The USA-Palestine Mental Health Network endorses the January 2020 statement issued by the Palestine-Global Mental Health Network, in support of their objection to the Israeli Ministry of Health having entered into an agreement with Ariel University to provide courses in Continuing Professional Education. One component of this program involves training in "cultural sensitivity."

Extraordinary insensitivity is manifest however in the fact that the host institution of Ariel University is located within a settlement in the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967. Such a course by its very nature would undermine the cultural identity of the Palestinian people, making a mockery of the principles of education as well as the principles of humanity and best practice exemplified by the field of mental health.

We would ask the Israeli Ministry of Health to reconsider its decision and to be genuinely sensitive to the issues raised by the Palestine-Global Mental Health Network. We encourage mental health clinicians in the USA and globally to join this call.

Steering Committee
USA-Palestine Mental Health Network
https://usapalmhn.org/
January 21, 2020