Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians according to UN rights expert
UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri says denial of food is war crime and constitutes ‘a situation of genocide’.
We have never seen a civilian population made to go so hungry so quickly and so completely, that is the consensus among starvation experts. Israel is not just targeting civilians, it is trying to damn the future of the Palestinian people by harming their children.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/27/un-israel-food-starvation-palestinians-war-crime-genocide

US intelligence casts doubt on Israeli claims of UNRWA-Hamas links, report says
According to the Wall Street Journal, a US intelligence report casts doubt on accusations that the UN agency was collaborating with Hamas in a wider way. The Journal said the report mentioned that although the UNRWA does coordinate with Hamas in order to deliver aid and operate in the region, there was a lack of evidence to suggest it partnered with the group. It added that Israel has not “shared the raw intelligence behind its assessments with the US”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/22/us-intelligence-unrwa-hamas

Palestinians file criminal complaint against German Government officials for enabling the genocide in Gaza
A group of German lawyers – representing families of two Gazans – is filing a criminal complaint against German Government officials, for the crime of aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by providing Israel with weapons and issuing related export permissions. They are supported by civil society organisations ELSC (European Legal Support Center), PIPD (Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy) and Law for Palestine under the Justice andInt Accountability for Palestine Initiative.
https://www.thepipd.com/actions/support-the-justice-and-accountability-for-palestine-initiative

Coming of age in displacement: Navigating gender, mental health, and well-being in Palestinianrefugee camps in the West Bank and Jordan
Thursday 7 March from 17:00 to 18:30 at Bush House North East Wing, King’s College Strand Campus, London
An in-person, ticketed event
Seminar with Dr Weeam Hammoudeh in London.
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/coming-of-age-in-displacement-navigating-gender-mental-health-and-wellbeing-in-palestine-refugee-camps-in-the-west-bank-and-jordan

Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine
Friday 15 March from 18:00 – 20:00 (UK time) at Freud Museum, London
Red Clinic event: Lara Sheehi and Stephen Sheehi in conversation with Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian
In-person tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoanalysis-under-occupation-tickets-850139820087
Online tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoanalysis-under-occupation-online-tickets-tickets-850177542917

Edward Said seems like a prophet: 20 years on, ‘there’s hunger for his narrative’
As war rages in Gaza, the scholar and activist’s words feel prescient. That’s because so little has changed
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/15/edward-said-palestine-israel-gaza

John Berger reads Ghassan Kanafani’s ‘Letter from Gaza’ (20 minute video)
In an address to the inaugural Palestine Festival of Literature in 2008, John Berger gave a moving reading of Ghassan Kanafani’s ‘Letter from Gaza’, written in 1956.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ThCEzFWLOQ

A World without Palestinians
From the Massachusetts Review
Despite the desperate cries of our people for an end to this unceasing bloodshed, despite the millions across the globe who have taken to the streets to demand an immediate ceasefire, despite a ruling by the highest international court that Israel must protect civilians and immediately allow humanitarian aid, a reconsolidation of global powers continues to fund, uphold, and turn their backs as a genocide unfolds, revealing a simple truth: humanity is content to exist in a world without Palestinians. “It no longer matters, after this, if anyone loves us, / or if anyone walks in our funerals,” Palestinian poet Samer Abu Hawwash wrote on October 25th. “We hold each other’s hands, / go forth alone in this desert of a world.”
https://massreview.org/node/11753

Against Erasure: A photographic memory of Palestine before the Nakba with architect Nadi Abusaada and poet Mohammed El-Kurd
An hour-long discussion about the book and the photos
Join Mohammed El-Kurd, Dr. Nadi Abusaada and Haymarket Books to celebrate the launch of Against Erasure: A Photographic Memory of Palestine Before the Nakba
Through its stunning collection of images of Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Against Erasure tells the story of a land full of people—people with families, hopes, dreams, and a deep connection to their home—before Israel’s establishment in 1948, known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtNmUoQQhWM

Women & War: World BEYOND War’s 2024 Virtual Film Festival
Marking International Women’s Day (March 8), this year’s “Women & War” virtual film festival from March 9-23, 2024 explores the intersection of women, war, and militarized masculinity. Each week, we’ll host a live Zoom discussion with key representatives from the films and special guests to answer your questions and explore the topics addressed in the films.
https://worldbeyondwar.org/2024filmfest/

Dr Naledi Pandor, South African MP tells it like it is …
https://twitter.com/umyaznemo/status/1758348154104123882

