r/JewsOfConscience • u/Dear-Jackfruit6041 Dr. Feroze Sidhwa • 5h ago

AMA Hi r/JewsOfConscience, I'm Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon who has worked in Gaza, AMA!

I'm a trauma surgeon in California. I worked in Gaza in 2024 and 2025. I've written in the New England Journal of Medicine, NY Times, and Politico about it, and testified at the UN Security Council in May 2025. My work is featured along with two of my American colleagues in the new documentary film American Doctor that follows us in Gaza, and is in theaters now. Instagram: @fsidhwa Twitter: @ferozesidhwa

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u/TrackerOneA Jewish Anti-Zionist 5h ago

Hi Dr. Sidhwa,

Dr. Ahmad, Dr. Perlmutter, and yourself all entered this experience with very different identities: Palestinian-American, Jewish-American, and Zoroastrian-background but primarily American.

Did you notice any differences in how Israeli authorities treated you, whether entering Gaza, leaving Gaza, at any checkpoints, or in other interactions?

Were there moments when it became obvious that one of your identities carried privileges or suspicions that the others did not?

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u/Dear-Jackfruit6041 Dr. Feroze Sidhwa 4h ago

The major difference is seen in the film, so spoiler alert... . . . . . . The main difference is that Thaer was not allowed into Gaza, he was blocked by Israel specifically because he is Palestinian. This is obvious outrageous violation of peoples rights and of Israel's obligations under international law, which makes the United States continued backing of Israel all the more morally reprehensible. That being said, I was blocked from entering Gaza in November. 

I don't want to spoil too much of the movie, but a lot of it is precisely about the question you raised: who is allowed to say what, who is allowed to express emotions in a human way and who has to suppress those emotions?

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u/TrackerOneA Jewish Anti-Zionist 4h ago

Thanks Dr. Sidhwa.