Maybe somebody in the know could make a connection between Patch Adams and the ongoing saga of Israel and the Arabs.

Patch In Palestine

Patch In Israel:

From a 2002 article from The Israel Insider (which I'm afraid I am unable to link to, as you have to register to 'save' their stories, so I have taken the liberty of cutting and pasting it below) His trip to Israel, and thence to Gaza, was paid for by an Israeli hospital.

Doctor of laughter livens up Israeli hearts
By Ellis Shuman December 10, 2002


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Patch Adams, the doctor, clown and founder of the Gesundheit! Institute who is the real person behind the hit Robin Williams movie, arrived in Israel this week as a guest of Asaf Harofe Hospital. Attending a lecture at the hospital were students in a six-month clowning course inspired by Adams's example.

Upon landing at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Sunday, Adams already began cheering up Israelis as he hugged, kissed and jumped all over the children and adults in the arrivals hall. Adams arrived from the United States along with nine other clown medics from his hospital, and passport control officials had difficulties identifying the visitors due to their clown outfits and makeup.

The visit is Adams's first in Israel, and the course being held at the Tzrifin hospital is the first of its kind in the Middle East. The course teaches personnel how to utilize humor in medical care, and the subject matter includes laughter, makeup and pantomime.

On Monday, Adams toured the hospital wards, and his antics made the patients laugh until tears, Yediot Aharonot reported. In the afternoon Adams gave a standing room only lecture to more than 500 doctors and nurses from all over the country. Tickets to the lecture were sold out long before.

Outfitted as a clown with blue hair and a fork dangling from one ear, Adams told the audience of his experiences over the last 32 years. He opened his talk by commenting that the hit movie that publicized his story did not relate to his intense activities against wars around the world. "Last May, my brother and I participated in a congress in Russia," Adams said. "We met two Israelis from an Israeli-Palestinian education center, and we told them we would be willing to come and help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

Adams and his team have traveled around the world in efforts to bring a bit of happiness to patients everywhere. In March, Adams traveled with 22 clowns to Afghanistan. "We went to a hospital in Kabul where there was no food and no medicines. You could see how helpless medicine was. You could see the hunger in the children's eyes.

"That is why I came [to Israel]," he continued. "Laughter, joy, pleasure and love are the solutions to your problems. You need to care. You must end the violence. You should sit together, eat, drink, laugh and talk. This is not a philosophy. This should become common practice, something that is implemented. Not only in medicine, but in life, clowning can be the trick that can ease the pain and bring forth the love."

At the end of his lecture, Adams met with a group of Israeli children who were victims of terror attacks. During his week-long visit he will work with participants in the hospital's course, and also visit Palestinian hospitals.

Patch Adams has also took his clowns into the war zone in Kabul. If you google 'Patch Adams in Kabul on Youtube' you will be linked to the Italian documentary about it. I've not linked it here, as many of the clips contain harrowing scenes of severely injured children. Somehow, in the midst of such terrible pain and suffering, they are able to have their agony turned to smiles, by the love and laughter that Patch and his clowns bring to them.

This man, described as 'a flake...nonetheless a well-meaning flake' by a poster above, has given his life to the pursuit of peace, joy and love. Far from 'not following through', he is respected throughout the world, bringing light to people in their darkest moments. He may not have 'followed through' on the wishes of one person above, perhaps, but to describe him thus, is, in my opinion, intensely wrong. He is changing the face and 'philosophy' of medicine not only in the U.S. but throughout the world. He is also challenging Governments and Corporate Industries too. I take offence at him being so casually 'written off' as being a man of little significance.

And before 'someone' comes back to say that he has not been back there, since 2002, and therefore has not 'followed through', well, Patch belongs to the world, not just to the Middle East. He has thousands of people who need him desperately. He is one man, with limited resources, who, despite having an ever-growing army of helpers, many of whom are doctors themselves, cannot be in all places, at all times, but he will never stop in his quest for peace and love, until his dying day.

Dr. Hunter 'Patch' Adams is a man of HUGE Significance.

And now, back to the Mudcat Middle East Warzone....