More than 100 San José State students congregated in the Science building on Tuesday to hear Dr. Mohammad Subeh speak about his experience working on the field in Gaza for five weeks.
The event was hosted in collaboration with SJSU Students for Justice in Palestine, Students for a Democratic Society SJSU, SJSU Afghan Student Association and the SJSU Human Rights Institute.
Subeh said he worked in Gaza as a medical doctor, helping treat people affected by the conflict.
“Although I am not the best public speaker, the moment I came back from Gaza I realized that I had a need to communicate my story to the wider world,” Subeh said.
He said people in Gaza had a hard time accessing health care and went to Israel to seek medical help.
“There are systematic restrictions upon the people of Gaza that impede their lives and make their lives harder on purpose,” Subeh said.
He said in one circumstance he encountered, parents in Gaza had a difficult time getting proper health care for their child who needed a life-saving surgery because they were under 55 years old.
Subeh said one of the restrictions in Gaza was that people under 55 years old were prohibited from crossing the border.
He said the child’s aunt, who was of qualified age to cross the border, accompanied the child instead.
Subeh said after watching the conflict in Gaza unfold in the media that he felt he needed to help out.
“My wife and family were supportive — in fact my wife was the one that first sent me a text informing me about the program that would send me to Gaza,” he said.
Global studies senior Ariana Shah said she hosted the event.
Shah said she was initially nervous about hosting because she wanted students to come and for Subeh to feel comfortable.
She said her nervousness melted away as the event went on as it was a clear success as the auditorium was completely full of people.
Shah said campus administration has tried to pushback against these events.
“We did face some interesting messages from campus administration,” she said. “In general, we face a lot of pushback from administration because I also wrote the boycott resolution for student government.”
Shah said thinking about what is happening in Palestine emboldens her to keep hosting these events.
She said although she was threatened and told to silence her opinions, she thinks the university ultimately backed down from shutting down student protest events and further intimidation.
“I am not really scared of what administration might try to say to me,” she said. “I know that students want to hear this and they want events like this to happen.”
She said although the situation in Palestine is horrifying, it gives her hope when she sees the resilience of Palestinians to keep smiling, and remaining generous and hospitable.
San José resident Nancy Tsou said this was her third time listening to Subeh speak.
“I wish more people can know about what he (Subeh) saw,” Tsou said. “He's an extraordinary person and very humble, very determined, fearless, courageous and devoted.”
She said Subeh’s testimony as to what happened in Palestine is revealing.
Tsuo said although Subeh does not tell people what to do in his speech, it is clear that he urges people to get involved and protest.
“(He is) asking us to do something about it,” she said. “To have a ceasefire, and to have no killing anymore. Especially (to) withdraw our tax dollars from sending arms to Israel.”
Tsuo said all around the world students are asking for relatively simple things. She said they wanted to boycott, divest away from funds and practices that support the conflict in Israel.
She said the nature of the conflict in Gaza is horrible and inhumane.
Tsuo said the inhumane nature of the conflict is why so many American students care, even though it is happening so far away.
“Young people are the future, they are the ones that stand up for principle,” she said. “The older generations are more embedded in the power structure and more resistant to change . . . You guys are the hope, we are looking to you.”