British doctors working in hospitals and state health institutions wore badges reading ‘Free Palestine’ while treating Jewish patients.
According to The Times, lawyers from UK Lawyers For Israel have submitted a report stating that the doctors who wore the badges caused tension and fear among the Jewish patients they treated.
The lawsuit claimed that the badges violated the Equality Act and created an intimidating, hostile, and offensive environment for Israeli or Jewish patients and staff.
A number of Jewish patients allegedly complained of feeling fear and anxiety after spotting the pro-Palestinian symbols on the doctors’ uniforms. Most of the hospitals named in the report are in London.
The director of the UK Lawyers for Israel, Caroline Turner, stated “It is particularly concerning that some of the staff members wearing the Palestine Flag pin are in senior positions, setting a very poor example for other staff. It is important that hospitals promote an environment of neutrality. In such a diverse workplace, political displays can create division and discomfort.”
In one incident documented in the report, a Jewish patient arrived for dialysis treatment and photographed a medical student wearing a Palestinian soccer team uniform. After complaining that he felt uncomfortable, the nurses threatened to withhold treatment unless he deleted the photos.