AIBU - problems with antisemitism amongst NHS medical staff?

[Twiglets1]

The Campaign Against Antisemitism, a prominent UK watchdog group, has identified five healthcare professionals whose public statements it considers antisemitic or anti-Israel.

The five individuals, all current or former National Health Service employees, include midwife Fatimah Mohamied, who allegedly endorsed a post supporting Palestinian “resistance” on Oct. 7, 2023 by responding “Hell yeah!!!” to a post during the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, that said: “Palestinians have a right to resist their occupation — we have a right to support them.”

Additionally, physician Dr. Abdelaal Ragheb Elfarra claimed Zionists control the media and the world; psychiatrist Dr. Ahmed Sewehli said regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “you need to be dead”; and emergency physician Dr. Nadeem Crowe described Israel as a “terrorist octopus.” Occupational therapist Zaida Akhtar allegedly shared a video appearing to encourage violence against Netanyahu’s son and a “false flag” claim about the Bondi Beach attack in Australia last year.

The allegations concerning the medical professionals follow a review published in June by John Mann, the British government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, which found “routine ostracism” of Jewish staff and patients within the NHS.

Jewish community representatives have warned that antisemitism in healthcare can affect patients at moments of particular vulnerability.

Karen Newman, a vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, described that concern during parliamentary testimony on May 14. She spoke about Jewish patients hesitating to request kosher meals after seeing a Palestinian badge on a nurse’s uniform.

“That is not a moment when you feel good asking for kosher meals,” she said.

https://www.jns.org/news/world/medical-staff-antisemitism-flagged-in-uk

It doesn't have anything to do with British jews. That's the point.

Staff expressing on social media, their personal feelings of support for victims of conflict happening in another country, is not unreasonable. The UK supports free speech. They, and the OP, are entitled to their views.

I express my support for Ukraine against the illegal & unprovoked invasion by Russia. That doesn't mean I would offer an iota less service or support for a russian client in need.

A political badge while in NHS uniform and on duty is not acceptable though.

This

Yes, POC women for example are 3-5 x more likely to die in pregnancy. They’re still “looking into that” and every BW I know has a tale about being dismissed by medical professionals and having their pain or symptoms downplayed and a lot of research backs this up . This goes on in the U.S. too.

Yes all women’s health is downgraded and overlooked to an extent but it’s the intersection of being a female and being a POC especially a BW which makes it worse for certain groups of women.

Now these are actual issues for what is a highly visible community , not someone criticising Netanyahu ffs

Would you consider it a problem for healthcare professionals being racist against your race or religion on social media, as long as it couldn't be proved that they would treat you worse at work? There is a reason people can be fired from many jobs - including the NHS - for inappropriate activity on social media.

We have seen an example even on this short thread of a Jewish person afraid to order kosher food in a hospital. Would you find that ok if it was a Muslim person afraid to order Halal food? Maybe you would. I wouldn't.

So if someone rants about Donald Trump and his actions does that make them racists against Americans?

Have we Brits forgotten our own less than stellar history as colonialists when we bleat about Israel?

So because Britain has a colonialist past, British people shouldn’t criticise Israel’s actions in the present? What an extraordinary, and totally illogical, suggestion.

Also, since when is speaking up against a genocide “bleating “?

Thank you for clarifying this. Your OP raises a lot of different issues which probably explains the YABU votes- they're probably more aimed at the fact the criticism of Netanyahu isn't a sign of antisemitism, not people voting that antisemitism is OK fron health care workers!

However I also don't think that 'being included in a report investigating antisemitism in the NHS' is evidence that they are saying all of those comments are antisemitic. Any balanced report on this will have to present a range of examples and evidence that does and doesn't support the conclusions.

I agree with several of the comments given as examples (not the false flag one obvs). However, I don't think a frontline worker should be wearing a Palestine badge given the worry and uncertainty this may cause Jewish patients. And the evidence re the reduction in requests for kosher meals does suggest that Jewish patients are feeling like they have to conceal or play down their Jewishness whilst in hospital- this is awful.

I think if you're supporting or excusing October 7th then you have a very warped and frightening mind. And therefore any sane person would be concerned about being treated by them when you are at your most vulnerable in hospital. And particularly if that warped mind has a thing against Jewish people.

psychiatrist Dr. Ahmed Sewehli said regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “you need to be dead”

Wishing Netanyahu dead is antisemitic? Who knew? What is wishing Trump or Putin dead then OP?

