25 November 2025
In a remarkable attempt to silence all criticism of Israeli apartheid, racism, ethnic cleansing and genocide within in the NHS, Streeting, no doubt in conjunction with Starmer, has issued orders to force the NHS’ 1.5 million employees to knuckle under to their support for Israel. His demands and the vigorous opposition to them, organised by Doctors in Unite (DiU), are set out in the following documents.
PRESS RELEASE, 20 November 2025
The government must cease immediately its purge of Palestinian solidarity in the NHS
A coalition of health worker groups, organisations supporting Palestine and Jewish groups is
calling on the government to withdraw it’s plans to “tackle antisemitism and other racism in
the NHS”, outlined last month in its press release of 15 October 2025.
In a detailed statement by Doctors in Unite (DiU), and endorsed by twenty-four organisations, the government’s plans are carefully analysed and found to: be authoritarian and discriminatory against Palestinians; elevate antisemitism above other forms of racism in the NHS, and will entrench pro-Israel political bias into mandatory training for all 1.5 million NHS workers. If NHS staff fail to complete the proposed “enhanced” antisemitism training this could have dire consequences for their jobs and careers.
The plan also bans any symbol or expression of solidarity with Palestine, including pin badges, jewellery, use of Palestinian colours in clothing or accessories, screensavers, phone cases, lanyards etc, on the grounds of “political neutrality” and not “causing offence”.
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 government is targeting us because the public trust us because of our caring role and our ethical code of “First do no harm”, and we have been effective in exposing their ongoing support for Israel and its military, no matter what crimes it commits.”
The government plan includes imposing across the NHS the deeply flawed International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The purpose of the IHRA definition is to protect Israel, it labels criticism of Israel and Zionism as antisemitic. It has been widely criticised by human rights experts, Palestinian groups and a significant body of Jewish specialists on antisemitism. The government is also ignoring the law: the High Court recently found that a number of “examples” in the IHRA definition were protected under freedom of expression rights and were not antisemitic. In addition, the BMA voted overwhelmingly at its annual conference in June this year, that criticising Israel is not inherently antisemitic.
The government’s plans are typical of anti-Palestinian racism, whereby Palestinians and their narratives are silenced, excluded and erased, and support for their rights is conflated with antisemitism and at times even defamed as support for terrorism.
Dr Huda Mahmoud, who is part-Palestinian and Chair of Global Health BDS for Palestine, said,
“As a Palestinian, the banning of Palestinian symbols or representations of Palestinian advocacy as “too political” is undoubtedly a form of cultural erasure. Essentially, it is saying any representation of your identity as a Palestinian or your solidarity with the Palestinian people shall not be seen or heard. 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? It bears repeating for the sake of gravity – enforcing this ban will be a form of cultural erasure. It may be silent and less violent than the ethnic cleansing we have become so used to watching on our screens, but – make no mistake – it is equally as fatal.”
The DIU statement points out that the government announcement asked only pro-Zionist Jewish groups to comment, while ignoring the voices of British Jews who are not Zionist and who strongly oppose Israel’s actions and our government’s ongoing support for it. Jenny Manson, Chair, and Tony Booth, Environment Officer, for Jewish Voice for Liberation (JVL) say:
“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 and the cost to NHS services has been considerable. Dozens, if not hundreds of staff, have already been targeted, without there being any concerns about the standard of care provided for patients. Many staff have been emotionally traumatised by being forced into silence and hounded for wanting to express their humanity in the face of genocide. Some of them have had to take weeks or months off work, leading to the loss of thousands of hours of clinical time from front-line services. When the general public hear about this, they will understandably be concerned and angry about it. By way of example, earlier this year, two NHS professionals were barred from their workplace and accused of posing a “threat to the personal safety” of colleagues and “bringing the Trust into disrepute” for talking about arranging a peaceful lunchtime protest in support of Palestine.
