How did self-declared neutral Doctors Without Borders (MSF) react to the 7th OCT Pogrom?

Doctors Without Borders, or MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières), has a charter in which they claim to remain neutral in face of religious, racial and political strife in the countries in which they work. They manage to maintain that neutrality in every place except the one place in the world connected with the Jews. After a brief introduction to the organization, I will show what they posted on “X” after the 7th OCT atrocities committed by Hamas. That will be followed by earlier examination of their activities related to Israel.

The MSF Charter:

MSF provides assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters, and to victims of armed conflict. They do so irrespective of race, religion, creed, or political convictions.

MSF observes neutrality and impartiality in the name of universal medical ethics and the right to humanitarian assistance and claims full and unhindered freedom in the exercise of its functions.

The MSF charter repeatedly mentions the organization’s “independence and impartiality.” It accepts only limited funds from governments in order to remain impartial.

Our decisions are not based on political, economic, or religious interests. MSF does not take sides or intervene according to the demands of governments or warring parties.

On the other hand, MSF does not want to be a silent bystander. That is understandable because sometimes those who do not speak of the evil they see are part of allowing the evil to continue and even to grow.

The principles of impartiality and neutrality are not synonymous with silence. When MSF witnesses extreme acts of violence against individuals or groups, the organization may speak out publicly. We may seek to bring attention to extreme need and unacceptable suffering when access to lifesaving medical care is hindered, when medical facilities come under threat, when crises are neglected, or when the provision of aid is inadequate or abused.

If I wanted to be generous, I would suggest that speaking out depends on whether or not MSF wants to continue working in a particular area and, therefore, if the organization can allow itself to speak out without fear of repercussions. If I want to be less generous, I would suggest that MSF speaks out in the service of its antisemitism alone.

How have they responded to 7 OCT?

Among their “X” posts on the earthquake in Afghanistan and helping Armenian refugees fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh, this is what they said that day about the Hamas pogrom against Jews in Israel:

Nothing.

And this is what they said about the what they call “the new round of hostilities”:

And they continue with unceasing reports of the hardships Israel is causing Gazans, such as this:

“There is no place to hide, no time to rest. Some places are being bombed on consecutive nights.” – Matthias Kennes, MSF Head of Mission in Gaza.

Read more: Indiscriminate violence and the collective punishment of Gaza must cease ????https://t.co/34TlDU6MU4

— MSF International (@MSF) October 12, 2023

Apparently, they swallow all Hamas lies even though they are there on the ground and can readily report on reality — they can also self-evacuate to safety to the southern strip unless they prefer to be counted among casualties caused by Israel.

Someone must have complained to them because on 12 October they suddenly “remembered” that Israelis were massacred, tortured, and abducted by Hamas but of course they had to “bothside” it:

We are horrified by the brutal mass killing of civilians perpetrated by Hamas, and by the massive attacks on #Gaza now being pursued by Israel.

— MSF International (@MSF) October 12, 2023

That post must have been uploaded in order to begin their assault on Israel in which they have engaged since then:

“Israel’s 24-hour notice that people in Northern Gaza must leave their land, homes and hospitals is outrageous – this represents an attack on medical care and on humanity.

We have consistently seen dehumanising language and this violence is a manifestation of that. pic.twitter.com/L2rfwG8ZwJ

— MSF International (@MSF) October 13, 2023

And on 21 October, one of their staff in Gaza said that the hospitals will soon run out of fuel and they will not, therefore, have electricity. In another post, on 24 October, we see there is still electricity in Al Shifa Hospital. Guess we need to wait a bit longer. And then we find out that Hamas is taking fuel from the hospitals. But, of course, it is Israel’s fault.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1719760273047790071

MSF has been calling for a total ceasefire for over a week.

I actually began writing this article seven years ago and it has stayed in draft until today. Given their total lack of response to the massacre of Jews, I think nothing has changed since I collected the material below.

Videos Prepared By MSF

I share with you videos prepared by MSF. I leave it to you to determine if their speaking up about “Palestine” lies within their promise to “bring attention to extreme need and unacceptable suffering” or a breach of their impartiality.

Now watch a 9-minute video discussing MSF work in 5 locations: Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan (SS), the Philippines (Phil), Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya, and the West Bank (Palestinian Authority – PA).

In their introduction to each piece, there is text:

CAR: Bangun, the country’s capital, is in the midst [of] extreme violence. Attacks, lynching, looting, and reprisals are everyday occurrences.
SS: Fighting broke out in mid-December between government forces and supporters of the former vice-president. Over 70K people have fled the violence in Bor, capital of Jonglei state.
Phil: It is two months since typhoon Haiyan ripped through part of the country. MSF redeploys its teams according to the population’s evolving needs.
Kenya: Hundreds of thousands of Somalis live in Dadaab, the world’s biggest refugee camp. The UN, Kenya, and Somalia signed an agreement in November regarding their voluntary repatriation.
J&S: There are 520,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank. This leads to violence and puts psychological pressure on the Palestinians. [Begins at 7:30 minutes.]

Verbal introductions to each site of MSF intervention discussed:

CAR: 100K displaced people are living in M’poko Camp near Bangui Airport. Forced out of their homes by the violence that is rife in the city . . .
SS: Here [in Juba, the country’s capital], we are 50 km from the town Bor, where the army is trying to regain control. Born has been in rebel hands . .  .
Phil: Reconstruction is underway in the islands affected by the typhoon.
Kenya: Dagahali is one of Dadaab’s camps. Set up 22 years ago, it hosts Somalis who have fled from the civil war . .
PA: Wissam is a psychologist working for the MSF programme based in Nablus. She assists patients suffering from acute stress, anxiety, and depression.

And what is the cause of their stress, anxiety, and depression? The intro text says it all: the mere fact that Israeli settlers, aka Jews, live in the vicinity.

The narrator then describes two visits to patients by Wissam al-Sayyeh. First, she meets with Um Taha:

Not long ago the Israel army stormed into her house in the middle of the night. The soldiers beat her up, ransacked her home and arrested her son. She hasn’t been able to sleep since. But arrests by the army are not the sole cause of trauma. The proximity of Israeli settlers is also a factor of violence. “Like every village in Palestine, Salem has a lot of suffering. First of all, there is Elon Moreh settlement beside them and the settlers used to come down and harass the people. So the soldiers of the Israeli army used to enter the houses and to arrest the people.” Wissam sets off again to Jaloud, a village surrounded by four colonies. The psychologist is checking up on one of her former patients, Um Fawaz, an exchange that helps her cope with the ongoing violence, incursions by settlers and general climate of fear.  “We keep our doors locked the whole time because we’re frightened. They can come at any time without our knowing it.” The ten olive trees recently torched by settlers hoping to intimidate the Palestinians into leaving are a sign of these assaults. Anxiety and depression — this is the price Um Fawaz pays to live on her land.

This is the message they are promoting — Israel is evil and makes Arabs’ lives intolerable. They say nothing about attacks on Jews in Judea-Samaria, something that is more frequent than vice versa. But, without counting tit for tat, the main point is, Jews!

Conclusion: Catastrophes around the world are caused by political “unrest” to put it mildly, or bynatural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. But where Israel is involved the cause is Jews, living and breathing Jews. How dare we!!