The Palestinian physician, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish lost three daughters and a niece when an Israeli tank shell struck his home in 2009. The immediate aftermath of this tragedy was broadcast live on Israeli television, a raw moment of agony that reached millions.
In the wake of this loss, and as detailed in his memoir, I Shall Not Hate, he made a decision that challenges our traditional conceptions of justice: he chose not to hate.
I’ve just recorded a deeply moving but also hopeful conversation with Dr Abuelaish for the Charter for Compassion’s With Compassion podcast. In it he explains how he came to reject hate.
You can hear that conversation here.
As a scientist and medic, Dr. Abuelaish now sees hate as a critical public health issue. In this light, hatred behaves as a contagion: it occurs in clusters, is shaped by the environment, and thrives where institutional systems fail.
In our conversation Dr Abuelaish lays out a framework for interrupting this cycle:
- The Epidemiology of Hate: Understanding social animosity as a transmissible phenomenon that requires systemic intervention.
- The Conditions for Healing: Why truth and accountability remain the prerequisites for societal stability.
- Active Agency: The disciplined, courageous refusal to let personal trauma reproduce further violence.
What Dr. Abuelaish proposes is a "Pandemic of Compassion" to restore the social fabric. In a climate of increasing global polarization, this dialogue provides a rigorous and sobering path forward for those in leadership and public service. And we hope very much to bring his work to the UK later this year.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Not only does Dr Abuelaish lay out practical solutions to countering hate, he also is living proof of the power of compassion. I hope you find the conversation as powerful as I did.
Jennifer Nadel CEO, Compassion in Politics
Host, With Compassion Podcast