EVENTS Cafe Palestine 38 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza, part two Saturday 24 February from 16:00-18:00 (UK) / 18:00-20:00 (Pal) Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89486111693?pwd=L3hkZGhpVkFDVi85TmFwN0NuZm5uZz09 or Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/UKPMHN/live_videos/ This second event will feature more of the work of some of the mental health teams that work in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them through our voices from outside. Presenters include: – Dr Alice Rothchild, who will provide an overview – Dr Peter Jakob and Dr Michaela Fried from Bridges for Hope and Peace, – David Denborough from the Dulwich centre, Adelaide, Australia will describe collaboration with colleagues in Gaza – Guy Shennan will present a recording of messages from Social Workers in Gaza Alice Rothchild, author, filmmaker, and physician, is focused on human rights and social justice. She writes and lectures widely, authored several books on health and human rights in Israel/Palestine, including Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience and Condition Critical: Life and Death in Israel/Palestine, contributed to a number of anthologies, the most recent being Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism: Stories of Personal Transformation and What Jerusalem Means to Us: Jewish Reflections and Perspectives.  Finding Melody Sullivan, is her young adult novel exploring grief and friendship in the setting of broader political questions raised by realities in Israel/Palestine, available in print and audio. Old Enough to Know, her middle grade novel, is about a nine-year-old Palestinian American boy and his grandmother from the Aida Refugee Camp. For more info: https://www.alicerothchildbooks.com/ She directed a documentary film, Voices Across the Divide.  She is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council, the mentor liaison for We Are Not Numbers, a program for young Gaza writers, and on the board of the Gaza Mental Health Foundation. She was last in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in August 2023. https://alicerothchild.com/ Peter Jakob, PhD is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with a background in social work, Peter has worked as a clinical psychologist and family therapist in both child- and adolescent mental health services and in adult mental health for over 40 years, specialising in working with people who have experienced abuse and with children and families involved with child protective services. Peter’s concern is for understanding the contexts in which peoples’ difficulties emerge and working towards social justice as a key underpinning of psychotherapy. He has introduced Non Violent Resistance (NVR) to the UK and has adapted the approach for families that face multiple challenges and for adopted children and young people in foster- or residential care.. Peter is a prolific national and international presenter. Michaela Fried is a child- and adolescent psychiatrist, specializing in NVR case management for acute and complex crisis, as well as trauma therapy. She has been involved in social projects in Europe and abroad, including voluntary humanitarian work with terminally ill people (UK), war refugees (former Yugoslavia, Macedonia, South Sudan, Gaza ) in mission with several NGOs. She is a graduate of the University of Vienna, and has completed her Post-doctoral fellowship at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Her medical areas of expertise are child psychiatry and paediatrics. David Denborough works as a community worker, teacher and writer/editor for the Dulwich Centre, Adelaide, Australia. He is particularly interested in cross cultural partnerships which limit the chances of psychological colonization and create possibilities for cross-cultural inventions, such as the Team of Life Narrative Approach and Tree of Life (with Ncazelo Ncube- Mlilo). David is also vitally interested in how collective narrative practices can spark and/or sustain social movements and in projects that respond to racism and seek to strengthen social cohesion/inclusion.  He has been involved with several projects in Palestine, including The Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture, Ramallah and in Jabaliya, Gaza Guy Shennan is a Social Worker and Solution Focussed Therapist. He is on the Steering Group of the UK Palestine Mental Health Network He is a Founder member of Social Workers for a Free Palestine. The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a Facebook Live stream (addresses above). UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 26 February at 13:00 (UK) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting. All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 1. UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls From the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights UN experts xpressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/israelopt-un-experts-appalled-reported-human-rights-violations-against 2. Social workers send letters from Gaza Organised by Social Workers for a Free Palestine @SW4PalestineUK / sw4palestineuk@gmail.com Social workers from the UK read out messages from social workers in Gaza that were sent by email at the end of 2023. The social workers wanted their messages to be heard by social workers and others around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rC13VnVB3g 3. Be ready to imagine a new world by Professor Ilan Pappé The renowned historian of Israeli settler colonialism projects into a possible future beyond the current genocide of Palestinians and foresees the demise of the “Jewish state”. In a contribution to the Islamic Human Rights Commission’s annual Genocide Memorial Day in London on January 21, now published on their website, Pappe argues that Israel’s habitual pretext of defence and retaliation can no longer serve as cover for pursuing its racist and eliminatory policies towards the Palestinians. https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/be-ready-to-imagine-a-new-world [The article was originally published by the Islamic Human Rights Commission website on Thu 1 Feb 2024 at this address: https://www.ihrc.org.uk/it-is-dark-before-the-dawn-but-israeli-settler-colonialism-is-at-an-end For an unknown reason, there were some problems connecting to this site at the time of writing.] 4. Learn more about the Israeli Apartheid Week at this link https://bdsmovement.net/iaw#People%20Against%20Apartheid! 5. Israel systematically uses quadcopters to kill Palestinians from a close distance As part of its genocide against the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing since 7 October 2023, the Israeli army has been using small drones (or quadcopters) to fire directly at Palestinians, killing and injuring many of them, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has documented. Israel’s army has increased its use of electronic-controlled quadcopters—which were previously restricted to use for intelligence purposes—for killing and injuring Palestinians. The Israeli army has escalated its premeditated murders, extrajudicial executions, and judicial killings against Palestinian civilians through direct targeting with snipers and drones in various regions of the Gaza Strip, in addition to aerial and artillery bombardment of residential areas, Euro-Med Monitor said. https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6166 6. Palestinian ambassador to UK says eight relatives killed in Israeli strikes in Rafah Although the war retains strong public support in Israel, a small but vocal group of anti-war protesters gathered in Jerusalem’s Paris Square on Friday. They held up signs saying “stop the genocide” and “Palestinian lives still matter” as they chanted “From the river to the sea, freedom and equality”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/palestinian-ambassador-to-uk-says-eight-relatives-killed-in-israeli-strikes-in-rafah 7. Palestinian film Lyd plus Q&A showing in London Monday 26 Feb at the Prince Charles Theatre near Leicester Square, London at 18:00 Promoted by The Galilee Foundation Link to the film on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12683280/ Tickets are now on sale for the London screening of Palestinian film Lyd- The story of a city that once connected Palestine to the world. What it is now and what it could have become. https://galileefoundation.beaconforms.com/form/d68ef033 8. Messages from Gaza Now Wednesday 28 February at 19:00 – 21:00 P21 Gallery, 21-27 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD, UK At this event Az Theatre will present more readings of Hossam Madhoun’s MESSAGES FROM GAZA NOW, accounts from recent days in the Gaza Strip. Alongside this we are holding an open conversation with the Architects for Gaza/Palestine Regeneration Team group (participation and speaker to be confirmed). Az Theatre is making an appeal to ‘skill and knowledge’ communities to join an ongoing process of support and communication with people in Gaza as they face rebuilding their lives, their landscape and their environment in the coming months and years. https://p21.gallery/news/158

