One of the “Greats” - Tribute to Prof Colin Green

Photo: Colin Green chairing an ICAHD UK public meeting

Anyone who met Colin Green soon discovered that you were in the presence of a truly remarkable individual. As a distinguished scholar with a brilliant mind, a huge capacity for work, so many achievements that it would take pages to list, and with deep compassion for humanity, his involvements stretched across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. But it was Palestine that became one of his major passions.

We first met Colin in 2006 when he came along to hear Jeff Halper speak to one of the study tour groups that was based at St George’s Guesthouse in East Jerusalem. Colin visited Palestine regularly because of his involvement in establishing the first Palestinian Faculty of Medicine at Al-Quds University in 1994 and he went on to found the International Medical Education Trust (IMET2000) that developed online training, research and telemedicine programmes, based in Ramallah.

Colin loved our work and had concluded that the way forward was for one democratic state. He soon became one of our patrons and participated in several of ICAHD UK’s conferences and public meetings. Knowing how Israel was testing weapons on Palestinians, he was eager for Jeff to write his book War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinians and Global Pacification and enabled Jeff to be based for three months at Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research, which he had founded.

All of Jeff’s visits to England included spending time with Colin and after Colin and his wife, Liz, moved to Surrey, for the last seven years, I saw them even more frequently.

Visits to Colin and Liz always included animated conversation and sharing updates on IMET2000, ICAHD and the study tours as well as talk about his garden because he loved plants and growing vegetables.

As with the other organisations that Colin supported, Colin provided direction that has contributed to ICAHD UK’s development and success, and we will be forever grateful. We now mourn the loss of our patron and very dear friend, Professor Colin Green, who died on Friday, 12th June. In my eyes, he is one of the greatest examples of the best of humanity and Jeff and I are humbled by the privilege of knowing Colin.  And memories of his wit, humour and that twinkle in his eye, will always make us smile. Thank you, Colin.

— ICAHD (icahd.org)
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