Considering Palestine in Clinical and Institutional Spaces: Four Voices

Within the realm of psychoanalysis, the topic of Palestine, and Palestinians, continues to be taboo. Fantastical projections of what makes a Palestinian “Other” and the psychological drives to contain this Other often leave Palestinians in psychoanalytic spaces feeling dissatisfied, silenced, and, in some cases, aggressed against and violated. Within this context, we present a twist on the traditional panel discussion format by creating a different space in which we as Palestinian and Arab-identifying clinicians can bring forward the reality of our experiences tackling Palestine in clinical and therapeutic spaces – with patients, therapists, supervisors, and peers. Being mindful of the normative gaze that dictates discussions on Palestine to make them more palatable to a general audience, we will provide a recording of a conversation between the four of us (Selma, Nawal, Tareq, and Bassem) merging theoretical and experiential knowledge to explore impasses at play in discussions about Palestine. After the recording there will be a short moderated discussion between panelists and moderator followed by a longer period of moderated interaction between panelists and audience where questions and issues can be further clarified and developed.