Dear Colleagues,  1. Cafe Palestine 38 – Sat 24 Feb at 16:00 (UK) 2. ICAHD-UK webinar – Wed 21 Feb  18:00 (UK) 3. Open letter for Psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors 4. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour – Mon 19 Feb 13:00 (UK) 1. Cafe Palestine 38 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza, part two Saturday 24 February from 16:00-18:00 (UK) / 18:00-20:00 (Pal) Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/UKPMHN/live_videos/ This second event will feature more of the work of some of the mental health teams that work in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them through our voices from outside. Presenters include: – Dr Alice Rothchild, who will provide an overview – Peter Jakob, Martin Fellacher and Michaela Fried from Bridges for Hope and Peace – David Denborough from the Dulwich centre, Adelaide, Australia They will all describe their collaborations with colleagues in Gaza Alice Rothchild, author, filmmaker, and physician, is focused on human rights and social justice. She writes and lectures widely, authored several books on health and human rights in Israel/Palestine, including Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience and Condition Critical: Life and Death in Israel/Palestine, contributed to a number of anthologies, the most recent being Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism: Stories of Personal Transformation and What Jerusalem Means to Us: Jewish Reflections and Perspectives.  Finding Melody Sullivan, is her young adult novel exploring grief and friendship in the setting of broader political questions raised by realities in Israel/Palestine, available in print and audio. Old Enough to Know, her middle grade novel, is about a nine-year-old Palestinian American boy and his grandmother from the Aida Refugee Camp. For more info: www.alicerothchildbooks.com. She directed a documentary film, Voices Across the Divide.  She is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council, the mentor liaison for We Are Not Numbers, a program for young Gaza writers, and on the board of the Gaza Mental Health Foundation. She was last in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in August 2023. www.alicerothchild.com Further speaker bios will be sent out with the next mailing. The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a Facebook Live stream (addresses above). 2. ICAHD-UKwebinar: Attending to Mental Health Needs in the Midst of a Genocide Wednesday 21 February at 18:00-19.30 (UK) / 20:00-21.30 (Pal) Register for this Webinar here This webinar will focus on the importance of speaking about Palestinian mental health when Israel seeks to debilitate the whole of Palestinian society. Trauma is not new to Palestinians who have been experiencing it for the last 75 years. However, Israel’s war on Gaza that began in October 2023 has thrust the population into a living hell due to the ongoing assault as their homes and with the whole of their vital infrastructure annihilated, leaving no safe space for any Gazans. In addition, Palestinians everywhere are being affected as their people is on the receiving end of Israel’s barbaric genocide policies. This webinar will feature the work of mental health organisations working within Gaza, the West Bank and with Palestinians in the diaspora. Speakers include:- Samah Jabr (Chair of the Mental Health Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health) – Lama Khouri (Global Palestine Mental Health Network) – David Harrold (Chair of Trustees of Gaza Trauma Centre) – Gwyn Daniel (UK Palestine Mental Health Network) – Martin Kemp (UK Palestine Mental Health Network) Discover how much more ICAHD-uk’s website has to offer here. 3. Psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors address the human catastrophe in Gaza: please sign A Statement expressing “dismay at the ongoing slaughter and mayhem in Gaza”, and which calls for a ceasefire and a peace based on a recognition of Palestinian rights and international law, has been issued by a group of UK-based clinicians. The Statement also reflects on the curtailment of “freedom of thought and speech” within society and the profession, and calls for a restoration of “freedom to speak and act peacefully without fear of recrimination, harassment or censure”. 160 members of the British Psychoanalytic Council have signed. A version of the Statement has now been launched as a call to all psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors to amplify this message. Please sign at the link below. The Statement can be read and signed here: http://tinyurl.com/w59jat49 The BPC letter and signatories can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/3ukkazby The UKPMHN adds: The struggle for free speech within civil society cannot be done by individuals on their own. Does your professional association or registration body have a group within it ensuring that Palestine can be freely debated as a matter of grave concern to us all? Could you help set one up? 4.UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 19 February at 13:00 (UK) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting. All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/

