, Speech-Language Pathologist, Houston, USA Trude Bennett, Steering Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace - Health Advisory Council, Durham, USA Sarah Radwan, Houston, USA Shahanda Maslamani, Pharmacy Technician, Richmond, Fort Bend