Arab Lawyers Coalition Demands Criminal Probe into Incitement Against Arab Medical Staff
A coalition of Arab lawyers, "Arab Lawyers Against Racism," has formally requested that Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara initiate an urgent criminal investigation into a campaign of incitement, racism, and defamation targeting Arab doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals. The coalition sent a letter to the Attorney General, urging her to use her authority to approve investigations and indictments.
According to the coalition, the Israeli health system has become a target for Arab workers since October 2023, with significant incitement against them. The group provided the Attorney General, the State Attorney, and the Attorney General for Special Tasks with a file containing evidence, including social media posts and videos.
The lawyers cited specific examples, such as a post by Lesichar Hyman, who allegedly linked Arab doctors and pharmacists to claims of "deadly treatment" of Jewish patients. They also referenced a video by Raf Meir Shmueli, which reportedly accused Arab doctors of killing Jewish patients in hospitals. The coalition asserts that these statements exceed the bounds of free speech and constitute criminal offenses related to incitement to racism and violence, as well as defamation of a public group.
The coalition warned that a failure to investigate these claims could embolden further targeting of Arab medical staff and endanger their safety, potentially leading Arab medical personnel to leave the health system. They called on the police to investigate Hyman, Shmueli, and others accused of incitement, and to pursue indictments for defamation, adopting a "zero tolerance" policy for racist attacks and incitement against medical teams.
In their closing remarks, the lawyers urged law enforcement authorities to prevent extremist groups from "terrorizing Arab medical staff and endangering their lives." The letter was signed by lawyers Khaled Zabarka, Nadia Daqqa, Fadi Baransi, Ahmed Ghazawi, Ramzi Katilat, and Muhammad Lotfi.
