The 2023 War on Gaza has been referred to as a settler
colonial led genocide in which Gazans have been victims
of “humanity’s darkest hour”. (1) The healthcare system
has been inadequately staffed and seen as unsustainable
since the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) An immediate
ceasefire was called for in online petitions or e-petitions
protests, and academic journals worldwide. (1) The on
going blockade since 2007 and continuous aggressions
by the occupiers caused Gaza’s healthcare system to be
in a constant crisis emergency state prior to this war. (2,
3)
The popularized hashtag #CeasefireNow used on social
media networking sites and on printed protest posters
worldwide also has a global e-petition on Change.org. (4)
Started on October 18, 2023, it has accumulated 999,001
supporters by the end of 2023, making it number three of
the top five e-petitions of 2023. (5) At the time of this
paper, the 249th day of war, it had 1,378,079 signatures
en route to its next goal of 1,500,000. Similarly,
Australian health care workers specifically address Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny
Wong in their e-petition on “the humanitarian disaster in
Gaza”. (6)
E-petitions are used as a means to raise public awareness
of social concerns. (7) Harrison et al. demonstrated that
the combination of online media and conventional news
outlets was seen to be effective in influencing individuals
to sign an e-petition and mobilize the population to
participate in such collective action. (8)
Academics are choosing to publish their support of the
Palestinian cause and risk backlash rather than remain
silent. (1, 3) Some academics have chosen to publish
open letters with active calls for signatures from their
health colleagues. (9) From American health faculty to
British public health registrars, open letters are being
written in solidarity. (10, 11) They call for a ceasefire
with the United Nations, World Health Organization,
Médecins sans Frontières, and many others. (9, 12)
A thematic analysis of social media content regarding the
2023 War revealed a profound sense of global empathy
manifested towards Gaza. (13) Buheji et al. stated that
empathy can be a powerful tool as it enhances cultural
sensitivity, building solidarity with Gaza and Palestine as
a whole. The dynamics of empathy can solicit social and
political change through actions such as e-petitions
Empathy may potentially help Gazans and Palestinians
remain resilient and hopeful as well.
The primary author is a non-Arab american married to a
Gazan, and mother of medical students of Gaza (Gaza’s
medical schools no longer stand). She is a public health
researcher who has been studying Gaza’s need for health
reform since 2020. (2) She lived in Gaza for the last few
years and recently evacuated the war. This is her debut
letter announcing a call for both a long-term ceasefire
and an end to the occupation. At the same time, she is
announcing that she left her home and family, debating
the effects of doing so: good or bad.
As academics, we know the struggle of choosing to
publish or not publish. As of November 16, 2023-only
40 days into the war–Ben Saad (2024) penned what he
found to be the 17th humanitarian appeal published in
scientific journals. (14) To date, JBIMA alone published
2 editorials, (15, 16) 4 letters to the editor, (17-20) and 4
academic articles. (21-24) When multiple pediatricians
from various countries urge scholars to use their
academic platforms, we feel compelled to join suit. (11)
While the primary author has much more to lose than
supporters and sympathizers to the war, here are our
collective words.
As a war evacuee, the primary author attests to the fact
that it did (and still does) help to watch, hear, read, and
discuss—in astonishment (many times in tears) – Gaza-
specific e-petitions, open letters, and research articles.
The proportion of support, number of supporters, type of
language used and its tone when referring to the people
of Gaza, has been unlike anything ever witnessed or
received before this current war. The empathy is surely
felt. Thank you and please don’t stop! Don’t stop until
#CeasefireNow is actualized and the occupation ends.
Sign an Gaza-specific e-petition or open letter, and/or
write a scholarly article today.
References
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