Contentious Palestine gathering at Charité
In a surprising turn of events, the Charité, one of Europe's largest university clinics and a renowned international platform for global health discussions, has cancelled a planned solidarity film screening event for Palestine. The decision, which led to the event's cancellation, was due to the institution's imposition of restrictive security conditions [1].
The organisers, Gesundheit4Palestine, had planned to screen the film "A State of Passion" at the Charité on July 23rd. However, the stringent security measures required by the institution posed significant risks to the safety and privacy of those involved, prompting the organisers to call off the event [1].
The controversy surrounding the cancellation has not gone unnoticed. The student groups International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Physicians in Social Responsibility (IPPNW) at the Charité, Decolonise, and Gesundheit4Palestine have accused the Charité of blocking an event and discussion forum in solidarity with Palestine [2].
The Charité's dean's office reportedly demanded a meeting where conditions were set that would have endangered the safety and privacy of the participants. These conditions included the pre-sharing of participant lists, ID and bag checks, and the involvement of the police in unspecified violations [2].
When asked about the specific security concerns that would justify such measures, the Charité's press office responded generally, stating that in a hospital environment like the Charité, the safety of patients is of absolute priority, and special security measures must be considered for politically sensitive events at the Charité [3].
Initially, the Charité had approved the event conditionally, but later declined due to unaccepted security conditions [1]. The Charité has since stated that it was an internal student event and that they would not comment on it publicly [4].
The film "A State of Passion" accompanies Ghassan Abu-Sittah, the rector of the University of Glasgow, in his work with Doctors Without Borders in Gaza in October 2023 [5]. Abu-Sittah was scheduled to participate in the event at the Charité.
It's important to note that the healthcare system in Gaza is not fully functional, a fact that has not been addressed by the Charité's press office [6]. Furthermore, no statement on the situation of the healthcare system in Gaza is planned from the university clinic's press office [6].
The Charité, serving as the medical faculty of Humboldt and Free University, is engaged with the Charité Center for Global Health and the World Health Summit [7]. Despite the recent controversy, it remains to be seen how this incident will impact the institution's reputation as a hub for global health discussions.
References:
[1] Gesundheit4Palestine Instagram Post, 2023. [2] Charité's dean's office demands, 2023. [3] Charité's press office response, 2023. [4] Charité's statement on the event cancellation, 2023. [5] Ghassan Abu-Sittah's work with Doctors Without Borders, 2023. [6] No statement on the healthcare system in Gaza, 2023. [7] Charité's engagement with global health initiatives, 2023.
