Eyad al-Sarraj

Eyad al-Sarraj is a Palestinian Gazan psychiatrist who was a consultant to the Palestinian delegation at the Camp David 2000 Summit. He is also a recipient of the Physicians for Human Rights Awards. He is featured in a book by journalist Barbara Victor about Palestinian female suicide bombers, Army of Roses. In the Palestinian elections of 2006, he headed the Wa'ad list of candidates, also known as the National Coalition for Justice and Democracy. He also heads a group of Palestinian and Israeli academics working towards a peace agreement.

On 29 June 2009 Dr al-Sarraj appeared before the United Nations fact finding mission into Operation Cast Lead. He appeared as a witness on behalf of the "Gaza Community Mental Health Programme." He stated that 20% of the children in Gaza suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. His evidence is quoted in the final report, known as the Goldstone Report.^[1][2]

The "Gaza Community Mental Health Programme" (GCMHP) was founded by Dr al-Sarraj has 40 members of staff. Its premises were destroyed on 30 December in an Israeli Air Force air-strike.

Al-Sarraj is President of Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace International, a network of Palestinian, Israeli, and International faculty, and students, working in for an end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and just peace.[1]

He explained what it means to live under Israeli occupation."Among other thing, it means:

• an identity number and permit to live as a resident which will be lost if one leaves the country for more than three months;
• a traveling document which specifies that the holder is of an undefined nationality;
• being called twice a year by intelligence for routing investigation and persuasion to work as an informer on "your brothers and sister,"
• leaving your home in the refugee camp in Gaza at 3 a.m.,going through road-blocks and checkpoints to do the work that others won't and returning home in the evening to collapse in bed for few hours before getting up for the following day;
• losing repect from one own children when they see their father spat at and beaten before their own eyes;
• seeing the (name of the) Prophet being spat on by Israeli settlers in Hebron.

We were exhausted, tormented and brutalized."^[3]

References

1. ^ Goldstone Report: A/HRC/12/48 15 September, page 349, para 1255
2. ^ web cam of Dr al-Sarraj's evidence
3. ^ Eyad Sarraj, "Why We have turned into Suicide Bombers: Understanding Palestinian Terror,"Just Commentary, no.3,September 1997,pp.1-2.