Israel Bans Norwegian Doctor Mads Gilbert from Gaza
PALESTINE - ISRAEL, 17 Nov 2014
BBC News – TRANSCEND Media Service
Dr Gilbert, pictured here in 2009, has been a frequent visitor to Gaza
A Norwegian doctor has been permanently banned from entering the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government.
Dr Mads Gilbert says he was stopped trying to cross into Gaza in October [2014]. He called the move “totally unacceptable”.
Israel cited security reasons for imposing the ban.
Dr Gilbert has treated patients in Gaza for more than a decade. He worked at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City during the 50-day summer conflict.
He told the BBC he had never broken any Israeli rules during his spells working in Gaza.
But he suggested that his open reporting of the medical situation in the territory had angered the Israeli authorities.
“The fundamental reason for the ill health of the population in Gaza is of course the siege and the bombing,” he said.
An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Emmanuel Nahshon, described Dr Gilbert as a “Jekyll and Hyde” figure, hiding behind a cloak of being a humanitarian doctor.
He said an investigation was under way into Dr Gilbert and that the decision would be reviewed.
The Norwegian foreign ministry has said it will challenge the ban.
In July, Dr Gilbert was one of the co-signatories in a strongly-worded letter denouncing Israeli action in Gaza, published in the medical journal, the Lancet.
He also described scenes in the Shifa Hospital this summer as the worst he had ever seen.
_______________________________
Related Stories
- Gaza suffers deadliest single day
- Inside Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital Watch
- Gaza facing ‘medical crisis’ Watch
Watch TMS Short Video: Dr. Mads Gilbert Speaks Out on Gaza, Israeli Occupation
Join the BDS-BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, SANCTIONS campaign to protest the Israeli barbaric siege of Gaza, illegal occupation of the Palestine nation’s territory, the apartheid wall, its inhuman and degrading treatment of the Palestinian people, and the more than 7,000 Palestinian men, women, elderly and children arbitrarily locked up in Israeli prisons.
DON’T BUY PRODUCTS WHOSE BARCODE STARTS WITH 729, which indicates that it is produced in Israel. DO YOUR PART! MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
7 2 9: BOYCOTT FOR JUSTICE!
DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Read more
Click here to go to the current weekly digest or pick another article:
PALESTINE - ISRAEL: