Oct 7, 2024
In this interview, we are joined by Mary Turfah who
discusses a couple of her recent articles including the broader
context of medical neutrality and the targeting of healthcare
workers in Gaza. She addresses the historical context of medical
neutrality, which emerged in the mid-1800s as a means to ensure
medical immunity on the battlefield. Turfah explains how this
concept has racialized limitations, particularly in colonial
contexts where colonizers often do not need the medical facilities
of the colonized and thus feel justified in targeting them.
Turfah highlights the systematic targeting of healthcare workers in
Gaza by Israeli forces, noting that nearly 500 healthcare workers
had been killed as of May 15th, often through targeted bombings or
summary executions. She emphasizes that this targeting is part of a
broader strategy to control the Palestinian population by
eliminating those who can provide life-saving care. This strategy
not only cripples the current medical infrastructure but also
undermines the future training and development of medical
professionals in Gaza.
The interview also touches on the personal experiences of
healthcare workers in Gaza, who often have to change out of their
scrubs to avoid being targeted and face abductions and other forms
of violence. Turfah underscores the importance of recognizing the
humanity and professional integrity of these healthcare workers,
who are often put on the defensive in Western media narratives that
seek to justify Israeli actions.
Turfah also problematizes the psychological and biomedical
explanations used to justify the behavior of Israeli Zionists,
arguing that the roots of this violence lie in the Zionist ideology
and colonial project, not individual psychosis.
We conclude by reflecting on Mary’s experiences as a surgical
resident and the broader implications for medical professionals
working in conflict zones.
You can follow Mary Turfah on Twitter and Instagram at @MaryTurfah
to keep up with her work and insights.
Mary Turfah is a writer and resident physician trained in Middle
Eastern South Asian and African Studies at Columbia, where her
research focused on trauma memory and the margins of the Nakba. She
has written about medical neutrality and settler psychosis for The
Baffler, the (mis)uses of Edward Said's famous 'permission to
narrate' for Protean, the destruction of medical infrastructure in
Gaza for The Nation, and other things for other places. She is
working on an essay collection about medicine and imperialism,
explored through the life of a Lebanese ob-gyn who inspired her to
pursue medicine.
Giving direct aid to people in Gaza is a way of directly intervening against the genocidal policy of zionist settler colonialism and US imperialism. We recommend the Sameer Project as a a grassroots direct-aid organization that provides tents, water, food and medical aid to Palestinians in Gaza, including areas of the north where the Zionist entity does not allow NGOs to function. We’ll link a recent livestream we hosted with Hala from the Sameer Project as well as links to their funds.
To support our work become a patron of the show for as little as $1 per month. We will have a patreon-member only release tomorrow (October 8th)
This episode is edited & produced by Aidan Elias. Music, as always, is by Televangel
Links:
https://www.maryturfah.com/
Running Amok The feeds of the IDF depict
what Zionism can’t see
No Side to Fall In Medical
neutrality in Gaza
What It’s Like on the Front Lines of
Gaza’s Hospital Hell Talking to Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan