Correspondence from Robi Friedman

Dear GASi committee,

I am writing to inform you of my resignation from the GASIF committee. Although I am very attached to GASIF, when in the management committee there are people who formally use Nazi symbols, fake news and slander to brutally attack me and my country. Combined with my personal and social emotional difficulties, I can’t find anymore the energy and motivation to work for GASi. As much as I have worked and invested in relations with Palestinians and I am sad for their losses, it’s impossible for me to stay with this violent, twisted and cruel representation of Israelis in GASi’s committees.

It is disappointing for me, because I have invested in GASi much love and energy during the years. Now I feel rejected from a professional family I wanted to be part of.

I founded GASIF together with Frances Griffith during the preparations for the Lisbon symposium in 2014. She was responsible for the finances, and was rightly worried of a possible deficit in the budget. I also wanted to find some money for bursaries of group analysts who found it hard to participate in Lisbon. So I asked 8 European and Israeli Institutes in Europe and Israel for a 1000 Euros donation each, and GASIF started. Other colleagues and friends donated later.

I am leaving this and many other activities some of us created together.

Robi

Please inform the GASi MC and the membership of my decision

Dr. Robi Friedman, Group Analyst, Clinical Psychologist, Past President Int. Group Analytic Society