Elham Asaad Buaras
A New York City hospital dismissed a Palestinian American nurse after she described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” in an award acceptance speech for her work with bereaved mothers who lost their children during pregnancy and childbirth.
A spokesperson for NYU Langone Health announced on May 30 that labour and delivery nurse Hesen Jabr had previously been cautioned against bringing her views “on this divisive and charged issue into the workplace.”
Jabr posted on Instagram that she received the award on May 7, made her remarks, and was given a termination letter later in the month. In her acceptance speech, she mentioned mothers who had lost babies during the war in Gaza, stating the award was “deeply personal” to her. “It pains me to see women from my country experiencing unimaginable losses during the current genocide in Gaza,” Jabr said in the video of her speech posted online.
A spokesperson for NYU Langone Health stated that Jabr had been warned in December, “following a previous incident, not to bring her views on this divisive and charged issue into the workplace.”
The spokesperson added, “She chose to ignore this warning at a recent employee recognition event widely attended by her colleagues, some of whom were upset by her comments,” without detailing the earlier incident. “As a result, Jabr is no longer an NYU Langone employee.”
Photo: Hesen Jabr, an award-winning nurse from NYU Langone Health, was dismissed in May 2024 after showing sympathy for mothers of children killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. (Photo: Hesen Jabr/social media)
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