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| National Demonstration – Nakba 77 Source: Palestine Solidarity Campaign Date: Saturday 17 May A national demonstration will be held in central London to mark the 77th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba, calling for government action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The event aims to raise awareness and show solidarity with the Palestinian people. https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demonstration-nakba-77 The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network banner will be at the march. We will assemble at 12:30 inside Charing Cross Railway Station close to Platform 1. All are welcome to join us. UKPALMHN Solidarity Space Next meeting: Monday 19 May at 1pm (UK time) This is an open space where people exchange their emotional responses with a view to remaining resilient amidst a constant stream of distressing news. Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to this meeting. A powerful, first-hand, recent account of life in Tulkarm and the West Bank Gwyn Daniel, a UK-Palestine Mental Health Network Steering Group member writes: “When I visited the West Bank in late April, I had hoped to visit SD, a dear friend from Oxford. However it proved too dangerous either for me to go to Tulkarm or for her to visit me in Ramallah. This is a direct result of the deliberate fragmentation of Palestine, the severing of connections between its citizens and the ‘slow genocide’ and ethnic cleansing currently perpetrated in the West Bank. SD agreed to write for us about her experience and this powerful piece is the result. Because of safety concerns she is not giving her full name.” Here is the beginning of SD’s account: “When I was first asked to write this piece, I was too anxious and hesitant. Expressing pain has never been easy for me. I have long struggled to find the right words, because they collapse, even when I try to articulate what truly hurts. Some feelings and fears are too vast and too abstract for the language to express, especially if the trauma is still unfolding before our eyes, and growing more brutal and vicious day by day. The innumerable sufferings, pain, and losses in Gaza are beyond my ken. The silence is not apathy, but rather, it is deep respect for a people’s innumerable sufferings, pain and losses. How could I, when our beloved brothers and sisters in Gaza are being annihilated before the whole world, dare to speak about pain? But silence becomes a very heavy burden. Over time, I have come to understand that breaking it is not a betrayal to our people in Gaza. Even if my words can barely capture a few aspects of this egregious reality we are witnessing daily, they must be said and documented for generations to come. Documenting history is refusing and resisting all the attempts of erasure. We share this land, we share its history, and this deep pain. The genocide is indeed very fast and merciless in Gaza; however, elsewhere in Palestine, it is taking place more slowly but inexorably. Full account (4 pages): https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/my-window-is-my-world/ Unified call to confront famine in Gaza: Launch a diplomatic humanitarian convoy now “We urge states to join the humanitarian convoy by dispatching official diplomatic missions -at the highest possible level- to accompany the aid trucks already waiting at the Rafah Crossing, and to enter Gaza alongside them. This is an act of legal obligation, moral courage, and human solidarity. […]” The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network has added its name to this open letter. The letter is still open for signature by organisation. Full text: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0aS1-xJDQFisnOABeT9Dnsw3KVygM2Wp9YB32at2J-XeARw/viewform If you were shocked by my film on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, you haven’t been paying attention Source: The Guardian Date: 10 May Louis Theroux reflects on the reaction to his documentary about Israeli settlers in the West Bank, noting that the extremism depicted is now part of mainstream Israeli politics. He emphasizes that the film only scratches the surface of the systemic oppression faced by Palestinians under occupation. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/10/louis-theroux-documentary-on-israeli-settlers-in-the-west-bank Gazans reject new US-Israeli food distribution scheme Source: The New Arab Date: 11 May A new US-Israeli plan to distribute food in Gaza has been met with rejection by Palestinians, who view it as a means of control rather than genuine aid. The initiative proposes heavily guarded distribution centres, bypassing established UN agencies and raising concerns over sovereignty and dignity. https://www.newarab.com/news/gazans-reject-new-us-israeli-food-distribution-scheme Voicenotes from Gaza: ‘I can’t bear to see my children fighting over a loaf of bread’ Source: The Irish Times Date: 11 May First-hand accounts from Gaza reveal the severe impact of famine, with families struggling to find basic food and children competing for scarce resources. The ongoing siege has led to widespread hunger, deteriorating mental health, and a deepening humanitarian crisis. https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2025/05/11/voices-from-gaza-famine-is-not-just-a-word-it-is-our-reality/ Israel is starving us in Gaza. This is what that feels like Source: The Guardian Date: 6 May Aya Al-Hattab describes the daily reality of hunger in Gaza, where food and medicine have been blocked for nearly two months. She recounts going days without food and the emotional toll of watching her family struggle to find basic sustenance. