| https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demonstration-for-palestine-31st-january/ The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network banner will be at the march. All are welcome to join us. We will meet at 12:00 noon at: Bloomsbury Square Gardens, London WC1A 2PJThis is the same location where we have assembled for previous marches from Russell Square. UKPALMHN Solidarity Spaces Every Monday during February 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.  L’enfer des prisons israéliennes/The hell of Israeli prisons Arte, a French/German state-funded public broadcast service, has produced an astonishing and horrific 30-minute documentary. The documentary is in French but you can watch it on YouTube with English sub-titles in this way: Click on the icon to enable captions/sub-titles (these will by default be in French) Click on the Settings icon (a cog wheel), click on Auto-translate and then choose English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHizfeozVws Living Hell: The Israeli prison system as a network of torture camps Source: B’Tselem Date: January 2026 The Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem’s Living Hell report documents how Israeli prisons and detention facilities have been transformed into a systemic network of torture camps where thousands of Palestinians endure institutionalised abuse, including physical violence, starvation, sexual violence, and denial of medical care. The report highlights testimonies from released detainees, notes hundreds of deaths in custody, and frames the abuses as deliberate policies embedded in the prison system’s operation. https://www.btselem.org/publications/202601_living_hell To move through Gaza is to perceive extremely high levels of suffering, both individual and collective Source: Altreconomia Date: 22 January The article is in Italian but most browsers provide a translate facility so that it can be read in EnglishIn this eyewitness reportage from Gaza, clinical psychologist Guido Veronese describes pervasive destruction and extreme individual and collective suffering observed during field work with emergency medical teams coordinated by the World Health Organization, where constant bombardment and environmental degradation make daily life resemble an “infernal circle.” The piece emphasises the intense psychological and physical strain on both local residents and humanitarian workers as they navigate devastated urban landscapes and chronic insecurity. https://altreconomia.it/girare-per-gaza-significa-percepire-dei-livelli-altissimi-di-sofferenza-individuale-e-collettiva/ Psychiatrist reveals devastating trauma of Gaza’s children amid Israeli genocide Source: Palestine Will Be Free Date: 22 January Dr Nawal Asqoul, a psychiatrist working with children in Gaza, reports that the trauma observed among young survivors of the ongoing Israeli offensive surpasses anything seen in her professional experience, manifesting in severe psychological and physical symptoms including suicidal ideation and regression. She details the profound effects of relentless bombardment, massive loss of family members, and ongoing deprivation, emphasising that the siege and brutality sustain the children’s trauma with no relief in sight. https://palestinewillbefree.substack.com/p/psychiatrist-reveals-devastating-trauma-gazas-children-israeli-genocide Statement by mental health practitioners on the hunger strike undertaken by members of Palestine Action January 2026 We write as Mental Health Practitioners to protest the callous, punitive and unlawful treatment by the UK government of the Palestine Action hunger strikers, many of whom face being remanded in custody for over eighteen months before being brought to trial. We also challenge the politically motivated media silence regarding their action […]Full text and list of signatory organisations: https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/ukpalmhn-statement-on-hunger-strikers-jan-2026/ Since we issued the statement, the hunger strikers have ended this action and have commenced the arduous and dangerous process of re-feeding. They all continue, however, to be remanded in custody. We have sought advice from their support group about whether a further statement from our coalition would be helpful at this time. Settlers chase a vehicle transporting children from their school in a Bedouin community near Jericho Source: Eye on Palestine Date: 25 January https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT8oOpMDSp4/ A second Instagram posting provides further details about the same chase: “Settlers attacked a school bus full of children on their way home. The bus driver reported:‘On our way home from school, three settlers suddenly blocked our path and told me to wait, that they wanted to talk. I reversed the truck as they advanced, and when I turned the car around, they violently struck me through the window, hitting my nose and smashing the rear window. They then chased me for two kilometers. After we escaped into the Arab areas, I regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital.’” https://www.instagram.com/reels/DT8GEsJjHCi/ FEATURED EVENTS Settler colonialism and the long shadow of genocide in Palestine Date: Saturday 31 January at 18:00 – 21:00 (after the National March for Palestine) Location: Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL This is an in-person event.This panel discussion features Dr Emile Badarin, Samer Jaber and Dr Nehad Khanfar. Dr Emile Badarin will speak on the long shadow of settler colonialism in Palestine. He will discuss his book, “Recognition Politics in Settler Colonial States: Normalizing disposession and elimination in Palestine”, and explain the role settler colonialism and recognition politics have played in the genocide of the Palestinian people. We will further the discussion with Palestinian researcher Samer Jaber and Dr Nehad Khanfar, Chairman of APCUK. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/decolonialpraxis/2043240 Finding the Creatura – a lecture by Dr John Beebe Source: Stand By The Mother series Date: Sunday 1 February This online fundraising lecture is part of the Stand By The Mother series, which brings depth-psychological perspectives to questions of care, suffering and human dignity in the context of Palestine. Led by Dr John Beebe, the talk draws on Jungian psychology to explore the concept of the Creatura and what it may offer practitioners and participants seeking meaning, ethical orientation and psychological grounding in times of collective trauma. Hosted by Heba Zaphiriou-Zarifi, the event is intended for clinicians, therapists and others interested in depth psychology, while also raising funds in support of Palestinian mothers. Register here: https://forms.gle/ovt14gUKU6Uwbrxw6 A Zoom link will be sent three days before the talk For further information, write to: standbymother@gmail.com If I Must Die”: How the story of liberating Palestine continues through us Source: Science and Nonduality (SAND) Date: Tuesday 10 February at 5pm – 6:30pm (UK time) This online community gathering features a conversation between Palestinian psychiatrist Dr Samah Jabr and Dr Mays Imad exploring healing, justice and the impact of prolonged political violence on lived experience, with an emphasis on reframing trauma beyond conventional Western psychiatric models. The event situates collective endurance and memory as central to both personal and political liberation, inviting participants to engage deeply with the ethical dimensions of remaining human amid sustained structural harm. https://scienceandnonduality.com/event/if-i-must-die/ Bearing Witness in the Academy: Silence, emotional labour, and the cost of neutrality Source: Psychoanalytic Voices for Palestine (PVP) Date: Saturday 14 February from 10.30am – 12.30pm The speaker, Aneeza Pervez, is a Research Fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge. Her recent research examines how institutions respond to political violence and genocide, and how silence and emotional labour shape the moral life of universities.Link to the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84435183882?pwd=kGtSYUgraPclnniDrhQXbv5CEnC18o.1 Aneeza also spoke at the recent PVP conference “Living Through the Unimaginable” leading to an interesting and engaged plenary discussion. A summary of her talk, slides and a recent open access paper she has written are available in the afternoon session of the full conference report: https://ukpalmhn.com/pvp/pvp-conference-living-through-the-unimaginable/ (scroll down to find the report and then scroll down the report to find the relevant section) UK-Palestine Mental Health Network study tour to Palestine/Israel Tuesday 28 April – Thursday 7 May 2026 This spring we are offering a 10-day study tour for practitioners from the fields of mental health and social work who are keen to explore the complex interface between politics and psychological well-being in the particular circumstances of Palestine/Israel.The tour provides excellent access to clinicians, academics, community groups and political analysts with 25 encounters plus additional cultural opportunities scheduled. It will be facilitated by a small UK company established in 1999 that has provided alternative tours to the area.[…] Send your request for an application form to: ukpalmhn@gmail.com. Include your name, address, contact information, and professional qualifications. Full details: https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/spring-tour-2026/ ICAHD extended study tours Source: ICAHD (formerly the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) Date: 11 May – 21 May 2026 ICAHD is advertising an “Extended Study Tour” to Palestine/Israel offering an opportunity to learn about conditions on the ground through an organised visit that is:- Grounded in ICAHD analysis- Visit both the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel- A total of around 30 encounters- Daily debriefing sessions- Hotel accommodation in Bethlehem and NazarethThe page invites applications and directs readers to further details about the tour and how to join. https://icahd.org/extended-study-tours/ FEATURED ACTIONS Write to your MP ahead of Gaza debate on 5 February Source: Palestine Solidarity Campaign Date: January 2026 On Thursday 5 February, Parliament will debate Britain’s obligation to assess the risk of genocide in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Our allies in Parliament have worked hard to secure this rare debate, giving an opportunity for us to pressure MPs to demand the Government recognises the reality of genocide in the Gaza Strip. We need your support calling on MPs to attend this debate, speak out against Israel’s ongoing crimes, and finally bring an end to Britain’s complicity in genocide. https://palestinecampaign.eaction.org.uk/genocidedebate