Dear Colleagues,  1. UN relief chief warns military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza 2. New evidence of Israeli attacks causing mass civilian casualties amid real risk of genocide 3. They shone with hope and joy, each in their own way – children killed in Gaza 4. Destruction of Gaza’s health system: need to restore hope 5. Palestine: A Timeline of Traumatic Events and Collective Healing 6. McDonald’s and Starbucks hit by boycotts 7. Letters for Palestinian childhoods exhibition 8. Scholars against the war on Palestine 9. 11-year old Dima Hnaideq describes her life as a child in Gaza Plus Recent pictures from Gaza from the Palestine Trauma Centre UK EVENTS National March for Palestine – Stop the Genocide Saturday 17 February at 12:00 Assemble at Marble Arch (Speakers’ Corner), London Israel has now killed over 30,000 Palestinians in its brutal assault on Gaza. It has now begun another massacre in Rafah. https://palestinecampaign.org/events/ The UKPALMHN banner will be at the march. We will assemble at 12:00 outside Bond Street tube on Oxford Street. All are welcome to join. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 19 February at 13:00 UK time These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Zoom link: please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like to attend the meeting All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ Cafe Palestine 38 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza, part two Saturday 24 February from 16:00 – 18:00 UK time This second event will feature more of the work of some of the mental health teams that work in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them through our voices from outside. Presenters include: – Dr Alice Rothschild, Jewish Voice for Peace, who will provide an overview; – Peter Jakob, Martin Fellacher and Michaela Fried from Bridges for Hope and Peace; – David Denborough from the Dulwich centre, Adelaide, Australia who will describe their collaborations with colleagues in Gaza Full programme details with speaker bios and Zoom link will be sent out in the next mailing. The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a live stream on Facebook. NEWS 1. UN relief chief warns military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza Issued Tuesday 13 February The scenario we have long dreaded is unraveling at alarming speed. More than half of Gaza’s population – well over 1 million people – are crammed in Rafah, staring death in the face: They have little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, nowhere to sleep, nowhere safe to go. https://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-warns-military-operations-rafah-could-lead-slaughter-gaza-and-put-fragile 2. Evidence of unlawful Israeli attacks in Gaza causing mass civilian casualties amid real risk of genocide Amnesty International report from Tuesday 12 February At least 95 civilians – nearly half of them children – killed in four unlawful strikes in Rafah. Attacks took place in southern governorate supposed to be “safe”. All four strikes are likely direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects and must be investigated as war crimes. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/israel-opt-new-evidence-of-unlawful-israeli-attacks-in-gaza-causing-mass-civilian-casualties-amid-real-risk-of-genocide/ 3. They shone with hope and joy, each in their own way Public memorial of children killed in Gaza A video showing some of the many children killed since Oct 7 in Gaza, their name and age. It draws on pictorial tributes from their friends and family. These are deeply felt public memorials depicting each child in the way that those who knew, loved and cared for them wanted them remembered. https://twitter.com/iraqbodycount/status/1755931780794790349 4. Destruction of Gaza’s health system: need to restore hope Balfour project recording of a presentation by Dr Nick Maynard (about 60 minutes) A presentation by a consultant surgeon from Oxford who works in Gaza and leads teams of international surgeons to teach and work in Gaza. https://balfourproject.org/gazahealth/ 5. Palestine: A Timeline of Traumatic Events and Collective Healing Infographic by Dr Samah Jabr, Zaynab Hinnawi and Eman Khateeb Slide through to explore the psychological impact of historical trauma and the path to healing for Palestinian communities. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3JN-IwS0na/?igsh=cXppN3o1cno5Z3Ft&img_index=1 6. McDonald’s and Starbucks blame the Israel-Hamas war for slower sales — and the recovery might take a while [One of the founding aims 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)] McDonald’s and Starbucks both said the Israel-Hamas war and related boycotts hurt their sales in the latest quarter. Starbucks saw traffic to its U.S. stores fall as occasional customers stopped visiting. McDonald’s said the war hurt its Middle Eastern sales, as well as demand in majority Muslim countries and France. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/05/mcdonalds-and-starbucks-blame-israel-hamas-war-for-slower-sales.html 7. Letters for Palestinian childhoods exhibition This is an exhibition of letters, poems, and artwork dedicated to the children of Palestine. The online version is available here: https://reimaginingchildhoodstudies.com/letters-for-palestinian-childhoods/ The exhibition is now also available as a physical/in-person display for use in halls and meeting rooms Please see this link if you would like to display the exhibition: https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/letters-for-palestinian-childhoods/ 8. Scholars against the war on Palestine A trans-national, cross-disciplinary coalition standing firmly with the Palestinian struggle for liberation and justice. We call for an immediate end to the century-long colonial war on Palestine and its people. https://scholarsagainstwar.org/ 9. 11-years old Dima Hnaideq describes her life as a child in Gaza Listen to 11-years old Dima Hnaideq when she describes her life as a child under the iron heel of Israeli occupation: homeless and displaced with her mother to shelters, starving, looking for water, no money, no school, no playing – and all her 11 years of life has been under siege, occupation and repeated Israeli attacks. She has one wish: ceasefire! Stop the war! https://twitter.com/DrMadsGilbert/status/1757390118313230732?s=20 Plus Recent pictures from Gaza from the Palestine Trauma Centre UK

Clown-led exercises for children shortly after bombardment

Hastily arranged group therapy for children

1. Parliamentary debate about humanitarian aid in Gaza on Thu 8 Feb 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Mon 12 Feb 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on Sat 24 Feb 4. David Cameron has fallen for Israel’s dodgy dossier on UNRWA 5. Israel bombed Belgian aid office in Gaza after nation refused to halt UNRWA funding 6. In Gaza, there’s a war on women. Will the West ignore it because they’re “not like us”? 7. Children of Palestine: a lost generation 8. Israeli necro-politics and the pursuit of health justice in Palestine 9. Hundreds of US, EU, UK Civil Servants Issue Joint Statement on Gaza 10. UK professor suffered discrimination due to anti-Zionist beliefs, tribunal rules 11. Beyond bad apples. Reconsidering institutional racism Plus … Lament for Gaza on Irish Uileann pipes 1. Parliamentary debate about humanitarian aid in Gaza on Thursday 8 February Urge your MP to attend this crucial parliamentary debate taking place at Westminster Hall on Thursday 8 February at 1.30 pm. Full details of this action on the UKPALMHN website: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 12 February at 13:00 These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please write to ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on mental health in Gaza Saturday 24 February from 16:00 – 18:00 Further details to follow The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a live stream on Facebook. 4. David Cameron has fallen for Israel’s dodgy dossier on UNRWA Opinion piece by Peter Oborne Israel’s long history of making false claims about events in Gaza should arouse scepticism about its report on Unrwa staff taking part in the 7 October attacks. Not, it seems, in the UK. https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/defunding-unrwa-britain-cameron-falls-israel-dodgy-dossier-again 5. Israel bombed Belgian aid office in Gaza after nation refused to halt UNRWA funding Belgian officials expressed outrage Thursday after Israeli forces reportedly bombed the office building of the Belgian Agency for Development Cooperation in the Gaza Strip, an attack that came after Belgium declined to join the U.S. and more than a dozen other countries in cutting off funding to the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency. https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-belgium-unrwa 6. In Gaza, there’s a war on women. Will the West really ignore it because they’re “not like us”? Mothers giving birth with no medical help, babies without milk, one toilet between 500 people – but none of it evokes empathy https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/05/gaza-war-women-west-mothers-babies-medical 7. Children of Palestine: a lost generation These are real children, children who could be yours or mine, but for accident of birth. Children that we know from social media had hopes and dreams for their future — to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, poets and writers, actors, dancers, to excel in sports. All that talent is lost to their community and our world. It’s devastating. https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/children-palestine-lost-generation 8. Israeli necro-politics and the pursuit of health justice in Palestine A Commentary piece in BMJ Global Health Framing Palestinian violence on October 7 as provocation and Israeli violence as response is ahistoric and indicates indifference to the everyday violence experienced by Palestinians. The Israeli state practises both fast violence against Palestinians, while simultaneously creating the conditions for their ‘slow death’. https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/2/e014942 9. “Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide” – Hundreds of US, EU, UK Civil Servants Issue Joint Statement on Gaza More than 800 civil servants from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have released a statement criticizing their governments’ support of Israel in its ongoing aggression on Gaza, warning that such policies could be contributing to war crimes and violations of international law. https://www.palestinechronicle.com/ethnic-cleansing-and-genocide-hundreds-of-us-eu-uk-civil-servants-issue-joint-statement-on-gaza/ 10. UK professor suffered discrimination due to anti-Zionist beliefs, tribunal rules University of Bristol academic who was sacked after being accused of antisemitic comments wins ‘landmark’ decision https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/05/uk-professor-suffered-discrimination-due-to-anti-zionist-beliefs-tribunal-rules 11. Beyond bad apples. Reconsidering institutional racism Mon 12 Feb at 19:00 – 20:30 GMT The webinar is organised by Lets Face Change and the speaker is Dr Tarek Younis. This webinar will focus on unpacking where the politics of the psy-disciplines and the politics of Muslims overlap, demonstrating how psychological theories and practice serve state interests and perpetuate inequality – especially racism and Islamophobia. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-face-change-seminar-series-reconsidering-institutional-racism-tickets-809233157157 Plus … Lament for Gaza on Irish Uileann pipes Kinvara Palestine Solidarity Group post showing Eugene Lambe play a lament for Gaza on Brigid’s Day. Https://twitter.com/TadhgHickey/status/1753456868687593498?s=20