One of them, Maya, a Mental Health Nurse, said,
“What happened to me was a highly distressing and hugely disruptive for my life and colleagues and patients. The Trust acted irresponsibly and without thought to the safety and care of my patients. 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!”
Doctors in Unite also criticise as wholly partisan the government’s choice of Lord John Mann to lead an official review into how healthcare employers and regulators tackle antisemitism and racism, Mann is a strong proponent of the IHRA definition, says anti-Zionism is antisemitic and has described antisemitism as “the worst of racisms”. This wrecks the credibility of any review he is to lead.
We call on the government and the DHSC to abandon this entire initiative, it is racist and dangerous to the standing of the NHS and an assault on its workers. As health workers we demand the right to express solidarity and support for Palestine in the NHS, and an immediate end to the repression of NHS staff for doing so. 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.
——————— END ———————-
Notes for editors:
- The full statement from Doctors in Unite can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M9vXxnhk1t77BfGpgY-aC-wTIoijOtu4/edit - For further information contact Dr Jonathan Fluxman on 07405 708227
- The following organisations have endorsed the statement:
Bristol Health Workers for Palestine
British Arab Nurses and Midwives Association
Family Therapists for Palestine
Friends of Al-Aqsa
For Palestine *
Global Health BDS for Palestine
Greenwich Palestine Alliance *
Health Workers for Palestine Edinburgh
Health Workers and Allies for Palestine
Health Workers for Free Palestine
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
Jewish Anti-Zionist Action
Jewish Network for Palestine
Jewish Voice for Liberation
Legal Action for Peace *
London Irish Brigade *
Muslim Psychiatrists UK
Palestine Pulse *
Palestine-UK Child Psychotherapists
Palestinian Doctors Association in Europe
Psychoanalytic Voices for Palestine
Rank and File Trade Unionists for Divestment from Israel *
Trade Unionists for Palestine *
UK Palestine Mental Health Network
*These organisations wish to add: “In addition to our rejection of the IHRA
definition, we also reject the Jerusalem Definition of Antisemitism and
its alternatives.”
Government must cease immediately its purge of Palestinian solidarity in the NHS
A statement by Doctors in Unite in response to recent government announcement “to tackle antisemitism and other racism in the NHS”.
*A list of organisations endorsing this statement can be found at the end.
SUMMARY
Government press release indicates anti-Palestinian racism to become official policy, while worsening antisemitism in health care
The 16th October 2025 press release, “Government takes urgent action to tackle antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS” issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is deeply concerning: it is a threat to equality, human rights and the mental well-being of the 1.5 million workers in the NHS. Not content with its ongoing political, diplomatic and military support for Israel, and its widespread repression of pro-Palestine protest, the government now seeks to entirely outlaw expression of support for Palestine within the NHS, with a series of divisive and authoritarian measures.
It is striking that there is no mention in the press release of Palestinians, or anti-Palestinian racism. There is also no context, it is as if the events of the last two years have not happened.
● The press release is wholly one-sided, exaggerating and elevating antisemitism above
all other forms of racism in the NHS. The “hierarchy of racism” within the Labour Party,
criticised by the Forde Report is to become official government policy within the NHS,
underlined by the view of Lord Mann, the so-called “independent advisor on
antisemitism”, that “antisemitism is the worst of racisms”.
● There is to be an official review into how healthcare employers and regulators tackle
antisemitism and racism. The review is to be led by Lord Mann, who is a strong
proponent of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of
antisemitism and who says anti-Zionism is antisemitic.
● The deeply flawed IHRA definition of antisemitism is to be imposed across the NHS, in
staff handbooks and HR policies, despite its legal standing being substantively
weakened by a recent High Court case. It has also been criticised by human rights
experts, Palestinian organisations and a significant body of Jewish specialists on
antisemitism. It is also contrary to the sentiments of a large proportion of Britain’s
doctors. At the same time, the official definition of Islamophobia is being reviewed, with
fears that it is being watered down following the Home Secretary stating that Muslims
should not be seen to be given “special treatment”.
