International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Depoliticization, Colonialism, and the Imperative to Disrupt Denial; Comment on “The Rhetoric of Decolonizing Global Health Fails to Address the Reality of Settler Colonialism: Gaza as a Case in Point”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors
Zvika Orr 1
Anna C. Zielinska 2, 3, 4
1 Selma Jelinek School of Nursing, Jerusalem College of Technology, Jerusalem, Israel
2 Department of Philosophy, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
3 Archives Henri-Poincaré, CNRS, Nancy, France
4 Sciences Po Paris, Nancy, France
10.34172/ijhpm.8761
Abstract
This article builds on Engebretsen and Baker’s editorial to explore recent developments in medical neutrality, the depoliticization of healthcare, and political intervention in the context of the war in Gaza. We examine how international health organizations have increasingly, though insufficiently, taken a political stance, criticizing the detrimental structural forces affecting Palestinians’ life and health. Concomitantly, many Israeli healthcare professionals and organizations have shifted from a declared neutral stance to endorsing the state’s official narrative. Additionally, we analyze the connections between settler colonialism, Israeli and US policies, medicine, and international health organizations. While the discourse of decolonization provides valuable historical context for understanding the ongoing oppression of Palestinians, it often obscures critical issues, particularly the atrocity of the October 7 attack. We conclude by discussing the shift from literal denial to interpretive and implicatory denial, emphasizing the role of international health professionals and organizations in confronting these pervasive forms of denial. 
Keywords
Depoliticization
Colonialism
Denial
War
International Organizations
Israel/Palestine
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 14, Issue 1
2025
Pages 1-5

  • Received Date 15 August 2024
  • Revised Date 24 February 2025
  • Accepted Date 08 March 2025
  • First Published Date 10 March 2025
  • Published Date 01 December 2025