The Health Workers Rank-and-File Committee (Australia) (HWRFC) continues its campaign in defence of health workers who have spoken out against the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

In a resolution passed on January 17, the HWRFC condemned the doxxing campaign orchestrated by Zionist forces against health workers who have publicly opposed the genocide and ongoing war crimes committed by Israel’s Netanyahu government.

At least 39 individuals who have opposed the ongoing Israeli war crimes have been reported to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) by Zionists who have weaponised medical complaints procedures to falsely accuse them of antisemitism. The careers, professional reputations and livelihoods of the reported doctors and other health workers now hang in the balance as a result of these bogus accusations.

At a recent meeting of the HWRFC, one of the victimised doctors from Sydney spoke about her experiences. She explained that when doctors sought to discuss the genocide in Facebook groups, they were suppressed:

“Everything was shut down, there was censorship. The only comment I made in one group was to just say that Palestinians have been dying for a very long time, they’ve been dying very quietly and that they were probably going to be annihilated after October 7, which is exactly what is happening. And for that, I was accused on social media of being antisemitic,” the doctor stated.

She outlined the systematic witch hunt against pro-Palestinian doctors, who had their name, workplace, and registration number published by pro-Zionists on social media and had false accusations made against them. The Australian medical authorities were refusing to condemn these anti-democratic attacks.

“Our colleges know this is happening, including AHPRA and the AMA [Australian Medical Association], RACGP [Royal Australian College of General Practitioners], but there is radio silence from them. They will not put out a statement that doxxing is happening and they will not put out a statement that this kind of behaviour is disgusting,” she said.

A Melbourne health worker also relayed her own experiences with the AHPRA complaints process. “The process was very long, meticulous, and traumatic. For an AHPRA complaint to be made based on one comment and for any individual to be put through that process when they have done absolutely nothing wrong is atrocious,” she said.

The HWRFC is urging all medical professionals and other sections of the working class in Australia and internationally to oppose this major attack on freedom of speech and democratic rights.

Statements and letters of support can be sent to these addresses:
Email: sephw.aus@gmail.com
Twitter: @HealthRandF_Aus
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/hwrfcaus

Published below are two recently received statements of support from health workers:

Maya, a molecular biologist and science communicator from Victoria:

I became a scientist with the idea that maybe my research could help others and a desire to do something for the greater good, however small. Most healthcare professionals will say something similar, i.e., a desire to help those in need and to give back to the community. This desire to give back often equates with an imperative to speak out against injustice and not stand in silence whilst others suffer.

I therefore offer my support to the Palestinian people for the disproportionate suffering visited upon them by the Israeli government, killing almost 30,000, mostly innocent women and children. We see the complete destruction of schools, universities, hospitals, Palestinians being rounded up and moved from one refugee camp to another where they are then bombed, shot at, and starved to death. These actions constitute war crimes under the Geneva convention.

I offer my support to the health care professionals recently doxxed by pro-Israeli groups claiming to expose antisemitic sentiment as their motive. It is not antisemitic to criticise the ongoing slaughter in Gaza by Israel. Being anti-Israel is not tantamount to being antisemitic and it is incorrect to conflate the two.

Harassing and intimidating healthcare professionals and publishing their personal details online for supporting Palestinians is against the tenets of freedom of speech, yet these same people were morally outraged when their identities were exposed for having perpetrated these offences. Why is the law only applicable to one group of people and not another? Why are only these people’s opinions deemed worthy? Because they hold a lot of power within the community, and they don’t want people talking about war crimes in Israel.

I fully support the doctors and nurses who are now being wrongly investigated by AHPRA for speaking out against the murder of Palestinians in Gaza. As healthcare professionals, they are duty bound to support people in need and call out injustice where they see it and that’s all these people were doing. I applaud them for their actions.

Mary, a hospital administration worker from New South Wales:

I would like to support the campaign being waged by the World Socialist Web Site, the Socialist Equality Party and HWRFC to fight to end the attacks on pro-Palestinian medical professionals who have spoken out publicly against genocide in Gaza.

I work in health administration in a large regional hospital in northern New South Wales and any attempt to label health workers as antisemitic for opposing the genocide just shows the desperation and fear the ruling elites have at the growing opposition to their war plans in the working class more broadly.

The most recent atrocity which has become known as the #FlourMassacre, where starving people were tricked into approaching “aid trucks” and then attacked with assault weapons and tanks, killing over 100 and injuring over 750 people was shocking and horrifying to witness.

Social media has placed these live images around the world while government and corporate funded media ignore what’s going on. The late journalist John Pilger was 100 percent correct to label these Vichy journalists who cover for imperialist crimes on a daily basis. We have watched in utter horror and despair, knowing Israel is aided by AUKUS allies including Australia and Western European imperialist governments.

I call on all my fellow workers in the health sphere to join the HWRFC, or start a committee in your workplace and support the struggle to end the genocide in Gaza, war in Ukraine and threats of war with China, and Russia.

Thanks to the WSWS and SEP for taking up this campaign and organising meetings “How to Stop the Genocide in Gaza” to mobilise opposition to the Israeli Zionist genocide of Palestinian babies, children, women and men.