New York City, May 30 (RHC)-- A Palestinian American nurse in New York City has been fired after calling Israel’s war on Gaza a “genocide.”

Hesen Jabr made the remarks during a speech after she was honoured by NYU Langone Health for her compassion in caring for mothers who had lost babies.

Jabr, who said that Palestinian mothers are experiencing unimaginable loss “during the current genocide in Gaza” in the May 7th speech, was fired when she reported for her next work shift.  She was told by NYU Langone Health officials that she had “‘put others at risk’ and ‘ruined the ceremony’ and ‘offended people,’” according to an Instagram post from Jabr.

An NYU Langone spokesperson said that the nurse had been previously warned about raising the “divisive and charged issue” at work.

Under the handle @iknowwhythejaybirdsings, Hesen Jabr shared a clip of her speech on Instagram, according to The New York Times. 

"As a Palestinian American Muslim woman in this country, I am proud to represent my mother’s and my grandmother’s upbringing through our tradition which obliges us to always hold space for warmth and compassion for all humans.  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."