Rights Group Demands Criminal Probe into Incitement Against Arab Doctors

A coalition of human rights lawyers has urged Israel's Attorney General to launch a criminal investigation into what they describe as dangerous incitement targeting Arab medical staff. In a letter sent to the Attorney General, the coalition stated that the Israeli health system has become a platform for targeting and inciting against Arab workers since October 2023. They requested the activation of her powers to approve investigations and file indictments.

The coalition provided copies of the letter, along with a file of relevant materials and publications, to the State Prosecutor and the Attorney General for Special Tasks. The lawyers highlighted publications and videos they claim contain serious incitement against Arab medical teams. Among these were posts by Lesichar Hyman, who allegedly linked Arab doctors and pharmacists to claims of providing fatal treatment to Jewish patients. The coalition also cited a video by Raf Meir Shmueli, which they said accused Arab doctors of murdering Jewish patients in hospitals.

The coalition considers these statements to be beyond freedom of expression, constituting criminal offenses including incitement to racism and violence, and defamation of a public group. They warned that failing to investigate these materials could encourage further targeting of Arab medical staff, threaten their safety, and potentially lead Arab professionals to leave the health system.

The group demanded that police investigate Hyman, Shmueli, and others they identified as inciters, pursue indictments, and adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards incitement and racist attacks. The coalition emphasized the need to prevent extremist groups from terrorizing Arab medical staff and endangering their lives. The letter was signed by lawyers Khaled Zabarqa, Nadia Daqqa, Fadi Baransi, Ahmed Ghazawi, Ramzi Katilat, and Muhammad Lotfi.