Demand the British government takes action on Israel’s torture of Palestinian prisoners Source: Palestine Solidarity Campaign Date: January 2026 Write to the Foreign Secretary to demand the British government uses every possible lever, including by imposing immediate sanctions, to stop Israel’s systematic torture of Palestinian prisoners. More than 9,000 Palestinian political prisoners remain in Israeli detention, including 350 children. They face systematic torture, sexual violence and ill-treatment. On top of this, Palestinian human rights groups who have been advocating for the rights of those imprisoned are being attacked by Israel and the US, especially over submissions of evidence to the ICC. https://palestinecampaign.eaction.org.uk/prisonersaction Stand against Israel’s ban on aid organisations Source: Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) Date: January 2026 Medical Aid for Palestinians is campaigning against Israel’s decision to revoke the registration of 37 international humanitarian aid organisations operating in the occupied Palestinian territory, warning that such a ban will obstruct essential life-saving assistance to Palestinians enduring a severe humanitarian crisis. The campaign invites supporters to contact their UK Members of Parliament to urge government pressure on Israel to immediately reverse the ban, reinforcing that unrestricted humanitarian access is both a legal obligation under international law and a moral imperative. https://www.map.org.uk/how-to-help/campaigns/stand-against-israels-ban-on-aid-orgs/  Defend Free Speech: legal challenge against IHRA application in the NHS Source: CrowdJustice Date: January 2026 This CrowdJustice crowdfunding appeal supports a judicial review initiated by Right to Protest Ltd challenging the application of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism within NHS England, on the basis that it is being used to suppress legitimate political speech and professional critique. The action highlights concerns that the policy blurs the boundary between lawful criticism of state conduct — including discourse on Israel and Palestine — and prohibited conduct, potentially chilling free expression and undermining ethical medical practice. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/defend-free-speech/ Related news: Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York, revokes the previous administration’s adoption of the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism. https://theintercept.com/2026/01/02/israel-zohran-mamdani-antisemitic-antisemitism/ Judicial review launched against NHS adoption of IHRA antisemitism definition https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/01/06/ihra-nhs-court/ Professor Avi Shlaim, a world renowned Israeli historian at Oxford University, talking about anti-Zionism and anti-semitism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCnKZg-bFz8 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).” Green councillors confront Lambeth Council as Labour ‘guts’ Gaza divestment motion backed by 5,000 signatures Source: Brixton Buzz Date: 22 January“ Lambeth Council’s Full Council meeting descended into chaos last night following a protest outside the Town Hall, disruption from a packed public gallery, and a walk-out by Green councillors over Labour’s handling of a Gaza divestment motion backed by 5,000 petition signatures.” The Labour group allegedly used a number of procedural irregularities and wrecking amendments to avoid a full debate about the divestment motion. Green Party councillors eventually walked out of the meeting and will now write to the auditors raising concerns about governance at Lambeth Council. https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2026/01/streathams-martin-abrams-confronts-council-as-labour-guts-gaza-divestment-motion-backed-by-5000-signatures/ Related news: Who runs Lambeth? The council reject hearing petition of 5,000 local residents and workers calling for divestment from Israel https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2026/01/who-runs-lambeth-the-council-reject-hearing-petition-of-5000-local-residents-and-workers-calling-for-divestment-from-israel/ “Chaos” – Lambeth Greens issue statement about their dramatic council meeting walk out https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2026/01/chaos-lambeth-greens-issue-statement-about-their-dramatic-council-meeting-walk-out/ Councillor Pledge for Palestine In the run up to local elections in May 2026, Palestine Solidarity Campaign has launched an important new initiative asking local councillors to sign a Pledge for Palestine committing to:- Uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people- Stand up to Israel for its crimes of genocide and apartheid- Ensure their council isn’t complicit, including through divesting pension funds from complicit companies. On the action page, enter your postcode and you will see the names of your local councillors and a template letter (that you can alter if you wish) that will be sent to them automatically. Asking sitting councillors to sign the Pledge for Palestine will help to identify target seats in which councillors who do not support divestment could be replaced with those who do.Further information and the action page are available here: https://mailchi.mp/palestinecampaign/nov2025lobby-4931105?e=27bd721334  |
الشبكة البريطانية الفلسطينية للصحة النفسية 