After being flagged by UK Lawyers for Israel, the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust removed a sign that stated “Zionism is poison.”
By Rachel Avraham
The University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH Trust) has confirmed that posters bearing inflammatory political messages about Israel have been removed from hospital premises following a complaint received by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), Arutz Sheva reported.
The posters, seen at University College London Hospital (UCLH), and which were subsequently removed, read: “Israel is starving and killing Palestinians in Gaza. Children are being slaughtered beyond measure. We have a voice, they don’t. We are the generation that can influence the system and government.”
The message continued: “Please do your own research and come to your own conclusions. Do not let the mainstream media influence you. It is poison. Zionism is Poison. People are being killed.” The poster then promoted a series of Instagram accounts and then proclaimed: “Free Palestine. End Zionism.”
According to UK Lawyers for Israel, “One of the Instagram accounts promoted by the poster was that of Anas Al-Sharif, the target of a recent strike by the IDF which identified him as the leader of a rocket-launching squad in Hamas’s Nukhba force.”
The lobby group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), which wrote to the hospital to flag the posters, was alerted to the situation by a UCLH patient, who said she felt “vulnerable and scared,” the Jewish Chronicle reported.
“I’m an outpatient,” the patient, who did not wish to disclose her identity told the group, “but God forbid [those] in other circumstances to feel so vulnerable already and be surrounded by hostility. [It would be] so scary. I shouldn’t have to remove my Star of David necklace to go to a hospital visit.”
David Probert, the Chief Executive of UCLH Trust told UK Lawyers for Israel: “Firstly, I would like to apologize on behalf of UCLH for the distress and upset caused by these posters. At UCLH, we value diversity and inclusivity, and we are committed to providing a fair and non-discriminatory service to all individuals, regardless of background.”
He continued: “Following receipt of your letter, I promptly made internal enquiries and was informed that the posters were initially noticed last week. This matter was immediately treated as an incident, and all the posters were removed without delay. Senior members of staff conducted a walk-around to ensure no further posters remained. Additionally, the department’s newsletter addressed the incident, reminding staff of the Trust’s policy against displaying political messages and encouraging vigilance in identifying and removing any similar materials. Security personnel have also been instructed to remain alert.”
Caroline Turner, director of UK Lawyers for Israel, commented: “UCLH is a major London hospital, frequented by people from all of London’s diverse communities, but it’s particularly close to major north London Jewish communities. Irrespective of their background, any person must feel comfortable and safe in a hospital setting. We welcome UCLH’s prompt, proactive and constructive engagement with this issue. UCLH’s actions will help preserve dignity, equality, neutrality and respect within NHS spaces, particularly for Jewish patients seeking medical care.”
Photo from Tagishsimon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_College_Hospital#/media/File:University_College_Hospital_-_New_Building_-_London_-_020504.jpg