Are we not distinguishing between “Israel” and Jewish person anymore?

Dr. Ahmed Sewehli said regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “you need to be dead".

I agree with that statement. All warmongers need to go. Does that really make me antisemitic?

Every sympathy for POC facing discrimination in healthcare settings.

It's not a race to the bottom though.

It's possible to criticise all forms of racism by medical professionals and some examples of antisemitism go way beyond just criticising Netanyahu. Mann's review found “routine ostracism” of Jewish staff and patients within the NHS. This isn't any more acceptable than the discrimination affecting the POC you refer to, surely.

Mann's review found “routine ostracism” of Jewish staff and patients within the NHS

Agreed that is absolutely wrong if that’s the case

I supoose if you want to liken that to what is happening to Jewish people in the UK you have to ask have Americans been attacked and firebombed in their own country purely for being American?

A racist arsehole. They are in all walks of life including the NHS and MN.

I don’t want to come across as dramatic but the more I read threads like this and a similar one last week the more I realise that I don’t see a future for myself as a British Jew here in the UK. The constant “it’s not anti semitism it’s anti Zionism” line is getting tired. All this attention on Gaza only stems from an obsession with the only Jewish state. There is no genocide happening and to be fair I don’t blame most on here for their views because if I were getting my news from the BBC or Sky I’d probably think the same. It’s just pathetic really how so many are so blind to the changing face of antisemitism.

I have already stated that I don't personally consider that particular statement antisemitic.

I do find it interesting though why so many people are choosing just to focus on that one point rather than all the others findings mentioned in my OP. For example, the “routine ostracism” of Jewish staff and patients within the NHS.

Your second sentence is true sadly. But most of the the YABU voters here are unlikely to be racist arseholes..you must have noticed that people vote in response to the OP, not just the thread title (which is fortunate given some of the shoddy AI titles lately). People will vote YABU if they disagree with something in the OP- there were a fair few things there to disagree with.

It was an independent report and the NHS accepted all 36 recommendations in the Mann report so I'm assuming that it absolutely is the case.

Key Findings of the Review

• Extent of Antisemitism: The review found that anti-Jewish racism, routine ostracism, and hostility are persistent and, in some cases, normalised across certain NHS settings.
• Impact on Staff and Patients: Evidence showed Jewish staff facing increasing discrimination from colleagues—with some considering leaving the service—and Jewish patients expressing reluctance to seek medical treatment.
• Regulatory Concerns: The report highlighted shortcomings in how health and care regulators (such as the General Medical Council) and NHS employers identify, report, and act on antisemitic behaviour.

Have you been on mumsnet before? People always pick you up on a sloppily written OP and the bits they disagree with. If you want an AIBU to reflect your actual question you have to be clear and ask an actual question!
For example if youd said in your OP you actually didn't find the Netanyahu comment antisemitic you wouldn't have had a ton of comments pointing that out.

That's a feature of discussion on mumsnet- People are more motivated to post when they have a point to make, not just 'I agree'.

You might not consider it antisemitic but the Action group you are discussing do believe it. It might make that action group seem a little extreme in their views don't you think? And so all of their views can be waved away as they are no longer considered serious. They have basically shot their own foot by making ridiculous statements.

This (and a link to the NHS review, not the action group) would have made a far more convincing OP. I really think your votng would have looked very different.

Edited to include link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lord-mann-review-on-antisemitism-and-other-forms-of-racism-in-the-nhs/lord-mann-review-of-antisemitism-and-other-forms-of-racism-in-the-nhs-and-healthcare-regulatory-system

I don’t agree that all their views can be waved away because I don’t agree with one of them.

I voted Labour at the last election because I agreed with most of their views not all of them.

Despite not agreeing on every point, I do agree that there is a problem with antisemitism in the NHS. The independent review published earlier by John Mann came to the same conclusion.

A valid point. As I mentioned both in my OP and gave more details of the Mann review in posts 2& 3 on this thread I assumed people would have the attention span to read that too but apparently not 🤷🏼‍♀️

The Campaign Against Antisemitism are not a trustworthy group. They purposefully misled a judge to bring what the judge described as an 'abusive' prosecution and they have sought to use the criminal justice system for 'improper reasons'. A copy of this judgment must be attached to any future applications for summonses so that their previous improper behaviour is flagged immediately if they bring any more cases to court.

They have also been given a remedial action plan by the charity commission for mismanagement after allegations that it represents improper political activity.