From Palestine on COVID-19, curfews and mutual aid: an interview with Weeam Hammoudeh

Weeam Hammoudeh, a professor and researcher at Birzeit University’s Institute of Community and Public Health, took part in a series of dispatches, published by Independent Jewish Voices–Canada, that feature Palestinians and Palestine solidarity activists, reflecting on life under the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviewed on April 2, 2020, Hammoudeh highlighted how the spread of COVID-19 is affecting life in Palestine under military curfew and siege and drew attention to the restrictions Israel imposes on the entry of medical aid.

In Hammoudeh’s words, “Here in Palestine, [the situation of battling COVID-19  is] very much intertwined with the political context of the ongoing occupation, settler colonialism, and apartheid. It’s important to keep this in mind. But also, we can’t lose sight of the source of all of this. What happens in these situations is that you get caught up in the urgency of the situation, in either containing the problem, or providing quick solutions to the immediate problems. And I think this is important. It’s important to take all the measures that we can to save people’s lives, or to stop this disease from spreading.”

The full article with the interview is available here.