Guest #60 | Dr. Mark Brauner. Empathy.
What happens when a white, atheist American doctor risks his life to treat Palestinians in Gaza? You get a gut-wrenching, truth-loaded takedown of every excuse people make to look the other way. In this episode, Dr. Mark Brauner doesn’t just talk about genocide—he worked in it, lived in it, and came back with a mission: to stop U.S. complicity through the Leahy Law. This isn’t politics. It’s humanity.
🎙️ Bearing Witness to Genocide | Dr. Mark Brauner on Gaza, Ethics, and the Leahy Law
A white American atheist doctor volunteers in Gaza—and demolishes every excuse for staying silent.
Episode Overview
In Episode #363, Dr. Mark Brauner, a board-certified emergency physician from the U.S., recounts his harrowing 16-day medical mission inside Gaza. Speaking with Ray Doustdar, Dr. Brauner dismantles lazy assumptions, exposes deliberate Israeli military strategies, and makes a powerful call to action through the Leahy Law.
This episode isn’t about religion. It’s not about race. It’s about human decency—and what happens when you decide to show up.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Dr. Brauner witnessed the largest mass casualty event in modern civilian history on June 17, 2025—over 400 patients in a single day
Sniper injuries appeared to follow patterns—headshots one day, groin shots the next—pointing to systematic targeting
Despite 35 hospitals being destroyed, Nasser Hospital remains a functional trauma center powered by unbroken Palestinian will
Starvation, hallucinations, and lack of resources plague both patients and medical staff
Dr. Brauner urges Americans to support a Leahy Law review to halt U.S. funding of Israeli military violations
🧠 Summary
From the moment Dr. Brauner entered Gaza, reality shifted. Crossing the border meant six hours in 100-degree heat, interrogations, and a $1,000 tax on his iPhone. Once inside, the devastation was immediate—Northern Gaza reduced to dust, and hospitals running on fumes.
Nasser Hospital, despite being the last major facility standing, operates with military-level coordination and unimaginable heart. In just 16 days, Dr. Brauner treated hundreds of trauma cases—many caused by high-caliber, intentional sniper fire. Patients were stacked on top of each other, and blood pooled beneath their bodies.
In one graphic moment, Dr. Brauner described intubating a 12-year-old boy with brain matter visible—cleaning his skull with antiseptic while kneeling in a pool of blood. “That boy’s life,” he said, “likely ends with someone wiping his ass—if anyone’s left to do it.”
He also lifted the veil on the man-made starvation campaign affecting Gaza’s infants and hospital staff alike. A desperate attempt to raise formula awareness even led him to buy a domain and start a grassroots countdown campaign—GazaFormulaCountdown2025—while still in the war zone.
The conversation closes with an urgent call: trigger the Leahy Law. Passed in 1979, it mandates that all U.S. military aid must be suspended when credible evidence of human rights violations exists. Dr. Brauner and his colleagues believe that bar was crossed long ago—and that U.S. citizens are complicit by inaction.
🔎 Practical Tips
Sign the petition: StopTheIDF.com / StopTheIDF.org
Learn more at LeahyReviewNow.org
Call your legislators and demand enforcement of the Leahy Law
Avoid apathy—diffusion of responsibility is how atrocities continue
Boycott Israeli products and demand transparency from lobbying groups like AIPAC
📚 Research Spotlight
According to Physicians for Human Rights Israel, 35 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza have been bombed or destroyed. Only Nasser remains partially functional.
The Leahy Law requires immediate suspension of U.S. military aid to foreign forces committing gross human rights violations.
❓FAQ
What is the Leahy Law and why does it matter?
It’s a U.S. law requiring that no military aid be given to foreign units committing gross human rights violations. Enforcing it would immediately cut aid to Israeli forces implicated in war crimes.
Did Dr. Brauner see Hamas militants or weapons?
No. In 16 days inside Gaza, he saw only civilians—skeletal, broken, starving. Not a single weapon.
Is Gaza really an “open-air prison”?
Yes. Entry is tightly controlled, gates are 40 feet tall, and civilians can’t leave by land or sea without risk of being shot.
How can American citizens make a difference?
By taking action. Sign the petition. Call your reps. Boycott. Raise awareness. Every name counts.
⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps
00:15 – Why Dr. Brauner's voice matters
02:38 – The decision to go to Gaza
06:51 – Crossing the Israeli border
10:59 – Nasser Hospital: a functioning miracle
17:30 – The worst mass casualty day in modern history
23:11 – Groin injuries, sniper patterns, and deliberate targeting
29:13 – Collapse of medical education in Gaza
31:24 – Launching GazaFormulaCountdown2025
36:44 – Danger, diarrhea, and communicating with family
45:08 – Starvation and skeletal doctors
47:49 – The Leahy Law explained
57:05 – U.S. as lone holdout on ceasefire
59:37 – The bigger issue: humanity
🧭 Final Thought
Stop outsourcing your conscience. You don’t need to be brown, Muslim, or religious to stand up for humanity. You just need a spine.
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