Gaza: why is free speech restricted in the NHS?
JVL Introduction
Two health workers who expressed their support for Palestine have been vindicated after a Grievance Panel found that the NHS Trust had breached their own codes. They are now planning to take their case to a Employment Tribunal – where the right to hold anti Zionist views was confirmed in a ruling in relation to Professor David Miller.
But this is far from an isolated case and a survey of of Muslim health workers March 2024 found that 93% felt unable to express their views openly feeling censored by a variety of sources including the institutions they worked for, (due to) “fears of Islamophobia, the risk of damaging working relationships with colleagues, legal repercussions, concerns of job losses, and personal or family safety. ….more than one in ten respondents (my emph Ed) were subject to action after expressing their views at work, such as a meeting with their supervisor, while others faced disciplinary proceedings, the threat of, or actual referral to their professional bodies. ”
For some doctors, the use of the IHRA (so called) Working Definition of Antisemitism is the tool used as part of disciplinary proceedings; certainly supposed concerns that action would be ““distressing for Jewish and Israeli children and parents who visit the clinic”
The Trust was found to be wrong but that will not stop anxiety for these workers or self censorship for the fears outlined above.
LL
This article was originally published by The Guardian on Sun 9 Feb 2025. Read the original here.
NHS staff barred from workplace for considering Palestine demonstration
An investigation found the pair had no case to answer and that the trust had breached its own disciplinary policy
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Idolatry on action. Reflexive worship of the Israeli state – defenders of the “faith”. State worship is a particularly low form of idolatry. The epitome of the state is the Home Secretary or equivalent. Imagine. Worshipping Suella Braverman.
The IHRA has done what it was intended to do….stop any dissent regarding what the Zionists were doing. There should be a movement to recind this from all organisations.