What Matters Now to Prof. Dan Turner: Treating our enemies humanely makes us human

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Prof. Dan Turner, the head of a pediatric gastroenterology unit at one of Israel’s most respected hospitals and deputy dean of the School of Medicine at the Hebrew University.

Turner, alongside his work as a physician, educator and researcher, is also an ardent activist in a variety of fields concerning human rights and dignity, inside and outside of medicine.

Our podcast conversation was spurred by his response to images of Muhammad al-Mutawaq, a severely emaciated 18-month-old child in Gaza, which were published on the front pages of newspapers around the world, prompting a global outcry about the humanitarian crisis there. Following an independent journalist’s investigation, it was revealed that al-Mutawaq suffered from severe illnesses, including neurological and muscle disorders.

For Turner, al-Mutawaq’s underlying medical conditions don’t excuse his appearance — quite the contrary. The malnourished child, he says, is emblematic of Israel’s inhumane treatment of all Palestinians, from security prisoners handcuffed in hospital beds to babies who require special medical care in Gazan tent cities.

In a wide-ranging interview, Turner explains how he was “awoken” to his duty to advocate for Palestinians’ basic medical care and dignity.

He shares the blowback he has received — and how he gets conversations going about the war in Gaza by forgoing haircuts and shaves.

And so this week, we ask Prof. Dan Turner, what matters now.

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

Check out the previous What Matters Now episode: