A New York City hospital fired nurse Hesen Jabr after she called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” during her award acceptance speech. Jabr, a Palestinian American working in labor and delivery, was honored by NYU Langone Health for her compassion towards mothers who had lost babies. In her speech, she emotionally connected her work with the suffering of mothers in Gaza, a region she referred to as experiencing genocide. This part of her speech was shared on social media, drawing significant attention.
Upon returning to work on May 22, Jabr was summoned to meet with the hospital’s president and vice president of nursing. They accused her of putting others at risk, ruining the ceremony, and offending people with her comments. After completing most of her shift, Jabr was called back to an office, where she was read her termination letter and escorted out of the building. She shared her experience on Instagram, expressing her dismay at being fired for her brief tribute to grieving mothers in Gaza.
