April 30, 2002

DGH Statement on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Doctors for Global Health (DGH) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit, Volunteer, humanitarian organization dedicated to the promotion of health, education and other Human Rights in the United States, Central America and throughout the world.

DGH has more than 200 supporting Volunteers, including physicians and other health workers, students and teachers, who either work from their own communities around the world or work in DGH-related projects in El Salvador, Uganda, the United States, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, Honduras and Chiapas, Mexico.

As a Board, we are deeply troubled by the current situation in the Middle East. As a Health and Human Rights organization, DGH does not take a political stand nor address issues essential to ending the Mid-East Conflict. DGH condemns all violations of the Geneva Convention, international humanitarian law and Basic Human Rights in this conflict and affirms medical neutrality, recognizing the profound psychological and physical aspects of war on health. We believe that violence begets violence–whether inflicted by suicide/homicide bombers, tank assaults, air strikes or military artillery.

DGH publicly condemns the use of violent assaults on innocent civilians by both the Israelis and Palestinians in the current Mid-East Conflict. We condemn the Palestinian suicide/homicide bombings that have murdered and maimed innocent civilians throughout Israel, attacks that can only lead to deepening rage, bitterness and unwillingness to bend. We denounce on-going Israeli incursions into Palestinian towns and refugee camps that have inflicted heavy casualties and damaged infrastructure, including the firing on ambulances and emergency medical workers, putting at enormous risk both individuals in need of emergency care and medical workers.

DGH respectfully urges that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) immediately assure access to medical services by respecting provisions of international humanitarian law that require medical supplies to reach facilities, and emergency medical workers and vehicles to have access to the sick and wounded in conflict zones and across checkpoints or blockaded areas, but outside combat. We join the international call upon Israel to withdraw troops, and upon the Palestinian authority to clearly reject suicide bombings and other acts of violence. DGH strongly condemns the exploitation of this conflict to fan the flames of both anti-Semitism and anti-Moslem sentiment. A bold exercise of reason, pragmatism and moderation is needed; both sides should take immediate responsibility to de-escalate the violence. We call for Human Rights monitoring of all parties to this conflict.

DGH understands that the rules of international humanitarian law recognize legitimate security needs, designed to enable a state to meet its defense requirements without compromising access to medical services. We openly uphold the State of Israel's right to exist and support an equally autonomous homeland for the Palestinians. The IDF must establish guidelines that will allow Israel to maintain security and meet its obligations under international humanitarian law, so the needs of a medically-distressed population are not compromised, and individuals are able to reach appropriate medical services. This Basic Human Right must be upheld.

In Health and Human Rights,

Doctors for Global Health Board of Directors

"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it... Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate.... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.