| UKPALMHN Solidarity Space Monday 3 November 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. Mental Health Conference for Palestine: Living through the Unimaginable Source: Psychoanalytic Voices for Palestine Date: Saturday 8 November from 9:30am – 4:30pm Location: Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HXSpeakers: Dr Yasser Abu Jamei, Dr Yoa’d Ghanadry-Hakim, Martin Kemp Real-time Zoom captions will be available during the meeting in English and Arabic. This is a hybrid (in-person/online) event but seating is limited, so advanced booking is recommended. Join us for a day dedicated to updating on the present situation, bringing together professionals working in Palestine and allied Mental Health groups in the UK organising around Palestine. The conference is aimed at all mental health professionals who want to make an ethical response to the destruction of ordinary human life in Palestine and spearhead a collective mental health response. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-conference-for-palestine-living-through-the-unimaginable-tickets-1744401304259 Cafe Palestine: The normalisation of genocide and ecocide Saturday 15 November from 4pm – 6pm (UK time) At this Cafe Palestine we reflect on a world that sponsors genocide, and indulges a cynical disregard for the ecological disasters that have been unleashed on Gaza and which threaten further mass death, particularly in the global South. Speakers: Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh is a Palestinian scientist and author, founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University where he teaches. Over the course of his career he has published well over 150 scientific papers on topics ranging from cultural heritage to biodiversity in addition to several books. Prof Paul Hoggett is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of the West of England, Bristol. His research spans social policy, community life, and the emotional dynamics of politics, with notable expertise in the intersection of psychoanalysis, group relations, and social systems. He co-founded the Climate Psychology Alliance and served as its first chair in 2012. A Zoom link to the meeting will be included in a future mailing. “Anyone Else Struggling with Work-Genocide Balance?” Exploring the Psychological and Social Impact of Collective Annihilation in Gaza Source: Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry Journal Date: 22 October (published online) Open access journal article This study investigates the psychological and social impact of the ongoing colonial violence in Gaza, both on the local population and on distant witnesses. Drawing on 30 testimonies collected between November 2023 and June 2024, the research captures the lived experiences from two distinct groups: 15 Palestinian participants living in the Gaza Strip, and 15 mental health professionals (including psychotherapists and academics) based in Europe. Using phenomenological and thematic analysis, the findings reveal the profound effects of genocidal violence on mental health, emotional resilience, and meaning-making processes. […] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11013-025-09953-0 “Gaza Genocide: a collective crime” Source: UN Office of the Commissioner of Human Rights Date: 20 October The most recent report from Francesca Albanese. She is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories. This is the advance unedited version. Introduction: Without the direct participation, aid and assistance of other States, the prolonged unlawful Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, which has now escalated into a full-fledged genocide, could not have been sustained. The military, political and economic support of some Third States and the unwillingness to hold Israel accountable has enabled Israel to embed its regime of settler-colonial apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territory, with more colonies, home demolitions, restrictions on movement and loss and erasure of Palestinian life. Since October 2023, Israel has escalated its violence to an unprecedented level. […] https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/a80492-gaza-genocide-collective-crime-report-special-rapporteur-situation?s=09 From the above report: “The United Kingdom has also played a key role in military collaboration with Israel, despite internal opposition. From its bases in Cyprus, the UK has enabled a crucial US supply line to Tel Aviv and flown over 600 surveillance missions over Gaza throughout the genocide, sharing intelligence with Israel. Flight numbers and durations, often coinciding with major Israeli operations, suggest detailed knowledge and cooperation in the destruction of Gaza, extending beyond ‘hostage rescue’.” Location in the report: IV. Intersecting Components of the Gaza Genocide B. Military Ties: providing the means of destruction Paragraph 38 This paragraph is supported by 6 references in the full report 16-year-old Palestinian-American boy reports deplorable conditions in Israeli prison Source: Defense for Children International – Palestine Date: 21 October A 16-year-old Palestinian-American detainee, Mohammad Zaher Taysir Ibrahim, described to DCI-P lawyers the harsh conditions he has endured in Israeli prisons since his arrest in February, including beatings, insufficient food, poor hygiene, and overcrowding. DCI-P condemned Israel’s ongoing detention and prosecution of Palestinian minors in military courts, citing systemic violations of international law and the failure of the US government to intervene. https://www.dci-palestine.org/16_year_old_palestinian_american_boy_reports_deplorable_conditions_in_israeli_prison Gaza Tribunal videos Source: Gaza Tribunal Date: 23 – 26 October (date of final hearings in Istanbul) The Gaza Tribunal took place in three primary locations – UK, Sarejevo and Istanbul. The final session of the Gaza Tribunal took place in Istanbul from 23-26 October and sessions may be viewed online via the Tribunal’s YouTube channel. The Tribunal, an independent international initiative investigating Israeli war crimes in Gaza, is chaired by former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Richard Falk. Over four days, participants heard testimonies from survivors, medical professionals, and experts, while international legal scholars assessed evidence of war crimes and human rights violations in Gaza.Speakers included Jeff Halper from ICAHD (formerly Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) and Gwyn Daniel (UK-Palestine Mental Health Network Steering Group member).Videos of the sessions are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@GazaTribunal/videos The Jury of Conscience – Final Statement The Gaza People’s Tribunal and the essential mission of justice Source: Gaza Tribunal (20 minute video) Date: 26 October The Jury of Conscience concluded that