January 13th 2009
Experiences of a medical student studying at Be’er-sheva, Israel
Rachel Pope, a medical student studying in Be’er-sheva, Israel, shares here views and experiences. (For our previous reports on the health situation in Gaza see here and here)
This seems like an endless war. Our administration has tried to remain optimistic and we are allegedly going to begin classes for the semester two days from now after a week-long delay, but the sirens that indicate a fast-approaching rocket keep sounding. We have always been assured that the Hamas rockets from Gaza could not reach our town, Beersheba, about 30 miles away, but suddenly they can. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has a long history, though they had most recently concluded a harried six month cease-fire arranged by Egypt. Each side accused the other of breaking the truce; Hamas citing different events both in Gaza and the West Bank and Israel citing the rockets that had terrorized their bordering towns. A few weeks ago, while practicing taking patient histories in Hebrew, I met a woman living in one of those towns. She told me about her health problems that had brought her to the hospital, but talked more extensively about the stress of living under constant attack. My heart went out to her. Little did I know that my life would soon resonate with the same sounds and stress of sirens and alarms.
Most of my classmates were in the states for winter break when it began, but unfortunately, I was still in Israel. I was in the north with friends when I found out, so I decided to stay there until things calmed. Walking through the port in Tel Aviv, a popular place for locals to spend their weekends for brunch, shopping, and acrobatic shows on the water, I would never know I was in a country at war. Although the atmosphere was relaxing, I began to feel sick about the discrepancy with my life there and what I saw every time we turned on the news. I went to another family’s house who are life-long social activists and are part of an intentionally co-existent village; demonstrating that Jews and Arabs can live peacefully together. The first night there, we went to a massive protest together. It felt so good to finally raise a voice for peace, but I soon realized that no one heard us as I could not find anywhere in any local or international news that there had been so many of us within Israel protesting the war. What is even more devastating was that Israel had begun the land invasion practically at the same time we were on the streets demonstrating.
After over a week of living in the north, I decided it was time to return to Beersheba and arranged to stay with friends who had a bomb shelter in their apartment. I am supposed to keep the location of rocket landings undisclosed, but let’s just say they were a little too close for my comfort to stay in my house without it’s own shelter. Thus far, few have physically injured anyone, however, these rockets do not discriminate. They have hit Bedouin villages and even Arab neighborhoods, which I am sure was not intentional.
Both sides have committed blunt acts against the lives of civilians. However, regardless of the inordinate amount of stress the warning sirens cause and the damage to any attempt at a normal life to the civilians in Israel, we have many more options in terms of evacuation and shelter than the civilians in Gaza. I read a newspaper article about Israeli military dropping paper notices to civilians informing them that they live in a targeted area and that they should evacuate, but where are they supposed to go? Often in times of war, civilians at risk flee, but with the borders shut in the south to Egypt, and the sea blocked by Israeli forces, the people of Gaza have no where to seek refuge.
We are all caught in this senseless mess, but unfortunately, some are caught more than others.
As a medical student hoping to go into a career of international health caring for the underserved, this is a distressing situation. There is nothing I can do for those who need help and as a pre-clinical student, I have no real skills, yet anyway. My purpose for being in Israel is for a quality education that focuses on international health in the company of other like-minded students. Although learning how to concentrate in times of stress and keeping our minds on our own goals even when we feel like we have no control might be a valuable skill, I would never want that at the expense of so many lives. However, this experience is making me realize something important about living through the difficult realities of our world. My own country, the US, has engaged in several wars such as the one Israel is in now, and though I also attended protests for those, I never actually lived through the reality of any of them. I was always removed enough to intermittently forget about the suffering. I do not mean to say that it is good to be near the suffering per se, but for once, it is good to not be in denial. Not being in denial about human suffering, means that I can be a better advocate for people and for peace. I may not be able to cross the border and help the way I would like to now, but studying this year and getting a step closer to my medical degree is all the more significant.
Rachel Pope
Medical student
Medical School for International Health
Be’er-sheva
Israel
January 16th, 2009 at 3:38 am
I would like to thank Lancet and Rachel the medical student in Israel for the reality check on Gasa.
I’m an orthopaedic surgeon in South Africa familiar with being exposed to trauma and gunshot wounds but patients have access to medical facilities at least. I hope all other readers have been touched like I have and be motivated to speak out and encourage our leaders to end this killing on both sides. As a medical trainee I never faced the chalanges as they do in Be’er-sheva, I have my degree and have traveled the world with it. For the international medical students who would like to cross the border to help but can’t, I have joined a group leaving in a few days to Gaza to help the surgeons there. Thank you for your inspiration!
John de Beer
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Durban
South Africa
January 24th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I think Rachel, whose naivetee is only matched by her ignorance, whould be allowed to cross the border into Gaza and see firsthand how the people of Gaza would treat an American born, Israeli educated, female. She would first be arrested and accused of being a spy and if she survives the torture that she would have to endure, she would then have to endure being in captivity in Hamas hands. I wonder how compassionate she would then be. Comapassion is an admirable trait. However it cannot exist in a vacuum. The realities of life are such that although compassion for the civilians of Gaza is admirable it is neither deserved nor appreciated. Unfortunately they have brought this situation upon themselves by allowing their Hamas leaders to be leaders of terror and hatered. As to the assertion that Israelie’s have places to seek shelter during a rocket attack whereas the Gazans do not. The reality is such that there are underground shelters in Gaza but the civilians are not allowed in them. Only the Hamas leadership sits underground in those shelters. There is a huge underground shelter right under Shifa hospital where the whole Hamas leadership sits and plans their atrocities on their own civilians, as well as on the Israelis living in Southern Israel
February 12th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I do not know Rachel personally, but I have read her article, published in the last issue of the Ben Gurion University medical students’ newsletter (December 2008). I am sure that Rachel is a very optimistic person and a very dedicated student to her future profession.
But studying in a foreign country does not give her a chance to get accustomed with our reality. She might see a partial picture of what’s happening in this part of the country in the last 8 years. She did not see Sderot kids and adults dying in our ICUs as a result of being hit by one of the bombs sent from the Gaza strip. She did not see the amount of kids and adults suffering from serious symptoms belonging to the post-traumatic stress syndrome, including anxiety, impossibility to work, to sleep, to have a normal sexual activity. She did not see small children going back and wetting during nights after being weaned off.
And all this is happening years after Israel finally left the Gaza strip.
True, relatively few Israelis have been killed in this conflict in the south of Israel, but how many are still affected and live an almost impossible life ?!
I wish Rachel to finish her medical studies, to go back to her own country and bring with her only good memories.
Unfortunately, after she would leave, we will be left with the same cruel reality, part of our daily life. Because our “partners”, the Hamas Arabs, still not accept our existence in this part of the world.