● Like the advocates of the new policy, the IHRA definition promotes a racist stereotype of
Jews as pro-Israel, and stigmatises Palestine solidarity as antisemitic. This encourages
people to blame Jews for Israel’s crimes and/or for Britain’s collusion with them, and so
potentially contributes to antisemitism. The new policy will intensify racism against
Palestinians and Jews, and repression of solidarity campaigners in the NHS.
● Enhanced, mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training is to be implemented across
the NHS. Training content will use the IHRA definition and be influenced by its conflation
of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and subject matter “experts” chosen to reflect this. The
aligning of content to the “statutory and mandatory knowledge, skills and behaviours” of
the core skills training framework, is sinister – holding a different political viewpoint is
likely to result in health workers failing the training with severe repercussions for career
progression, disciplinary procedures and even professional registration.
● New uniform and workwear guidance is to be issued, based on that already adopted by
several Trusts, which bans all political symbols in the workplace, including badges,
jewellery, clothing and any use of Palestinian colours to signify solidarity with
Palestinians. At the same time, the flying of the Israeli flag from the DHSC building and
officially encouraged support for Ukraine within the NHS, make a mockery of the
justifications for the ban of “political neutrality” and avoiding potential “distress and
offence” to patients or staff. The prohibitions also deprive all of us of our Article 10 rights
under the Human Rights Act, the right to freedom of expression.
● The targeted exclusion and silencing of pro-Palestinian voices and the erasure of
Palestinian symbols are typical of anti-Palestinian racism, which is to be imposed across
the NHS. This is part of suppressing the Palestine movement domestically, so that the
government can pursue unhindered its foreign policy of support for Israel, no matter what
crimes it commits.
● A witch-hunt has been underway in the health service for some time, whereby staff,
mostly from marginalised groups, have been intimidated, bullied, disciplined or
suspended by some NHS managers and senior clinicians, for expressions of support for
Palestine at work, online on social media or at public protests. This has caused a chilling
effect and a culture of fear in the workplace. Many of our colleagues have been
seriously traumatised, resulting in weeks or months off work. None of these cases have
involved clinical concerns about the doctors’ or nurse’s practice, yet thousands of hours
of clinical time have been lost to the NHS as a result of this ongoing wave of repression.
If patients and patient organisations knew about this and the resulting disruption to
continuity of care, and increase in waiting times for treatments and consultations, they
would be extremely concerned and understandably angry.
● Health workers are being targeted for two reasons: we are among the most respected
workers by the public because of our role as carers and our moral and ethical code, and
because there is a significant level of political organisation around Palestine among
health workers in this country. It has therefore become a particular priority for the
government, and Zionist groups, to try to stop us exposing what the bombing, deliberate
starvation and genocide has done to the Palestinian people, including to hundreds of
thousands of children.
We call on the government and the Department of Health and Social Care to
immediately abandon this entire initiative – it is dangerous to the standing of the NHS
and an assault on its workers. It is racist and authoritarian and will lead to significant
harm to the well-being of staff and cohesion within the NHS.
We demand the right to express solidarity and support for Palestine in the NHS, an
immediate end to the repression of those doing so, and the right to challenge our
government’s ongoing support for the Israeli government and military.
Tackling racism in the NHS is vital, but it must be done in ways that recognise all
forms of racism are equally harmful to their victims, without weaponising one form of
racism to pursue foreign policy objectives.
Our full statement follows:
Government must immediately cease its purge of Palestinian solidarity in the NHS
Repression of pro-Palestine solidarity in this country is key to the government’s strategy of
support for Israel. It seeks to weaponise antisemitism yet again, now against health
workers, aiming to completely suppress solidarity with Palestine within the NHS, in an effort
to silence a highly critical and effective voice against its actions in the Middle East.
The government press release 1 mentions “antisemitism” 28 times, “Islamophobia” twice, and
racism against everyone else is grouped under the catch-all term “other forms of racism”.