1. National Demonstration – Ceasefire Now on Sat 3 Feb 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Mon 5 Feb 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on Sat 24 Feb 4. UNRWA de-funding – template letter to MPs – aid agencies outraged by reckless decision – former UNRWA spokesperson puts up robust defence – donate to UNRWA 5. “Israel is now officially on trial for genocide” 6. Miscarriages in Gaza have increased 300% under Israeli bombing 7. Israeli sniper kills renowned Palestinian psychologist 8. “I am not there and I am not here”: a Palestinian American poet on bearing witness to atrocity plus … From the Republic of Ireland 1. National Demonstration – Ceasefire Now / Stop the Genocide in Gaza Saturday 3 February at 12:00 Assemble at BBC, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA https://palestinecampaign.org/events/ The UKPALMHN banner will be at the march. We will assemble at 12:00 on the corner of Regent Street and Great Castle Street outside Caffe Nero (near Oxford Circus underground). All are welcome to join. 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 5 February at 13:00 These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. If you would like a Zoom link for the meeting, please email ukpalmhn@gmail.com All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on mental health in Gaza Saturday 24 February from 16:00 – 18:00 Further details to follow The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a live stream on Facebook. 4. UNRWA de-funding 4a. UKPALMHN template letter to MPs Following the unconscionable decision by several western countries, including the UK, to suspend aid funding to UNRWA, UKPALMHN have drafted a template letter that can be used to communicate with your MP. It is available here: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 4b. Aid agencies “outraged” by “reckless” decision to cut UNRWA funding Agencies including Oxfam and Save the Children note Gaza population already facing famine due to Israeli siege and bombardment https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/30/israel-gaza-war-unrwa-palestine-aid-funding-pause-hamas 4c. Former UNRWA spokesperson puts up robust defence – Allegations regarding Hamas weapons in UNRWA schools 6 minute video from Fox news https://youtu.be/sV-fWxBrz9c – Why defunding is a disproportionate response and amounts to collective punishment 12 minute video co-organised by Amnesty International UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS5pdkDGh6Y 4c.Donate to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) https://donate.unrwa.org/-landing-page/en_EN 5. “Israel is now officially on trial for genocide” Palestinian Ambassador to the UK making a powerful intervention on BBC news about the ICJ ruling https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1459290391318551&id=627202943&mibextid=KsPBc6 6. Miscarriages in Gaza have increased 300% under Israeli bombing Humanitarian agencies say women and menstruating people are also facing alarming rates of severe infections due to Israel’s blockade of supplies and water. https://jezebel.com/miscarriages-in-gaza-have-increased-300-under-israeli-1851168680 7. Israeli sniper kills renowned Palestinian psychologist Tributes are pouring in to renowned Al-Aqsa University academic who focused on trauma arising from conflict https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-prominent-professor-al-aqsa-university-killed-israel 8. ‘I am not there and I am not here’: a Palestinian American poet on bearing witness to atrocity The thing about diaspora is that the option of looking away is a trick mirror – doing it is never a relief. In the courtroom, on our phones, in the streets: a witness who does not speak, does not act, does not remember, cannot be called upon. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/28/gaza-palestine-grief-essay-poetry Plus … From the Republic of Ireland:

