Jewish doctors demand cardiologist’s sacking over conspiracy claims

A group of Jewish doctors has demanded St Vincent’s Hospital immediately suspend and investigate world-renowned cardiologist Professor Peter Macdonald after he promoted conspiracy theories about Israeli involvement in recent antisemitic attacks.

The Alliance Against Antisemitism in Healthcare sent a formal complaint to St Vincent’s leadership on Tuesday, calling for Macdonald’s “immediate suspension, investigation, and termination” following his comments at a pro-Palestinian forum.

The complaint described Macdonald’s comments as “precisely the kind of poisonous myth” that St Vincent’s “must repudiate without hesitation”.

At the Marrickville event, Macdonald claimed it was a “no brainer” that Mossad engineered the firebombing of Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue and the arson attack on Sydney’s Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, directly contradicting official findings by ASIO and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that Iran was responsible.

“Am I being totally naive, or has the lobby taken over ASIO as well?” Macdonald asked the Palestine Justice Movement Sydney forum, drawing applause from sections of the audience.

The complaint, signed by respiratory physician Associate Professor Jeremy Goldin, forensic psychiatrist Dr Jacqueline Rakov and radiologist Dr Karen Fink, accused Macdonald of promoting “textbook antisemitic conspiracy tropes”.

“St Vincent’s hospitals have many Jewish patients, staff and community members who would be rightly appalled by Macdonald’s conduct,” the complaint stated.

The doctors argued Macdonald’s comments breached St Vincent’s Health Australia’s Group Code of Conduct, which is grounded in values of compassion, justice, integrity and excellence.

“Publicly promoting false, divisive, racist conspiracy narratives is incompatible with integrity and justice,” they wrote, adding that his conduct fostered “hostility toward a religious minority”.

Macdonald, a heart transplant pioneer who led a world-first breakthrough in 2014 by successfully transplanting a heart that had stopped beating for 20 minutes, appeared alongside journalists Wendy Bacon and Yaakov Aharon, former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas, and criminal lawyer Nick Hanna, The Daily Mail reported.

Hanna supported Macdonald’s scepticism, saying there were “very good reasons to doubt the official narrative” and suggesting the intelligence came from Israel, which had “an obvious interest in blaming this on Iran”, according to The Daily Mail.

Aharon suggested the attacks were a “false flag” operation, claiming there was “significant precedent” for Israel targeting synagogues “for their own political purposes”, The Daily Mail reported.

The complaint demanded Macdonald’s immediate suspension from all clinical, teaching and research roles, an independent investigation, and if facts are confirmed, termination of his association with St Vincent’s.

The alliance also forwarded the complaint to NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, Shadow Minister Kellie Sloane and the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation.

“We are fed up with performative responses to racial vilification,” the doctors wrote. “This is not a moment for equivocation or PR euphemisms.”

A St Vincent’s spokesperson said in a statement, ” While the individual participated in the event as a private citizen and did not associate himself with St Vincent’s in his remarks, his stature as a high-profile and senior clinician employed by our organisation requires us to make comment.

“Unequivocally, St Vincent’s does not associate itself with the remarks of the employee. St Vincent’s rejects antisemitism, racism, bigotry and hate. It has no place in an organisation that was founded to share love and compassion to the most vulnerable through healthcare and other supports.

“The staff member who made this comment is currently on leave on an unrelated issue.Upon his return, St Vincent’s will take appropriate next steps in accordance with our internal policies and procedures.”

The spokesperson added, ” More frequent instances of antisemitism in Australia – including in healthcare settings – is a disturbing and upsetting development in recent years. St Vincent’s is very conscious – particularly from talking to staff and community members from Jewish backgrounds – that many people are experiencing feelings of unease, fear, and dismay at this phenomenon.

” St Vincent’s has taken, and will continue to take, action against employees where they have been found to have engaged in behaviour contrary to our code of conduct and expected standards of behaviour. We want to assure every member of our community – whatever their background and beliefs – that St Vincent’s is a safe harbour from antisemitic or bigoted views.”