Nurse Loses Job for Mentioning Gaza 'Genocide' in Compassion Award Speech

A New York City hospital, NYU Langone Health, has terminated the employment of a nurse, Hesen Jabr, following her speech during an award ceremony where she labeled the conflict in Gaza as "genocide." Jabr, a Palestinian American, was being recognized for her compassionate care towards mothers who had suffered the loss of their babies. In her acceptance speech on May 7, which she later shared on social media, Jabr expressed her distress over the suffering of women in Gaza, drawing parallels to her work.

Upon returning to work on May 22, Jabr was called into a meeting with the hospital's president and vice president of nursing. According to Jabr's Instagram post, the meeting was to address how her speech had "put others at risk," "ruined the ceremony," and "offended people." Following most of her shift, she was informed of her termination and escorted from the premises.

Steve Ritea, a spokesperson for NYU Langone, confirmed Jabr's dismissal, citing a prior incident and warning issued to Jabr in December. Ritea stated that Jabr's decision to bring her views on a "divisive and charged issue" into the workplace, especially during an employee recognition event, led to her termination. Details of the previous incident were not disclosed.

In defense of her speech, Jabr spoke to The New York Times, emphasizing the relevance of her comments to the nature of the award she received. The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports over 36,000 fatalities since the conflict began with an attack on October 7. With 80 percent of Gaza's population displaced and parts facing famine, international criticism has mounted against Israel's military actions. South Africa formally accused Israel of genocide in January, a charge Israel denies.

This is not Jabr's first encounter with public controversy. As an 11-year-old in Louisiana, she was part of an ACLU lawsuit after being forced to accept a Bible at her public school. Jabr's firing follows a similar incident at NYU Langone Health involving a researcher dismissed over anti-Hamas political cartoons.

The hospital, renamed after a significant donation from Kenneth Langone, a Republican Party donor and billionaire, has previously faced scrutiny over its handling of employees' expressions regarding the Mideast conflict.