Here in New York, a labor and delivery nurse has been fired by her hospital after she gave a speech expressing solidarity with Palestinian mothers and referring to the war in Gaza as a “genocide.” Hesen Jabr, who is Palestinian American, made the comments earlier this month as she accepted an award from NYU Langone for her compassionate care while treating patients who had just lost their babies.

Hesen Jabr: “It pains me to see the women from my country going through unimaginable losses themselves during the current genocide in Gaza. This award is deeply personal to me for those reasons. Even though I can’t hold their hands and comfort them as they grieve their unborn children and the children they have lost during this genocide, I hope to keep making them proud as I keep representing them here at NYU. Thank you.”

Hesen Jabr says she was fired on her first day back to work after receiving the award.