No Palestinian, Muslim or Arab organisations were quoted in the press release, yet four (pro
Zionist) Jewish organisations are quoted. No Jewish groups who oppose Israel’s genocide
or who hold anti-Zionist views were asked to comment, the government yet again creating
the impression that all British Jews speak with one, pro-Israel voice. This stereotyping is
itself a form of anti-semitism, exposing the emptiness of the government’s supposed anti
racism.
The press release speaks of the “scourge of antisemitism”, the need to “root out this
problem”, “antisemitism has been allowed to flourish and thrive”, and “antisemitism in the
NHS has been out of control”. Nothing is said about the extent of Islamophobia or racism
against other minority groups within the NHS, let alone in these terms. We do not agree that
antisemitism is being allowed to flourish and thrive or that it is out of control in the NHS. All
racism is a scourge and should be rooted out. All forms of racism should be condemned and
vigorously combatted. Like all forms of racism, antisemitism has increased in the recent
period, but not more so than other forms of racism; to suggest otherwise is to exceptionalise
it. This is deliberate by the government because it provides the justification for the
repressive measures it seeks to impose here.
Racist incidents against both Muslims and Jews have increased sharply since October 2023,
yet only antisemitism is emphasised. The press release mentions the recent horrific attack
on the Manchester synagogue, but fails to mention other recent appalling attacks against
Muslim and Asian communities, including two rapes, the stabbing of an Imam, serious
assaults, arson and bomb threats against mosques.2 3 4 The “hierarchy of racism” identified
in the Forde inquiry5 into the Labour party while in opposition, is evidently alive and well in
the Labour government.
The press release says the government plans to implement the following measures:
- A “rapid review into how healthcare regulators tackle antisemitism and racism”
This is to be led by Lord John Mann, “the independent advisor on antisemitism” to the
government. It should be noted that Lord Mann is a staunch advocate of the IHRA definition
(see below) of antisemitism and has repeatedly stated that anti-Zionism is antisemitic. In
2017, he described antisemitism as “the worst of racisms”. 6 This wrecks the credibility of
any program to tackle racism in the NHS. - Adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism across the NHS
While the “IHRA working definition of antisemitism” with its 11 examples, was formally
adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in 2016, its origins go back to
2004 and concerns about the “new antisemitism,” involving criticism of Israel.7 The
European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) adopted a “working
definition” in 2005. Its successor organisation, the European Union Agency for Fundamental
Rights (FRA), abandoned this in 2013 due to its misuse to silence legitimate speech,8 before
it was resurrected and formally adopted by the IHRA in 2016.
The IHRA definition remains highly problematic and has been widely opposed by Palestinian
organisations, academics, human rights experts, including Jewish experts 9, and civil society
groups internationally. It has been criticised as “not fit for purpose” 10 and “used to wrongly
label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent
protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism.”11 The original drafter of the
definition said right-wing Jews are weaponizing the definition.12 The IHRA definition protects
Israel, not Jews, and conflates anti-Zionism (eg opposition to the idea of a Jewish state) with
antisemitism (hatred of Jews as individuals or a collective). It also diverts attention from the
genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians into accusations of antisemitism.
In terms of its legal standing, the IHRA definition says itself that it is “non-legally binding”. In
addition, and importantly, the judgement in the recent case of Husain v Solicitors Regulation
Authority in the High Court12 substantially limits the application of several of the examples in
the definition. Anti-Zionist beliefs caught within the examples were found to be not
presumptively antisemitic and are largely protected by freedom of expression. In addition,
while not in the IHRA definition, the judge also ruled that criticising Israel as an apartheid
state practising systematic racism, is within the bounds of ‘legitimate political debate’.
