MAPW has written to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) asking for action in response to threats against health practitioners engaged in advocacy for Palestine.
MAPW members and friends report that they have been professionally threatened, including by being reported to Ahpra, as a result of speaking up for the people of Palestine publicly and in private forums.
We told Ahpra:
Some Australian health practitioners have rightly responded to calls to speak up for the lawful protection of healthcare facilities and staff in Palestine, and for the preservation of Palestinian civilians’ right to seek and receive medical care during war. These are basic and universal principles that apply in Palestine just as they do in any other part of the world. Yet some of those who speak up for Palestine – even in private forums – appear to be targeted for complaints, threats, and vexatious claims.
We asked Ahpra to give reassurance about health practitioners’ rights to practice advocacy and express opinions, and their obligations to avoid making vexatious claims. Vexatious claims hurt individuals, and do broader harms when they seek to stifle and punish advocacy for certain populations.