NHS allies blast Labour’s NHS ‘antisemitism plan’ for muting Palestinian solidarity

A coalition of health workers is calling on Labour to retract its proposed plan to “tackle antisemitism and other racism in the NHS”.

The government outlined these plans in a press release issued in October. The widely-held concern centres on a blanket ban on expressions or symbols of solidarity with Palestinians.

Labour’s justification of “political neutrality” exposes their subjective definition — which is not universally accepted.

The coalition of 23 groups — including trade unions and Jewish organisations —  undersigned a joint statement penned by Doctors in Unite (DiU).

‘Wholesale repression within the NHS’

The DiU accused Labour’s discriminatory plan of entrenching pro-Israel bias in mandatory NHS training.

It also accused Labour of elevating antisemitism above other forms of racism, and pointed to the Forde Report of 2022, which highlighted the hierarchy of racism within the Labour Party.

Dr Coral Jones, Chair of Doctors in Unite, said,

The government is embarking on wholesale repression within the NHS to try to silence health workers from speaking out against the bombing of hospitals and the detention, torture, and killing of our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza.

It ordered the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to fly the Israeli flag from its HQ building, and encouraged all of us to support Ukraine against Russia, but when it comes to health workers showing solidarity with Palestine, we are being victimised, disciplined and even suspended from work, on the grounds of so-called “political neutrality”.

The plan advises the NHS to adopt the definition of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The organisation places Israel beyond reproach and frequently conflates anti-zionism with antisemitism.

Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.

‘Cultural erasure’

The DiU statement describes the plan as a typical example of anti-Palestinian racism. It seeks to silence, exclude and erase Palestinians and their narratives, while  conflating support for Palestinians with antisemitism.

Chair of Global Health BDS for Palestine Dr Huda Mahmoud said:

As a Palestinian, the banning of Palestinian symbols or representations of Palestinian advocacy as “too political” is undoubtedly a form of cultural erasure […] It is, in its very essence racist.

Once we begin the process of delegitimatising forms of expression inherently tied to a person’s identity and culture – notably a culture that has just undergone and is striving to survive a genocide — where will this end?

The DIU also highlighted that Labour deigned to consult Zionist groups for comment, sidelining British jews who oppose the government’s support of Israel.

‘Highly distressing and hugely disruptive’

Jenny Manson and Tony Booth, respectively the chair and environment officer for Jewish Voice for Liberation (JVL), stated that:

We support this important statement by Doctors in Unite, in response to the Government’s partisan attempt to curb the expression of opposition to the genocide of Palestinians and all manifestations of support for Palestinian rights.  The response will be of great benefit to the NHS, its staff and patients in combatting the government’s divisive and racist policies.

The personal cost to NHS staff as a result of attempts to outlaw Palestinian solidarity has been profound. Two NHS staff have been barred from their workplace for expressing interest in arranging peaceful lunchtime protests for Palestine. They were accused of “bringing the Trust into disrepute” and posing a “threat to the personal safety” of colleagues.

Instead, the subsequent investigation found that pair had nothing to answer for, and that the Trust breached disciplinary policy. One of two staff members, Maya, a mental health nurse, said:

I am deeply concerned to see the government extending these plans across the NHS, this is an attack on free speech and sets a dangerous precedent. If we can’t oppose a genocide at work are we also not allowed to call out fascist marching on our streets? NHS workers have to fight back on deliberate targeting of pro-Palestinian speech! 

‘Racist and authoritarian’

DiU also criticised the election of Lord John Mann to lead the official review into how the NHS and related bodies tackle antisemitism and racism. Mann regularly conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and names antisemitism as “the worst of racisms”.

The joint letter ends with a powerful statement of collective rage and solidarity:

We call on the government and the DHSC to immediately abandon this entire initiative – it is an assault on the NHS and its workers. It is racist and authoritarian and will lead to significant harm to the well-being of staff and cohesion within the NHS.

Tackling racism in the NHS is vital, but it must be done in ways that recognise all forms of racism are equally harmful, without weaponising one form of racism to pursue foreign policy objectives.

In the face of its own complicity with Israel’s genocide of the people of Palestine, Labour has repeatedly resorted to pathetic attempts to silence criticism and solidarity.

Its assault on Palestinians and their allies in the NHS is nothing short of the most craven act of cowardice.

By branding its attack as an anti-racist initiative, the plan betrays healthcare staff who face an onslaught of racism and discrimination whilst saving lives.

Featured image via Getty Images/Guy Smallman.