It should be noted that adoption of the IHRA definition by the NHS also goes against the
sentiment of a large proportion of Britain’s doctors. At the BMA’s annual conference in June,
a motion was overwhelmingly carried (84% in favour, 7% against), which stated criticising
the actions of the state of Israel is not inherently antisemitic.13 There is therefore likely to be
widespread opposition by NHS staff to the adoption of the IHRA definition and significant
legal challenges to its implementation, including in employment and disciplinary procedures
in the NHS. It also has obvious implications for any enhanced antisemitism training being
envisaged (see below). Legal action has already been commissioned by a health worker
solidarity group against the adoption of the IHRA definition by NHS England.14
It should also be noted that while the government is intent on implementing the IHRA
definition across the NHS, it is currently reviewing the current definition of Islamophobia.
There are concerns that this is being watered down, with Shabana Mahmood, the Home
Secretary stating that the new definition must not be seen to give Muslims “special
treatment“,15 There are no ministerial statements of such considerations being applied to the
IHRA definition of antisemitism. - Immediate implementation of enhanced, mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism
training
This raises serious concerns: firstly, the “enhanced content” will use the IHRA definition to
conflate antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Secondly, the antisemitism subject matter experts
will be biased, selected only from those who support the IHRA definition. Jewish anti
Zionists, like holocaust survivors Stephen Kapos and Haim Bresheeth-Zabner, and
educators like Ilan Pappe or Avi Shlaim, have spoken out consistently against Israel’s
genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid policies.
Thirdly and this is extremely concerning, the enhanced training will be “aligned to” the core
skills training framework (CSTF). This defines the core statutory and mandatory knowledge,
skills and behaviours expected of health and social care staff, without which staff may face
disciplinary proceedings, loss of pay and career progression, and loss of professional
registration and insurance indemnity. If we do not answer “the new assessment questions to
test understanding” correctly, and agree with the IHRA definition that anti-Zionism is
antisemitism, we will fail to complete our CSTF training, with all of these possible
repercussions. In other words, a political viewpoint in support of Israel and its
ideology of Zionism, is to become part of statutory and mandatory “knowledge, skills
and behaviour” for all 1.5 million health workers in this country, on pain of sacrificing
their jobs and careers if they do not agree. - New uniform and workwear guidance
This will be rolled out “in light of recent successful approaches” to new guidance imposed by
UCLH and Manchester Trust. Other NHS Trusts like Barts have implemented similar
guidance which bans all political symbols at work, such as badges, symbols, jewellery or
clothing depicting Palestine or in Palestinian colours, including watermelon symbols. One
Trust has also banned the wearing of lanyards in the design of the keffiyeh, a Palestinian
scarf and cultural item. These measures are to ensure “political neutrality”, and to avoid
possible “distress or offence” to patients or other staff.
4a. Political “neutrality”
The Prime Minister has said he is a Zionist16 while the Health Secretary has a long history of
supporting Israel.17 Both have received large sums of money from Israel lobbyists,18 19
creating a conflict of interests over their support for Israel. The government’s foreign policy
has been wholly partisan over Palestine, it has repeatedly expressed support for Israel, and
continues to provide arms, diplomatic support and military cooperation with the Israeli
military including real-time surveillance flights over Gaza.
When the Department of Health and Social Care flew the Israeli flag from its London
headquarters in October 2023, it shattered any pretence of institutional neutrality over
Palestine. It posted on X (twitter), “We are flying the flag of Israel at the Department of
Health & Social Care in London. We stand in solidarity with the people of @Israel”.20 The
post had a large photograph of the Israeli flag on the top of the building, and emojis of the
Israeli flag, the British flag, and the Star of David, thus conflating the Jewish religion with the
state of Israel. The official department governing the whole NHS has therefore engaged in a
clear, unequivocal act of political solidarity with one side in the intensely polarized situation
in the Middle East. From that point on, “neutrality” was broken across the NHS from the top
down.
