Royal Society of Medicine under attack by pro-Israel doctors

doi:10.1136/bmj.39374.493218.BE

BMJ 2007;335:842 (27 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39374.493218.BE

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Academic boycotts

Royal Society of Medicine under attack by pro-Israel doctors

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In relation to the debate about academic boycott and freedom,¹² it seems relevant to record another way in which the refusalto address the voluminous and independent evidence of medicalethical violations in Israel is being maintained.

The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) has lately been under attack.Months ago, I was invited to speak at an RSM conference on religion,spirituality and mental health, to contribute to a session onthe role of health professionals in conflict situations. Asa reflection of my research interests and publications on medicalethics since 1992, my main case study was on Israel and Palestine.Once the conference was publicised, the RSM became subject topressure from pro-Israel doctors to remove me from the conferenceprogramme. They went so far as to threaten a challenge to theRSM constitution as a charity if a "political" (and biased)person were permitted to speak.

After . . . [Full text of this article]

Derek A Summerfield, honorary senior lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry, London

Maudsley Hospital, London SE5 8BB

derek.summerfield@slam.nhs.uk

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Rapid Responses:

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Summerfield and his research: Harvey Gordon
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2007 [Full text]
Keep Politics out of Medicine: Ruth Green
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2007 [Full text]
Not alone: Jenny Tonge
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2007 [Full text]
Royal Society of Medicine under attack by pro-Israel doctors: derek a summerfield
bmj.com, 1 Nov 2007 [Full text]
Intrimidation of those not apathetic to cruelty: Christopher J Burns-Cox
bmj.com, 2 Nov 2007 [Full text]
Re: Intrimidation of those not apathetic to cruelty: Brian Robinson
bmj.com, 3 Nov 2007 [Full text]
Progressing understanding, reflection and reconciliation: Wouter Havinga
bmj.com, 5 Nov 2007 [Full text]
Royal Society of Medicine under attack: Nicholas J Naftalin
bmj.com, 8 Nov 2007 [Full text]
Medical ethical abuses in Israel: what counts as evidence?: derek a summerfield
bmj.com, 11 Nov 2007 [Full text]
It is the people that matter: Hadas Ziv, et al.
bmj.com, 12 Nov 2007 [Full text]
There is no Medicine without politics: Ruchama Marton
bmj.com, 19 Nov 2007 [Full text]