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

Oh I see that you briefly did. Like I said I haven't read it. I just figured if a judge thought it was important that all future judges know that this organisation are untrustworthy, purposefully misleading and bring abusive prosecutions it's important that people reading this thread have the same background on them.

It hasn’t been recognised by an international court & the case bought by South Africa won’t reach a verdict probably for several years. Until they do it is legally an alleged genocide.

Though this thread is not about that but about the NHS.

Yes. I'm not Jewish or Muslim but I'd feel freaked out to be treated by someone incapable of behaving professionally.

That is daft- disliking what a state does doesn't stop you having respect for the individuals within it,if you have an ounce of intelligence that is.

"please may I have some pain relief?"
"THERE'S A GENOCIDE GOING ON DID YOU KNOW" 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

Yes I mentioned it in my OP and expanded on it on post 3 of this thread. Really I despair of people who only get as far as half way through the first post before blessing us with their opinions.

Is the British government selling weapons and arms, or parts that can be used for weapons and arms, to Sudan, and those weapons are then used to slaughter innocent people?

Or are they actively trading with Sudan?

Our government is complicit in what’s happening in Gaza. So comparing the support for Gaza to Sudan is a straw man’s argument.

If you care about violence then you should care about all violence. But some people only focus on violence involving Jews for some reason.

Polarisation is what happens with both rightwing and leftwing media pushing opposing viewpoints rather than seeking the unbiased facts. You can't apportion blame for polarisation solely on the "wrong" side without being part of the problem yourself.

You wanted people to wait and check what qualifications and extra info you'd add over the next dozen posts before voting on your OP?

It's not a bad discussion overall to be honest, but you just couldn't draw anything at all from the voting.

And if Palestinian flag badges have been banned for NHS staff following research, that's a positive action, surely? Also would have been good in your OP which implies the NHS isn't doing anything about it.

I agree with the principle, but in what way are the NHS staff being racist towards the British Jews? I see your point that their demonstration of support towards Palestine makes them feel uncomfortable (I'm not a fan of political ideology being demonstrated on uniform anyway), but that isn't the same as the staff member acting in a discriminatory fashion.

Besides, being pro Palestine isn't the same as being anti-Jew surely?

How does supporting the cause of Palestinians equate to being prejudiced against Jewish people in the UK?

"Pro Palestine". Even the language used is glib and polarising.

Clearly Jewish people feel vulnerable in the UK due to various attacks on Jewish buildings and a rise in anti semitism. Which means there's a huge rise in racism. Its happened since October 7th. Theres a clear causal link between Gaza and attacks on Jews in the UK. So wearing a badge is supporting the cause of the types of people who are attacking Jews.

Are you suggesting that it's the media that are anti semetic in focusing their attention on violence involving the Jewish state rather than other incidents of violence? That its their fault for making people interested in Gaza over everything else?

Or is it rather that they know their audience. And what their audience would prefer they pay attention to.

Someone starts a thread about antisemitism and people immediately make it about Israeli crimes, while also saying anti Zionism isn't antisemitism. I can't imagine why we'd be sensitive about it.

(And for the record I recognise that while some people equate all anti-Zionism with antisemitism, I don't.)

the issue is that Jews in other countries get judged according to Israeli actions. Assumptions are made. It isn't always overt though it can be. I'm regularly asked if I'm a Zionist or what my opinions are, even though I'm not from Israel and have never lived there.

Not the next dozen posts. I raised the Mann report in my first post and expanded on it by post 3 of this thread. Even just the title is about concerns re antisemitism in the NHS.

Are you not concerned about that?

If I agreed with a title but not the source I would say so. But still vote that I agree there are problems with antisemitism amongst NHS staff. Even the NHS themselves acknowledge that!

I’ll decide where my focus lies.

Yes this.

Why do many Jews see no future in the UK?

I don’t want to speak for this poster, but I have heard marchers for Palestine say things like Israel shouldn’t exist.

Some Jews see Israel as the one place they know they can turn to if life becomes hostile elsewhere. Jews have been expelled, persecuted and massacred across Europe and the Middle East, culminating in the Holocaust.

As a result, when people say Israel should not exist, many Jews hear not just criticism of a government, but opposition to the existence of their only guaranteed refuge.

Coupled with rising antisemitism in recent years, this leaves some Jews questioning how secure their future in the UK really is. Whether or not others agree with that assessment, the concern is rooted in both historical experience and lived experience of antisemitism in the present-day.

The media always focuses on what they see as the better/ more provocative story, and it depends on what news is available any given day. Many people are worried about the violence of Israel, some of them will be journalists.

But its not alleged though is it 🙄

And anti Isreal/anti Zionism is not the same as antisemitism

It does by definition in the eyes of some.

People in professional positions should keep their political views to themselves.
Is the hippocratic oath optional now?

Only an alleged genocide! So don’t worry about the thousands of deaths of Palestinians! Continue as you are

I do not accept it is anti-Semitic to speak against Netanyahu. I believe he's a war criminal that's engaging in genocide.

That view has no more bearing on how I feel about Jewish people than my dislike of Hitler informs how I feel about Christians.

We cannot possibly have a situation where any country is permitted to do anything they like, no matter how morally reprehensible, and are immune from criticism. That criticism is made towards individuals and their actions, not their faith.