Officially sanctioned support for Ukraine by the government, DHSC and NHS Trusts also
belies their so-called “neutrality”. Trusts encouraged staff to participate in events, meetings
and fundraisers for Ukraine; Ukrainian flags and colours have been displayed in hospitals
and on hospital buildings and Trusts have issued statements of solidarity and donated
equipment to the people of Ukraine. The government has provided free NHS treatment to all
Ukrainians fleeing the war.21 In contrast, there have been extraordinary difficulties and delays
in allowing small numbers of severely injured Palestinian children into Britain, even though
all of their treatment was to be paid for privately. Between 30-50 children and families are
now to be allowed in and will receive NHS care.22
When an NHS Trust says it must be “politically neutral,” it is in practice enforcing state-
aligned neutrality. Supporting Ukraine aligns with the UK government’s official foreign policy.
Therefore, a Ukrainian flag badge is not interpreted by the Trust as a divisive political
statement, but as a humanitarian gesture. It is seen as safe and non-controversial because it
mirrors the state’s position. Expressing solidarity with Palestine however, particularly in
ways that criticize the Israeli government’s actions, is a direct challenge to the government’s
de facto policy of support for Israel. Therefore, the Trust interprets it as a “political” and
“divisive” act. The Trust’s “neutrality” over global conflicts or moral positions therefore allows
expression that aligns with state policy and prohibits expression that challenges it. This is
discrimination, wrapped in the language of safety and sensitivity.
It is important to understand that the “no politics” edict, also takes away everyone’s
fundamental right to freedom of expression, even though this is enshrined under Article 10 of
the Human Rights Act. No health worker can now advocate for a political cause, be it the
genocide in Sudan or Congo or government policies over climate change. This is how
imposing support for Zionism across the NHS takes away all our rights. Legal action is also
underway against the “no politics” ban in one NHS Trust. Three staff members at Barts
Health NHS Trust are suing the Trust 23 for its discriminatory policy silencing support for
Palestine, after Barts implemented the ban earlier this year. The Trust threatened a senior
nurse, who is Palestinian, with disciplinary action because he had a still-life artwork of fruit
as his screen background, which contained a watermelon, which could be “perceived as
antisemitic” according to managers.
4b. Avoiding causing distress and offence
The DHSC’s action in flying the Israeli flag created a climate that is intimidating, hostile, and
degrading to NHS staff who hold anti-Zionist or pro-Palestinian views. It institutionalized one
perspective and marginalized the other. Moreover, it amounts to endorsing the Israeli state’s
military actions in our name. When we wear a Palestine symbol like a pin badge it is
precisely to say such actions are “not in our name”, but this is deemed political and
potentially distressing and offensive.
Valuing the potential distress of one group over the distress of another.
The government and NHS Trusts are prioritising the potential distress of Jewish or Israeli
patients or staff, who might be offended by a Palestinian symbol, while dismissing the actual,
ongoing, and profound distress of Palestinian staff and patients and their allies, who feel
silenced and unsupported by their own workplace. It signals to Palestinian staff that their
grief, their fear for their families, and their solidarity with their people are less important than
the potential discomfort of those who might disagree with them. This is selective empathy:
some feelings are more valid and worthy of protection than others. It also breaches the duty
of care that Trusts, as employers, owe to all staff.
Ukrainian symbols were allowed and encouraged, which undoubtedly could have been
distressing or offensive to Russian and other staff members or patients. The fact they were
allowed anyway demonstrates that the “potential for distress” rule is not absolute; it is a
discriminatory rule applied to suppress one specific viewpoint.
The wish to wear a Palestinian symbol is a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian people,
including healthcare workers and patients. It is a call to uphold medical neutrality under the
Geneva Conventions and international law. The fact that the UK government takes a side in
the Middle East does not strip us of our right to advocate for humanitarian principles, which
are central to our work, and our fundamental moral and ethical responsibilities as healthcare
workers. Furthermore, the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the
International Criminal Court (ICC) reinforce the fact that supporting Palestine, including
wearing a Palestine symbol, is upholding international law, fundamental human rights, and
international accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Insisting on a ban is
wilful blindness to a severe humanitarian crisis and legal rulings on the prevention of
genocide.
