Doctors in conflict
2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 362; Issue: 9392 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0140-6736(03)14586-2
ISSN1474-547X
Autores Tópico(s)Torture, Ethics, and Law
ResumoAs a friend and colleague of the late David Applebaum, I feel compelled to reply to Richard Horton's thoughtful Commentary (Sept 20, p 928)1Horton R Doctors in conflict: understanding Israel's despair.Lancet. 2003; 362: 928-929Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar. David was an exemplary physician, a devoted father and husband, and above all a warm and sensitive human being. For this final reason, I found the parallel drawn between the murder of David and the wounding of Mahmoud al-Zahar, spokesman of Hamas, particularly objectionable. In the post-modern world, moral relativism reigns–there is no absolute good and no absolute evil; all acts are merely various shades of grey. I beg to differ. Horton has failed to point out that David Applebaum, when killed, was at worst an innocent bystander waiting to pay for a cup of coffee, and more correctly was a devoted physician who ministered to the needs of patients of all faiths and nationalities. Mahmoud al-Zahar, however, was the spokesman for a terrorist organisation, which prides itself on the use of “shahid” or the suicide bomber to specifically target civilians. He thus represented the antithesis of all that David and all other civilised human beings stand for. Leaving aside the political arguments as to the merits of each party in the Middle East conflict, we should never forget that intentionally targeting civilian non-combatants is never morally justified. Moral relativism and political correctness cannot cloud public discourse on this issue. This point should not even be opened to discussion. I have the dubious honour of being director of an obstetrics service located just a few metres from the busiest intersection of downtown Jerusalem. This area is the Israeli equivalent of Ground Zero. I have personally been involved in more than ten suicide attacks, which have taken the lives of more than 80 civilians in the past 3 years. We have lost patients and colleagues in the past 3 years. Throughout this period, our staff, which is comprised of Palestinians as well as Jews, has continued to care for the needs of our patients, irrespective of nationality; not always an easy task. Unfortunately, it is naive to believe our values as physicians always guarantee that we will act to instil hope, restore dignity, and render compassion. Interestingly, some of the leading arch-terrorists of past years were physicians. Cases in point include Ayman al-Zawhiri, the infamous second in command of al-Qaeda, and George Habash of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Remaining true to our calling in the face of practice in a war zone can be a daunting challenge. David rose up and showed us how to meet this challenge. He very much exemplified the words of Solomon in Proverbs 3:17: “Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace”. This is David's legacy. May his memory be blessed
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