A Michigan-based nonprofit, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), which has been the recipient of $24 million in taxpayer funds under the Biden-Harris administration, is set to host an "Arab health summit" next week.
The event, which will be attended by numerous physicians, government officials, and activists, aims to address the issue of "health amidst conflict and crisis" in the Middle East. However, the inclusion of several anti-Israel speakers, some of whom have previously defended the 9/11 terrorist attacks and lauded the "brave" Hamas fighters who attacked Israel on October 7, has raised eyebrows.
Among the key speakers at the ACCESS annual conference, scheduled for October 21-23 at Dearborns Henry Hotel, are Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert and British-Palestinian plastic surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah. According to The Washington Free Beacon, ACCESS has emphasized the urgency of the conference in light of the "escalating conflicts and aggression" in the Middle East. However, the participation of Gilbert, Abu-Sittah, and other anti-Israel speakers suggests that the conference may primarily focus on blaming Israel for the ongoing conflict.
Gilbert has previously defended the 9/11 terrorist attacks, stating that the "oppressed also have a moral right to attack the USA with any weapon they can come up with." He has also praised Hamas fighters as "brave" following the October 7 attack on Israel, and lauded the terrorist group for fighting Israelis "man to man." Gilbert's comments come despite the fact that Hamas has been responsible for the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and has committed numerous atrocities including rape and hostage-taking.
Abu-Sittah, the rector of the University of Glasgow, has also shown support for Hamas, praising its leader Ahmad Jarrar, who orchestrated the drive-by murder of Israeli rabbi Raziel Shevack. Abu-Sittah referred to Jarrar as a "hero" for fighting the "Zionist regime" after he was killed by IDF forces in 2018. In 2019, Abu-Sittah attended the funeral of a prominent leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Both Gilbert and Abu-Sittah were working in Gazas Al-Shifa hospital following the October 7 attack. The White House has stated that Hamas used this facility as a military base.
The association of ACCESS with individuals who sympathize with terrorists is likely to raise questions for the Biden-Harris administration, as well as for the major corporations that fund the nonprofit. The Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and National Endowment for the Humanities have granted more than $24 million in taxpayer funds to ACCESS since 2021, marking a four-fold increase compared to the grants awarded during the Trump administration.
The funding includes a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a display at the Arab American National Museum, which is operated by ACCESS, $4 million for the construction of an ACCESS facility, and $2.8 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to assist immigrants in accessing health services in Michigan.
The ACCESS conference is sponsored by several universities and health industry giants, including the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Michigan State University, Corewell Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Gilead Sciences, and UnitedHealth. None of these organizations have responded to queries about the controversial speakers who will be present at the event.
The conference will also feature other anti-Israel speakers, including Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who is scheduled to give a keynote speech on October 22. Dearborn mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who recently spoke at a rally where protesters chanted "death to Israel," will also speak at a session with ACCESSs chief executive.
A panel discussing "Rebuilding public health infrastructure in Gaza" will include Akihiro Seita, the director of health for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, a group closely linked to Hamas.
Sabah Jabr, a psychiatrist scheduled to speak on a panel about mental health care for Arab Americans, has denied Israel's right to exist and stated that "resistance to the occupation is very important" for the psychological health of Palestinians.
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