Looking for Trouble

Returning to Gaza: Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility delegation is back, by Gerri Haynes

(Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility has traveled to Gaza since 1993. Since 2009, following the Cast Lead invasion by Israel, WPSR has sponsored nine medical delegations to serve the people of Gaza.)

The eleven members of our Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility medical service delegation gathered last evening at Neve Shalom, Oasis of Peace Hotel, located on our path to Gaza. Some flew to the region by complex or delayed routes on Saturday; others arrived earlier in the week and spent time with friends.

Four of us arrived on Friday and spent the extra day in Bethlehem and/or Hebron. Wi’am, the Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center in Bethlehem, hosted us.

Zoughbi Zoughbi, the director of Wi’am, is the brilliant student of peace who organized the first WPSR visit to this area in 1993. Since then, the children of Zoughbi and his wife, Elaine, have become godchildren to Bob and me and we are always deeply grateful to return to Wi’am! We sat with Zoughbi as he briefed a Quaker delegation in his office and came away with this quote: “Blaming is toxic, dwelling on victimhood is suicidal, enhancing the guilt of others is paralyzing for all and collective responsibility is healing.”

Given the current situation in Palestine, we will reflect on these words again and again. We looked across the valley from Bethlehem to Jebel Abu D’neim, a previously beautifully wooded hillside, now covered by an Israeli settlement and renamed Har Homa.

The visit to Hebron, guided by Usama, a Zoughbi family member and primary person on the Wi’am staff, provided a look at the increased development of settlements in Hebron and the resulting decreased freedom of movement for the area’s Palestinian families. The beautiful hills and valleys surrounding the road to Hebron provided views of Spring in the Holy Land.

This morning we traveled by bus to the Erez Checkpoint. Weeks of preparation and petition to Israel for permission enter Gaza resulted in a relatively smooth passage into the Palestinian area. We were able to

bring through, supported by gifts of many people in the US, essential medicines, medical supplies, education tools, and children’s books, toys and art supplies (in our many pieces of luggage!)

The long trek through the caged walkway, overseen by the armed towers of the Israeli wall, has become a familiar experience – one, not without it’s ever-present feeling of imprisonment.

We were greeted by staff of our host, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCHP) and spent an enlightening time with Dr. Yasser Jamai, Director of GCMHP and Dr. Hussam El Nounou. The work they are doing

to serve the traumatized people of Gaza is inspiring.

In this land of war and the ever-present feeling that another attack is imminent, the courage and resilience of the GCMHP staff is amazing. The director of Public Relations and his staff have created a complex and comprehensive schedule for our work in the coming week.

We are again grateful to be here!