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/06/israel-starving-gaza-blockade-hunger Israel’s militarised aid system will turn life saving humanitarian aid into a tool of oppression and violence Source: Medical Aid for Palestinians Date: 6 May Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) condemns Israel’s plan to replace the existing humanitarian system in Gaza with a military-controlled apparatus. MAP warns that this approach weaponises aid, undermines humanitarian principles, and exacerbates the suffering of Palestinians under occupation. https://www.map.org.uk/news/archive/post/1735-israelas-militarised-aid-system-will-turn-life-saving-humanitarian-aid-into-a-tool-of-oppression-and-violence PCHR Releases Report on Torture and Genocide Against Palestinians from Gaza Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Date: 12 May The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has published a 129-page report documenting the systematic use of torture and inhumane treatment of Palestinians from Gaza detained by Israel since 7 October 2023. The report, entitled “Torture and Genocide: The Shattered Futures of Former Palestinian Detainees in Gaza”, is based on the testimonies of 100 former detainees, including 10 women, and legal visits to 53 others still in custody. The report concludes that the treatment of Palestinians from Gaza amounts to torture and that such torture forms an integral part of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. https://pchrgaza.org/pchr-releases-report-on-torture-and-genocide-against-palestinians-from-gaza/ Film Review: ‘The Encampments’ is an inspiring call for liberation in response to the horror of genocide The documentary film “The Encampments” shares the inspiring story of how students brought Columbia University to a standstill, and the issue of Palestine to millions around the world. https://mondoweiss.net/2025/05/film-review-the-encampments-is-an-inspiring-call-for-liberation-in-response-to-the-horror-of-genocide/ Official trailer: https://youtu.be/wD3fpHjwsbw We will provide follow-up information when this film is available in the UK Bisan from Gaza Gives a heart-breaking account of her own situation and that of the wider community. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJUauaaMF7j/ EVENTS Our Events page is updated weekly with events related to Palestine and mental health. As of 14 May, there are 14 up to date events listed. https://ukpalmhn.com/events/ FEATURED EVENT Shubbak Festival 2025: A Window into Contemporary Arab Cultures Friday 23 May to 15 June across London Shubbak Festival 2025, running from 23 May to 15 June across London, showcases contemporary Arab cultures through diverse events, including theatre, music, visual arts, and fashion. Highlights feature the Khashabi Theatre’s performance of “MILK” and the “Art of the Palestinian Poster” exhibition. The festival aims to celebrate and promote Arab artists and their work. https://www.shubbak.co.uk/ Further information on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHLekOUI5PD/?igsh=MWlrNXVsMDVzbXRzYg== ACTIONS Our Featured Action is available below and also on our dedicated Actions page together with a range of other current actions https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ FEATURED ACTION  Nakba Day – Workplace Day of Action Date: Thursday 15 May – all day at various workplaces Source: Palestine Solidarity Campaign Discuss with your colleagues in your branch about what kind of action is best suited to your workplace and its circumstances. Take action in your workplace: Organise a lunch-time walk-out Circulate a petition calling for the divestment of pension fund holdings Organise a letter writing session for your members to write to their local councillors Support the Don’t Buy Apartheid campaign by asking your workplace to commit not to stock Israeli fresh produce and Coca-Cola products Organise a lunch-time meeting, teach-in or film screening Distribute leaflets for the national demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 17 May in central London. https://palestinecampaign.org/events/nakba-day-workplace-day-of-action-for-palestine/ BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS (BDS)A founding aim of the UK-Palestine Mental Health Network is to “encourage our colleagues individually and collectively to consider their response to the Palestinian call for boycott, sanctions and divestment (BDS).” Don’t Buy Apartheid Palestine Solidarity Campaign Boycott Action The Campaign calls on all individuals, shops, cafés and venues to pledge to take two key actions to support Palestinians: boycott Israeli produce and boycott Coca-Cola. Watch the webinar to find out more about the campaign. Full details of the new campaign: https://x.com/PSCupdates/status/1899780352979112277 Launch event on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyZ5DPLWdyQ |
الشبكة البريطانية الفلسطينية للصحة النفسية 