Love and Forgiveness in Governance: Exemplars: Izzeldin Abuelaish

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By Cat Meurn

Despite the many hardships he has had to face throughout his life, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, also known as the "Palestinian Doctor" or "Gaza Doctor", tirelessly works to promote peace in the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. Born in the refugee camp of Jabalia in Gaza, Dr. Abuelaish has overcome the harsh realities of refugee life, in addition to the persecution and humiliation that many Palestinians face on a daily basis, to succeed in becoming a well-known medical doctor specializing in fertility.[1]

Although this accomplishment is extraordinary in itself, what truly makes Dr. Abuelaish an exemplar of love and forgiveness is his enduring commitment to helping those on both sides of the conflict, even throughout his own personal and tragic loss. Dr. Abuelaish was one of the first Palestinians to receive a staff position at an Israeli hospital.[2] For years he worked in one of Israel's main hospitals, crossing a border checkpoint on a regular basis to help women who were in need, regardless of whether they were Israeli or Palestinian.[3] On January 16, 2009, while many were expecting a ceasefire, Dr. Abuelaish's home was shelled by Israeli forces twice, killing three of his daughters, 21-year-old Bessan, 15-year-old Mayar, and 13-year-old Aya.[4]

What's more, no ambulances were able to reach his home, forcing the doctor to walk a quarter mile carrying his children to receive any type of medical help.[5] In an interview about the tragedy, Dr. Abuelaish stated:

I am a gynecologist who practiced most of my time in Israel. I was trained in Israel. And I devoted my life and my work for the benefit of humanity and well-being, to serve patients, not as someone else that you are delivering or helping choose. I am dealing with patients and human beings. We treat patients equally, with respect, with dignity, with privacy. Politicians and leaders should learn from doctors these values and these norms and to adopt them.[6]

There are varying accounts as to why or how the shelling occurred; the Israelis stating that they were only responding to already existing open fire while Dr. Abuelaish has denied that any type of open fire existed.[7] For Dr. Abuelaish, justification for the situation was inexcusable given his work with Israeli citizens and the fact that his daughters had been involved in peace work, with at least one having attended a peace camp in the United States.[8]

Through it all, Dr. Abuelaish has continued to spread the messageof treating all human beings as equal and advocating for peace through various means. Dr. Abuelaish started a foundation, Daughters for Life, which focuses on advancing the education and health of girls and women in the Middle East. Furthermore, he also has published a book: I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity in which he chronicles his journey, and advocates for both Israelis and Palestinians to talk to each other instead of killing or seeking revenge. He states:

Those daughters, when I want to bring them justice, I must be healthy. And hate, as every one of us knows, it's a poison. We don't want to be injected with it. If you want to achieve a noble goal and cause, you must be healthy mentally, spiritually and physically, to defend your goals.[9]

This is what makes Dr. Abuelaish a true exemplar of love and forgiveness, both as a doctor at the community level of governance, and now as a spokesperson and professor teaching the world the power of forgiveness and love in combatting violence and hate.