1. Cafe Palestine 37 on Saturday 27 January at 16:00 – 18:00 (UK time) 2. Cafe Palestine 38 3. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Monday 29 Jan at 13:00 (UK time) 4. “I just want to run”: Mental health care yet another casualty of Gaza war 1. Cafe Palestine 37 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza Saturday 27 January at 16:00 – 18:00 UK time This event will feature the work of some of the mental health teams working in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity and their ongoing activities, despite the catastrophic conditions inflicted upon them. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them in whatever ways we can, at present mainly through our voices from outside. Dr Samah Jabr, Head of the Mental Health Unit, Palestine Ministry of Health will speak about the mental health implications of the ongoing assault on the people of Gaza, their homes and their vital infrastructure. David Harrold and Dr Mohamed Altawil will speak about the work of the Palestine Trauma Centre in Gaza https://www.palestinetraumacentre.uk/ Nick Bilborough from the Hands Up Project will speak about their educational, creative writing and drama work with young people in Gaza https://www.handsupproject.org/ Mohammed Mukhaimar will speak about the work of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme In this Cafe we particularly welcome attendance from colleagues engaged in different mental health projects in Gaza and will aim to include them in future presentations. Speakers: Dr Mohamed Altawil spent his childhood in a Gaza refugee camp, and as an adult, became an expert in trauma therapy through 20+ years of experience in research and practice.  First working in Gaza, he went on to set up the Palestine Trauma Centre in 2007. Dr Altawil was awarded his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hertfordshire (UK) in September 2008 with support from the Ford Foundation. He is a clinical psychologist registered with HCPC and a visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire. Representing a much-needed field of study in Palestine, his doctoral degree has enabled Dr Altawil to attend a number of International Conferences in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Nick Bilborough is a teacher of English as a foreign language, teacher-trainer and author. He holds an MA in Drama in Education and is particularly interested in the role of drama and storytelling techniques in second language learning. He is now devoting all his energy to the registered charity he set up – https://handsupproject.org providing learning and confidence building opportunities for young people, mostly in Gaza and other parts of occupied Palestine, through online intercultural connections , storytelling and drama activities. David Harrold works in education, specialising in helping students who have literacy difficulties. He is chair of trustees for Palestine Trauma Centre (UK) and has visited Gaza three times. On one of these visits he delivered a course on Drama therapy. Dr Samah Jabr is a psychiatrist practicing in the public and private sectors within Palestine in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. She is currently Head of the Mental Health Unit within the Palestinian Ministry of Health and an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural sciences at George Washington University, USA. Dr. Jabr’s areas of interest include the rights of prisoners, the problem of stigma, psychoanalysis, childhood trauma, and the integration of mental health within public health. She is a prolific writer in both academic and public media and author of several Arabic professional manuals and guidebooks, one of which, on Suicide Prevention, won the 2021 prize of the Arabpsy.net. Dr. Jabr is a founding member of the Palestine Global Mental Health Network. Dr Mohammed Mukhaimar is a psychologist who worked at the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme before moving to live and work in Cambridge, UK. He has led several projects aimed at developing mental health services in Palestine through training, clinical supervision, and consultancy. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87273844374?pwd=THpQSFBVWVNFYitmT3hDS29xUWR4QT09 2. The subsequent Cafe Palestine 38 will be on Saturday 24 February at 16.00- 18.00 (UK time) This Cafe Palestine will also focus on focus on Mental Health in Gaza. Further details to follow. 3. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Monday 29 Jan at 13:00 (UK time) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. The previously arranged time on Friday 26 January now clashes with the important announcement of the International Court of Justice preliminary findings in the Gaza Genocide case. Please write to ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the Action Half-Hour. 4. ‘I just want to run’: Mental health care yet another casualty of Gaza war Dr Samah Jabr is one of the contributors to this report. A burgeoning mental health crisis in the tiny coastal enclave is vastly overshadowed by the scale of death and destruction caused by more than three months of Israeli bombardment. But many experts believe psychological damage may prove one of the war’s most lasting legacies. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-23/i-just-want-to-run-mental-health-care-yet-another-casualty-of-gaza-war

1. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Friday 12 January at 13:00 (UK time) The Action Half-Hours are intended to provide a space for mutual support and action. The meeting will last for 30 minutes but participants are welcome to stay after the end of the formal meeting to talk further, if desired. Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting. The actions for this meeting and all previous meetings are open to anyone to act on at any time. They are all available at this link: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 2. National March for Palestine – Ceasefire NOW Saturday 13 January at 12:00 at Bank Junction, EC3V 3LA https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-march-for-palestine-ceasefire-now-january-13/ The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network banner will be at the march. We will be assembling at 12:00 under the Samaritans Blue Plaque on the wall of St Stephen’s Walbrook Church (Northside), 31 St Stephen’s Row (off Walbrook) EC4N 4YA. This is where the Social Workers’ group will also be assembling. The next two items refer to the ICJ and ICC respectively. Here is a refresher about these two bodies, if needed. Understanding how the ICJ and ICC work 3. International Court of Justice resource page The organisation World Beyond War has created a resource page about the South African submission to the International Court of Justice alleging violations by Israel of its obligations under the “Genocide Convention” in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. https://worldbeyondwar.org/gaza-genocide/ Call from Palestine to States Parties of the Genocide Convention: Support South Africa’s ICJ Suit Against Israel over its Gaza Genocide List of organisations calling on signatories of the Genocide Convention to support the case (currently over 1,000 organisations) The USA and UK Mental Health Networks have signed this open letter. The initial submission to the ICJ takes place on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 January. The proceedings run from 9:00 -11:00 (UK time) on both days. Thursday is devoted to SA’s exposition of the case for claiming genocide, Friday to Israel’s defence. It is possible to watch the proceedings here: http://webtv.un.org/en Norman Finkelstein (renowned American political scientist and activist) and Mouin Rabbani (Dutch – Palestinian Middle East analyst) will provide commentary on the case. Connections Episode 85: South Africa Charges Israel with Genocide at the ICJ with Norman Finkelstein (a 4-Part Series) https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/45698 TAKE ACTION There is also a strategic campaign encouraging countries that have been critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza to take the next step and file a Declaration of Intervention in support of the South African case. The website provides simple form through which it is possible email the United Nations Consulates of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Jordan, Turkey, Ireland, Honduras, Bolivia, Belize, Algeria, and Pakistan. The action appears at the top right of this page: https://worldbeyondwar.org/gaza-genocide/ The full text of the action is available here: https://worldbeyondwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Genocide1PageE.pdf 4. Submissions to the International Criminal Court Justice For All has created a tool kit for victims and survivors to submit claims of Israeli aggression to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The International Criminal Court is now accepting online reports of war crimes, including injury, loss of life, and property destruction. Submission of crimes since June 13, 2014 will be considered. https://www.justiceforall.org/icc-submissions/#submiticc 5. Resist the dehumanization of Palestinians and Israelis! Amnesty International Israel has launched an open letter fighting the dehumanization of Gazans, Palestinians, and Muslims, and the dehumanization of Israelis and Jews in general. Why do we fight the dehumanization of Palestinians and Israelis Open Letter and signatories 6. Making a Palestinian symbol At a time of crisis, the work of the Hirbawi brothers in Hebron has rarely been more vital. “After the outbreak of Israel’s current war on Gaza, global demand for keffiyehs increased dramatically as people marched and demonstrated in solidarity with Palestinians. But the Hirbawis cannot increase exports as Israel has cut off the cities of the occupied West Bank from each other and there are no Palestinian airports or ports.” https://www.aljazeera.com/features/longform/2024/1/6/the-only-palestinian-factory-making-keffiyehs-is-going-strong 7. Gaza: Messages & Images Exhibition and Events at P21 Gallery, 21-23 Chalton Street London NW1 In collaboration with Az Theatre and associated artists, P21 Gallery is presenting an exhibition and programme of events, centred around an installation of the Messages From Gaza Now #3 Film. This will be an open space of inspiration, reflection and cultural activism. https://aztheatre.org.uk/ Events: Wed 17 Jan 2024: 7pm Art, Action, Culture, Events! Fri 19 Jan 2024: 7pm Films: Voices From Gaza (1988) and Gaza Breathing Space Film (2011) Tue 23 Jan 2024: 7pm Genocide and Mental Health Thu 25 Jan 2024: 7pm Children, Genocide and the Struggle for Freedom and Justice CORRECTION: In our mailing on 3 January we publicised Ambassadors for HUMANITY – Letters in Solidarity- Disconnected by miles connected through hearts which is a moving collection of letters to Medics and Paramedics in Gaza. We incorrectly stated that the collection was produced by the USA-Palestine Mental Health Network. The USA Network has asked us to clarify that the collection was created by Dr. Sabine Rizk and Nusrat Khan (askrahat101@gmail.com) and the Network is simply distributing it. We apologise to those concerned. Both the UK and the USA Network continue to recommend the collection as a tribute to medics and paramedics in Gaza https://usapalmhn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Final-Letters-to-Gaza-PDF.pdf