Dr. Abu al-Aish

Dr. Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish is a Palestinian gynecologist; he speaks Hebrew, and was trained in Israel; he lives in Gaza but works at a hospital in Israel. He lives in both worlds, and naturally desires that the two be reconciled; so he works as a peace activist.

Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive, he's been stuck inside Gaza, and has apparently been in numerous phone interviews on Israeli TV, describing the suffering and the medical situation within Gaza. On Friday he was scheduled for yet another interview, but when the studio called him up at his home, housing an extended family of 18 people, they found out that the IDF had just dropped a tank shell on the heads of his children.

To their enormous credit, the anchors and producers put the call directly on air. Watch the clip at your own discretion.



This man works for peace. He helps the wives and daughters of Israel have healthy babies, and Israel killed his girls.

Afterward he and some of his wounded relatives were allowed out of Gaza; they are being treated at the hospital where he works. This is not a service done for the average resident of besieged Gaza, but because of his high profile he received this great and absurd favour. While there:

Abu al-Aish spoke of his slain daughters - Bisan, 20, an economics and business management student at Islamic University in Gaza, Mayar, 15, and Aya, 14, as well as his niece, Nur, 17.

"I raised my children to work, and to be soldiers of peace. I believed medicine could be a bridge for peace between Israelis and Palestinians," he said. "During all of my work at Soroka people would ask me, 'Where are you from - Haifa, Nazareth? I wanted them to know I'm from Jabalya refugee camp, a Palestinian. That we can live together."

Dream on, doctor. (Please.)

Haaretz
MSNBC

Via.