Israel is perpetrating an ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people within a broader settler-colonial and apartheid system, sustained by Western complicity. It called for full political, legal, and economic accountability of all perpetrators and enablers; Israel’s suspension from international bodies; activation of UN “Uniting for Peace” measures; protection for Palestinians against displacement; and a coordinated global movement to dismantle Zionist structures and build a single, rights-based political order grounded in equality, decolonisation, and restitution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W31igjmtSyI Gwyn Daniel, a member of the UK-Palestine Mental Health Network Steering Committee, spoke at a session of the Gaza Tribunal in Istanbul. Link to Gwyn’s presentation: https://www.youtube.com/live/Hl3NHA9IEgg?si=hTEsr132F2SOXVES&t=11184 Enhancing Peace and Global Cooperation Francesca Albanese delivering the 23rd annual Nelson Mandela Lecture Source: Nelson Mandela Foundation Date: 25 October (date of the lecture) Francesca Albanese is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories. Her presentation starts at about 1hr 6min in the video “To invoke Mandela’s name is not to canonise him, but to awaken his unfinished struggle within each of us.” Francesca Albanese’s Nelson Mandela lecture underscored the continuing relevance of Mandela’s struggle against apartheid, invoking it as inspiration for unfinished struggles for justice around the world, particularly in Palestine. She drew poignant parallels between South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement and the Palestinian experience, describing the suffering in Gaza as a catalyst for global moral awakening and renewed solidarity. https://www.youtube.com/live/p9w9c9rTyRg International Court of Justice rejects Israeli claims about UNRWA and orders officials to provide more aid to Gaza Source: Common Dreams Date: 22 October “Yet another Israeli government lie—slavishly repeated by Western media—collapses” said one policy expert The commissioner-general of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) welcomed an “unambiguous ruling by the International Court of Justice” affirming that the organization has not been infiltrated by Hamas, as Israel and its allies have persistently claimed, and that Israeli officials must cooperate with the UN to ensure Palestinians receive sufficient aid after nearly two years of starvation policy. […] https://www.commondreams.org/news/icj-israel-ruling “Are you Ezzideen Shehab? ”Source: Dr Ezzideen Date: 23 October This is a prose poem written by a young doctor in Gaza. He has a number of other pieces on X. “Today, returning on the long broken road that devours time like a beast devours bread, a young man beside me said, Are you Ezzideen Shehab? I nodded. He smiled with a tenderness that accused me. You do not remember me, he said. I did not.” […] This piece reflects on how extreme trauma corrodes the bonds that make human recognition and memory possible, leaving people unable to recall one another or even themselves. Forgetfulness becomes both a defence and a slow betrayal, as survival demands the sacrifice of names, faces, and shared history. In this moral and spiritual desolation, the poet suggests that true restoration lies in the slow, sacred labour of remembrance—the re-gathering of words and faces that can once again make humanity whole. https://x.com/ezzingaza/status/1981461491904659907 FEATURED ACTIONS (Tuesday 27 October) 4 new actions have been added to our Actions page in the past week: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ NHS workers vs Health Secretary: Stand up for Palestine Source: Health Workers 4 Palestine (crowd sourced legal challenge) Date: October 2025 A detailed justification for the legal challenge with supporting references is available on the Crowd Justice page (below). HW4P has instructed a leading human rights law firm to investigate and seek to pursue legal challenges against NHS England’s decision to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. While antisemitism must always be condemned, the IHRA definition has been criticised by many leading human rights, academic and civil society groups (including the PSC and Jewish community organisations) for its ambiguity and tendency to conflate criticism of Zionism or the State of Israel with antisemitism. […] https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/nhs-palestine/  FEATURED EVENTS (27 October) There are 18 up to date events on our Events page: https://ukpalmhn.com/events/ London Palestine Film Festival 2025 November 14 – 28 Twenty seven separate events are listed in the Festival programme: https://www.palestinefilm.org.uk/ ICAHD UK Annual Conference 2025 The Day After Gaza: How do we address the urgency of the political moment? Date: Saturday 1 November from 10:30 am to 4:45pm Location: Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8EP. Source: ICAHD (formerly Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) Advance registration is essential The conference will bring together leading voices on Palestine to assess the current struggle for Palestinian rights and the urgent political challenges ahead. Participants will explore Israel’s settler-colonial agenda, Trump’s peace plan, the Abraham Accords, and grassroots mobilisation. Sessions will share insights from ICAHD’s on-the-ground resistance and equip UK campaigners for more effective, sustained advocacy. Speakers include:Dr Jeff Halper – ICAHD’s Co-founder and Director, anthropologist, activist, author Dr Nadia Naser-Najjab – – Palestinian from Jerusalem, Senior Lecturer at Exeter University Jeremy Corbyn MP – long-time supporter of justice for Palestinians Peter Frankental – Programme Director Economic Affairs, Amnesty International UK Prof Avi Shlaim – British Israeli historian, award-winning author and more … https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/icahd-uk-annual-conference-2025-tickets-1570864862089 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).” Write to your MP: Support Divestment from Israeli Apartheid Source: Palestine Solidarity Campaign Date: October 2025 Write to your MP to demand they support Amendment 2 to the Pensions Scheme Bill which would direct pension funds to end investments that contribute to grave violations of international law. PSC’s research has found that Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds, administered by local councils, invest £12.2billion+ in companies with proven involvement in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. Local divestment campaigns are active across Britain, and are achieving significant gains, with 23 local councils having passed a motion or issued a statement to support divestment. https://palestinecampaign.eaction.org.uk/support-divestment |
الشبكة البريطانية الفلسطينية للصحة النفسية 