It’s time to help the children of Gaza
I once had eight children.
On Jan.16, 2009, three of my daughters and a niece were killed when an Israeli tank shell hit my old house in Gaza.
I wrote a book about that day and how, ever since, I have tried not to hate, but to use love and peace as the way to heal myself and, as best I can, the deep, historic and often lethal divide that still exists between Palestinians and Israelis.
It’s hard. But I try every day, as a doctor and father, to honour the beloved memory of my lost daughters and niece by building bridges, not walls.
Last Monday, May 14, was the birthday of one of my surviving daughters. Her name is Raffa. But Raffa and I could not celebrate. We could not celebrate because, as the world knows, my brothers and sisters in Gaza were being shot and killed. Many more were injured badly. It was a massacre.
Watching the horror unfold, I could once again hear the cries of wounded and dying Palestinian children, women and men who marched together peacefully to defend their freedom and humanity.
Gaza is bleeding once more, just as it did in 2014 when Israel invaded. When the killing was over, more than 500 Palestinian children were dead and thousands more were maimed.
By now, I was in Canada. At the time, I asked my fellow Canadians to help me help the scarred children of Gaza. The humanitarian initiative was called Heal 100 Kids.
Many Canadians agreed to help. Doctors, nurses, hospitals and important politicians also agreed to help.
One of those politicians was Justin Trudeau. Back then, he went on Twitter and urged his fellow Canadians to support Heal 100 Kids. He “applauded” the Ontario government for its “commitment” to the plan to arrange for safe passage of damaged Palestinian children to come to Canada to mend and eventually to return to Gaza better and, hopefully, happier.
But Trudeau was not prime minister, Stephen Harper was. I wrote to Harper, asking for a meeting. He never met me. Harper didn’t help and those hurting Palestinian children didn’t get the aid so many wonderful, caring, loving Canadians were prepared to give for free.
So, today, I am writing to Prime Minister Trudeau to ask him to keep his promise and, indeed, his word. He has the power to do that. Now, he must show the will to help Palestinian children in desperate need.
The world knows that Gaza’s small hospitals are overflowing with the dead and wounded. More than 60 Palestinians were killed in one day. One day. Countless more have been hurt since March 30, when the non-violent marches began. Of course, many of the harmed, yet again, have been innocent children.
On behalf of Gaza’s children, I urge Prime Minister Trudeau to help me and every other Canadian who, I’m certain, still wants to help, get those children to Canada so doctors, nurses and therapists can help them heal.
Like me, Prime Minister Trudeau, you are a father. You have three young, beautiful children. You care for them. You protect them. You love them. You would do anything for them.
Palestinian mothers and fathers love, care and protect their children. They would do anything for their children, too.
If you, not only as prime minister, but as a father, told Palestinians mothers and fathers that Canada would welcome and care for their damaged children, they would let them come.
They know Canada is a good country, with good people. They know you are a good man, with a good heart. They know that after their children recovered, they would go back to their families in Gaza, forever grateful to you and Canada.
It’s time to say yes, Prime Minister Trudeau. It’s time to help ease the pain and suffering of only 100 Palestinian children. It’s time for you, if I may, to walk the talk and make true the words that you wrote just a few years ago. It’s time to set politics and talk aside. It’s time to do something now and tangible. It’s time for a much-needed measure of kindness and decency, amid all the ugly human carnage. It’s time.