The Doctor’s Oath: Loyalty Above Borders

An Arab Muslim physician in an Israeli conflict zone, devoted to his patients above all else.

Dr. Suhail Abd el-Ghani is an Arab Muslim and the director of an Advanced Urgent Care Center (a specialized frontline trauma clinic) in Kiryat Shmona. For those unfamiliar with the region, Kiryat Shmona is a town on Israel’s northern border that has lived under the shadow of rocket fire and missile attacks from nearby Lebanon for decades.

The film crew follows Dr. Abd el-Ghani as he races to treat victims of Katyusha rockets. He risks his own life with a level of devotion that recognizes no boundaries of religion or nationality.

The documentary doesn't shy away from the "elephant in the room" or the difficult questions: Is his heart divided? He is well aware that when the Israeli Defense Forces respond to these attacks, the people in Lebanon who might be caught in the crossfire include his own relatives living in refugee camps there.

Yet, Dr. Suhail and his friends in Kiryat Shmona are not afraid to face these tensions head-on. The doctor’s loyalty to his patients transcends all political considerations—a fact he proves every day, every hour.

Beyond the trauma ward, we are introduced to his personal life: his partner, who is also a physician, and his children. For Dr. Suhail, this land is his birthplace and his home. In his own words, he has no other country.