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An Open Letter to the Palestinian and International Community


An Open Letter to the Palestinian and International Community Regarding Palestinian Israeli - Cooperation in Health
June 2005

We, the undersigned, medical and health service providers and members of
professional unions and research and training institutions working in
the health sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, would like to
register our protest and deep concern over the increasing pressure
exerted upon us to enter into Palestinian-Israeli cooperation schemes in
the sphere of health.

Such projects, largely conceived and funded by international and/or
Israeli institutions, include ventures involving Israeli institutions
such as the Peres Peace Center and Galilee College with the cooperation
or active involvement of Palestinian health professionals, whether such
involvement is in the area of training, referral to Israeli health
services, capacity building, or other joint ventures; initiatives aiming
at `promoting dialogue and collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli
health professionals, NGOs and health institutions`; projects that
entail joint scientific/research cooperation and publications in
international journals under the general heading `Peace-building
through joint Palestinian-Israeli health initiatives`; conferences and
workshops aiming at `contributing to conflict resolution and harm
reduction`; and presentations in conferences in joint
Israeli-Palestinians sessions under rubrics such as ` Working towards
peace in the Middle East`.

Our deep-rooted objections to such joint schemes are multiple:

1. These initiatives, no matter how well intentioned, are imposed
largely from the outside, either luring professionals and academics with
funds, facilities and opportunities for personal advancement in a
resource starved environment, or bringing them solutions to individual
medical and systemic problems that the Israeli military occupation of
Palestinian land has created and maintained.
2. Such schemes, furthermore, do not reflect current Palestinian
priorities and ignore the vastly unequal relationship between the two
parties: one is an occupier and the other is occupied.
3. They fail to take into consideration the generally silent
response of the Israeli academic and professional establishment to
Palestinian scientific, medical, health, educational, economic, social
and political strangulation. In some cases, such Israeli institutions
have been known to participate in developing the strategies and plans of
Israeli rule of Palestinians, their justification, and even providing
the academic legitimacy to market such strategies and plans in the West.
4. They also reflect an unacceptable politicization of health
research and other activities, and claim to be apolitical when a
political agenda is in fact the driving force for such forced
cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians.
5. They are largely premised on the mistaken belief that Israeli
and Palestinian cooperation in the academic, scientific and professional
spheres can lead to peace. While there may be reasons to believe that
such cooperative ventures may contribute to reconciliation in a
post-conflict setting, it is difficult, if not impossible, to believe
that such cooperation can achieve much in ongoing conflict, especially
when justice for Palestinians has not been achieved.

To date, evidence demonstrates that joint academic Palestinian-Israeli
projects are neither effective in bringing about reconciliation, nor
desirable. Such ventures have in fact contributed to hindering the
path to just peace, as their role has been limited to enhancing Israeli
institutional reputation and legitimacy, without restoring justice to
Palestinians, in the face of continued Israeli Government violations of
international law and fundamental Palestinian human rights, including
breaches of the Geneva Conventions.

We believe that it is more fruitful to consider investing what seems to
be a large amount of funds -- dedicated by international bodies to such
Israeli-Palestinian ventures -- directly into Palestinian institutional
infrastructure and capacity building, to allow Palestinians to develop
the needed human resources, referral services and academic scientific
infrastructure that would help them take off on the path of independence
and sustainable development.

We also believe that it is the right of Palestinians to choose their
partners in research, training, teaching and other activities. It would
thus be more fruitful to leave Palestinians to make their choice of
partners and invest in developing existing research, training and other
relationships with various bodies and groups in Jordan, the Arab World,
Europe, the United States and Canada, as well as Israelis who openly
oppose occupation and work with Palestinians based on a platform of
justice, instead of linking the acquisition of funds or operation of
projects to the condition of cooperating with Israelis.

As for well meaning Israeli academics, scientists, and health
professionals, it may be well worth their while to consider becoming
actively involved in Israeli or joint Israeli-Palestinian activities
aimed at ending Israeli military occupation of Palestinian land, the
removal of closures, checkpoints, siege and the Apartheid Wall, among
other manifestations of the root cause of ill health: the occupation.

Signatories:
1. Union of Health Work Committees
2. Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
3. Central National Committee for Rehabilitation
4. Health Development Information Policy Institute
5. General Union of Palestinian Workers
6. General Union of Palestinian Charitable Societies
7. Women`s Affairs Technical Committee
8. Center for the Treatment and Rehabilitations of the Victims of
Torture
9. Gaza Community Mental Health Programme
10.Red Crescent Society - Nablus
11.General Union of Disabled Palestinians
12.Center for University services - al-Najah University
13.Center for Development of Community Resources
14.arab Women`s Society
15. Friends of al-Najah University Society
16. Union of Palestinian Youth
17. Youth Counseling Center
18. Patients` Friends Society - Jenin
19. Palestinian National Council of Non-Governmental Organizations
20. Field Research Group

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