Prohibiting solidarity symbols also has a chilling effect and prevents us from bringing our
whole selves to work, stripping away part of our identity, leading to marginalisation and
profound moral injury in our places of work.
So, we ask, how will pro-Palestine staff “always feel respected”, in the words of the press
release, by the new uniform guidance? How can the new guidance possibly protect our
“freedom to protest and speak out on political issues”, when the clear intention is to curtail
those freedoms?
The deafening silence over anti-Palestinian racism
The government’s press release says nothing about the witch-hunt being conducted by
some NHS managers and senior clinicians against health workers expressing solidarity with
Palestine. Dozens, if not hundreds, of health workers up and down the country,
disproportionately from marginalised groups, have been targeted. Some have been
suspended on the spot for failing to “show remorse”, for wearing a Palestinian symbol.
Others have been ambushed in corridors, pulled off wards and departments, bullied into
“informal” meetings on their own with senior managers, and threatened with disciplinary
proceedings. Still others have been escorted off the premises and told to return to collect
their belongings outside the building because they simply spoke about a workplace activity
in support of Palestine. Wearing socks with a watermelon pattern, or hair ribbons in the
Palestinian colours are offences warranting disciplinary proceedings.
Anti-Palestinian racism has always been a feature of Zionism, and this is what the
government and NHS hierarchy is implementing with this program. Palestinians and their
narratives are being silenced, excluded and erased, support for Palestinian rights is being
conflated with anti-semitism and at times even defamed as support for terrorism.24 Wes
Streeting speaks in the press release of “enforce[ing] a zero-tolerance policy to racism in
healthcare”, yet he is presiding over the roll-out of anti-Palestinian racism across the NHS.
The moral injury and psychological harm of this repression have been profound. Our
primary duty as health workers is to preserve life. We have a moral and ethical duty to speak
out against the causes of sickness, injury and death including deliberate mass starvation and
genocide, the crime of crimes. We feel a profound sense of solidarity with health colleagues
who are being murdered, detained and tortured, anywhere in the world. The trauma of being
threatened by our employers is immeasurably worse for Palestinian colleagues, who may
have lost family and friends in the Gaza genocide and who cannot display the smallest sign
of their identity on pain of being victimised. We need to be able to share our feelings of
horror and grief, which do not melt away as we walk through the door of the clinic or
hospital. And what of our patients who may be going through the same feelings and may
need to talk about them, especially those with mental health problems. Patients have said
that staff have had to whisper their thanks to them when they have worn a Palestinian badge
or cap to their clinic appointment.
Many of our colleagues have been seriously traumatised emotionally, resulting in weeks or
months off sick. Others have had to change jobs to a different employer, some have left the
NHS altogether, while others have had their lives taken over by disciplinary hearings,
grievance proceedings and responding to investigations by official regulators. None of these
cases have involved clinical concerns about the doctors’ or nurses’ practice, yet
thousands of hours of clinical time have been lost to the NHS as a result of this wave
of repression. If patients, and patient organisations were to become aware of this and
the resulting disruption to continuity of care for patients, and the increase in waiting
times for treatments and consultations, they would be extremely concerned and
understandably angry.
British health workers are mobilised and organised over Palestine – that is why we
are being targeted.
Over the last two years, as we have seen the Israeli military commit war crime after war
crime against hospitals, our colleagues and patients in Gaza, our outrage and grief have
been channelled into effective protest and solidarity with Palestine. Thousands of health
workers are mobilised in this country, with more joining in all the time. There are dozens of
health worker solidarity groups across the country and there is a large, vocal “Health Bloc” at
the big Palestine demonstrations each month, demanding an end to the bombing of
hospitals and the killing of health workers. Moreover, the testimony of British doctors and
nurses 25 who have gone to Gaza to work during the last two years, has been very powerful
in exposing the horrors of the genocide and the war crimes of the Israeli government and
military. Health workers from other countries have done the same, bearing witness to what
is happening on the ground in Gaza; their testimonies and photographic and video evidence
have cut through the smokescreen of official denials and justifications, and mainstream
media obfuscation designed to shield Israel from accountability and minimise the genocide.
