NHS Nurse Launches Legal Action Over Order to Remove Pro-Palestine Video Call Background
London (Quds News Network)- A senior British-Palestinian NHS nurse has initiated legal action against the UK health body after being ordered to remove a watermelon video call background, a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, following claims it could be perceived as “antisemitic.”
Ahmad Baker, who is British-Palestinian and works at Whipps Cross hospital, north London, is one of three medical staff saying Barts Health NHS trust’s ban on staff displaying symbols perceived as politically or nationally affiliated is disproportionate and discriminatory.
Baker’s employers at Whipps Cross Hospital said the image of the fruit could be considered as antisemitic, The Guardian reported on Thursday.
According to the newspaper, Baker, along with Dr Aarash Saleh, a respiratory consultant at Whipps Cross, and Dr Sara Ali, a haematology registrar who previously worked at the Royal London hospital, said the Barts Health NHS trust, which administers the hospital, had expressed solidarity with Ukraine after its invasion by Russia.
“Being told that a still-life painting containing a watermelon could be perceived as antisemitic and being threatened with disciplinary action is deeply upsetting,” Baker said.
Barts introduced the ban in March in its updated uniform and dress code policy, which extends to items on workstations, laptops and iPads, even if staff are working from home and not seeing patients.
Baker said: “As a Palestinian, I should be able to express my identity and solidarity with my people, especially during a humanitarian crisis. Being told that a still-life painting containing a watermelon could be perceived as antisemitic and being threatened with disciplinary action is deeply upsetting.”
“I’ve worked for the NHS for over a decade – this is not the inclusivity I thought we stood for.”
Ali said: “To suggest that expressing support for the Palestinians who are facing one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises in recent history is somehow threatening, after the trust had rightly expressed support for Ukraine, is not only manifestly discriminatory but is antithetical to the values of universal empathy and compassion that underpin our practice as healthcare workers.”
A letter before action sent on behalf of the healthcare staff by Liana Wood from the law firm Leigh Day also argued that there was “inappropriate consultation” with a pro-Israel advocacy group, while sidelining internal staff voices.
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), having complained to the trust about pro-Palestinian symbols worn by staff, published an article on its website about the new policy eight days before it was officially implemented.
Saleh said: “It’s especially troubling that UKLFI publicly announced the policy before the trust itself had communicated it to staff – this raises serious concerns about transparency and whose voices were prioritised in the process.”
The medics are seeking the removal of key provisions of the policy, a declaration from the employment tribunal that discrimination has taken place, and compensation for injury to feelings they have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the policy.
In March, The Telegraph reported that Barts announced the decision after UKLFI claimed growing numbers of Israeli and Jewish patients were reporting their “distress at seeing clinical and medical staff wearing provocative slogans and badges in Palestinian colours.”
In recent months, there has been growing escalation in the UK surrounding the suppression of pro-Palestine symbols, flags, and activism, particularly following Israel’s 15-month assault on Gaza.
The actions to suppress pro-Palestine expressions have been met with criticism from Palestinian solidarity groups, activists, and some human rights organizations, who said that these measures stifle free speech, suppress expression, and limit the right to protest. Activists contend that such actions are part of a broader pattern of silencing Palestine advocacy.
