Doctors rally for probe

Doctors of all ethnic groups, religions and levels of seniority supported a recent petition by Australian medical practitioners calling for a Royal Commission into antisemitism.

The initiative, organised by the Australasian Jewish Medical Federation (AJMF) in Victoria and New South Wales, received overwhelming support from Jewish and non-Jewish doctors alike, gathering 1000 signatures within three days of its release.

“The response was incredible,” said Dr Billie Whiteson, AJMF New South Wales media liaison.

“We had a large number of people quite high in our profession, a lot of professors and people like that, who responded favourably.”

Dr Jack Green, AJMF Victoria president, described it as “very much a grassroots initiative” that reflected broader concerns about antisemitism in healthcare since October 7, 2023.

The petition was released alongside a separate letter to the Prime Minister organised by Dr Brandon Carp and Professor Sharon Lewin of the Doherty Institute, signed by numerous health sector leaders.

Shortly after, the government announced the Royal Commission would proceed.

Both doctors highlighted the cross-community support that emerged following the Bondi massacre on December 14.

“Many Jewish medical practitioners have personally told me of all the messages they received from their non-Jewish colleagues,” Green said.

Green noted that NSW medical colleagues had borne the brunt of the massacre’s aftermath, “including individual practitioners that treated the wounded in hospital, and of course also dealing with all the psychological trauma”.

“This has affected the community very significantly and will affect the community for years to come.”

Whiteson noted that support transcended religious boundaries.

“There’s a lot of people who are Muslims, who are not extremists, who’ve come to us as individuals and expressed support. This is not an us versus them.”

Both doctors cited ongoing concerns about antisemitism in the medical profession, including the Bankstown nurses incident and cases involving senior medical figures.

The AJMF is now preparing a submission to the Royal Commission, documenting doctors’ experiences of antisemitism in healthcare settings.

“People are finally standing up and saying, enough is enough,” Whiteson said.