85-Year-Old Santa Barbara Dentist Reflects on Eye-Opening Trip to Palestine
Andie Lopez Bornet
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Local dentist and humanitarian Dr. James Rolfe is known for his community work and his 24-hour clinic in Santa Barbara. For decades, Rolfe has provided dental care to people in need both locally and abroad, including in Afghanistan and, more recently, the West Bank, Palestine.
“There was no dental care at all in this whole province [of Afghanistan], and people had to go to a barber to have their teeth extracted without anesthetic,” said Dr. Rolfe. “That was the only care they could get. I had the same kind of feeling about Palestine, so I decided to go there and see for myself.”
Rolfe says that when he arrived in Palestine to work with United Nations hospitals, he found people deeply depressed, lacking hope, and unable to care for themselves—many having “basically given up.”
The humanitarian crisis in Palestine has reached catastrophic levels, with recent reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry indicating more than 5,300 Palestinians killed and nearly 18,000 injured since March. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations continue to devastate civilian areas, while access to food and medical aid remains severely restricted. According to the World Food Programme and UNICEF, over 66,000 children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition, with rates of acute hunger tripling since March 2025. Food prices have surged up to 1,400% following Israel’s blockade and destruction of agricultural infrastructure. International efforts to deliver aid and promote peace have been repeatedly hindered, and diplomatic calls for a ceasefire continue amid growing global concern over the escalating violence and humanitarian collapse.
“I knew things were really bad, but I found out they were even worse,” Rolfe said, reflecting on his visit to the West Bank in May.
“We really don’t see how this is affecting the people. I saw them as the nicest, kindest, most considerate people I’ve ever met. I didn’t have any conflict or disagreement with anyone.”
The 85-year-old dentist says his work is challenging but rewarding. He funds the missions himself, which allows him to remain independent.
After returning from Palestine, Rolfe wrote a personal statement to reflect on and process his experience.
“What I felt was that we really need to support the Palestinian people, because this is about freedom,” he wrote. “I think it basically depends on the United States. Israel would not be doing these things if it weren’t for U.S. support. This is something we have to deal with internally. We even see people who stand up for Palestinians being deported just for voicing their opinions under the First Amendment. Palestinians are not allowed to be free, and they are not allowed to be free because of U.S. policy.”
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