Wes Streeting has also demanded that NHS workers should not wear their uniforms to any
protests,26 apart from those “directed at the Government with regards to NHS policies”. By
uniform he means “scrubs”, the universal uniform of health workers. While this is ridiculous
and unenforceable, it underlines the lengths to which the Health Secretary is prepared to go,
to try and stop the public seeing and hearing health workers condemn the genocide and the
government’s role in it.
Because of this mobilisation and solidarity, and the fact that health workers are
among the most trusted workers in society, we have become targets for the
government and Zionist groups, who are desperate to silence us in their efforts to
defend Israel.
This is also why health workers are “doxxed” (publicly identified and smeared) by
“Gnasherjew”, the Campaign Against Antisemitism and other pro-Israel groups, and reported
to the police, medical and nursing regulators and to our employers, with demands that our
employment is terminated and our professional registrations withdrawn. Pro-Israel main
stream media, such as the Telegraph and Daily Mail, carry high profile “hit-pieces” against
doctors and nurses advocating for Palestine, exposing where they work, leading to online
“pile-ons” and rape and death threats. The aim is the same – to silence us.
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.
We demand the right to express solidarity and support for Palestine in the NHS, an
end to the repression of those doing so and the right to challenge our government’s
ongoing support for the Israeli government and military.
Tackling racism in the NHS is vital, but it must be done in ways that recognise all
forms of racism are equally harmful to their victims, without weaponising one form of
racism to pursue foreign policy objectives.
List of endorsing organisations
Bristol Health Workers for Palestine
British Arab Nurses and Midwives Association
Family Therapists for Palestine
Friends of Al-Aqsa
For Palestine *
Global Health BDS for Palestine
Greenwich Palestine Alliance *
Health Workers for Palestine Edinburgh
Health Workers and Allies for Palestine
Health Workers for Free Palestine
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
Jewish Anti-Zionist Action
Jewish Network for Palestine
Jewish Voice for Liberation
Legal Action for Peace *
London Irish Brigade *
Muslim Psychiatrists UK
Palestine Pulse *
Palestine-UK Child Psychotherapists
Palestinian Doctors Association in Europe
Psychoanalytic Voices for Palestine
Rank and File Trade Unionists for Divestment from Israel *
Trade Unionists for Palestine *
UK Palestine Mental Health Network
*These organisations wish to add: “In addition to our rejection of the IHRA definition, we also
reject the Jerusalem Definition of Antisemitism and its alternatives.”
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respect-human https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/farrukh-najeeb-husain-v-solicitors-regulatory-authority/ https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/arm-supports-right-to-speak-out-on-humanitarian-issues https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/nhs-palestine/ https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2025/10/01/uk-government-signals-climbdown-on-islamophobiarule/ https://www.ottawajewishbulletin.com/jewish-world/keir-starmer-elected-leader-of-british-labour-party https://www.declassifieduk.org/our-friend-how-the-israel-lobby-spent-30000-on-wes-streeting/ https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/two-fifths-starmers-cabinet-have-been-funded-pro-israel-lobbyistsdeclassified-uk http://r.mail.crowdjustice.co.uk/mk/cl/f/sh/WCPzyXJTZ7IIqQczxz4N2u1tdC1WIoN7/jCteG-l0V3p https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukrainians-fleeing-war-granted-free-access-to-nhs-healthcare https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/15/first-group-of-children-from-gaza-arrive-in-uk-for-life-savingnhs-treatment https://www.salamandernews.org/silencing-compassion-for-palestinian-lives-why-barts-health-3-going-to
court/ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61db30d12e169a5c45950345/t/627dcf83fa17ad41ff217964/1652412292220/Anti-Palestinian+Racism-+Naming%2C+Framing+and+Manifestations.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz8j5WzXlZI https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/streeting-tells-nhs-staff-not-to-wear-uniforms-at-pro-palestine-demos/
