Istanbul Medical Chamber: "We Find the Protest In Front of Balat Hospital Antisemitic"
Translation by Janet MITRANI
In the written statement by the Istanbul Medical Chamber titled "Peace cannot be achieved by Antisemitism!" and shared via their website and the social platform X, concerning the protest in front of the Or-Ahayim Balat Hospital, it is expressed that:
"During conflicts, no matter who does it, targeting civilians and hospitals is a war crime. No legitimate reason can justify the targeting of civilians. We consider the lookout carried out to protest the occupation and massacres of the State of Israel in Gaza, in front of the Balat Hospital which belongs to a Jewish foundation in Istanbul and has been serving our entire society, regardless of whether being Jewish or Muslim without discrimination, for over a hundred years, as a product of a dangerous mentality. The fact that those who carry out this antisemite action say that they are doctors and use our white coats in their protests increases the severity of the incident. With the motto that war is a public health problem and as the Istanbul Medical Chamber which defends peace and brotherhood of people against militarism, we do not approve of this act declared to be carried out in the form of a lookout. In light of the issues we have drawn attention to we invite all parts of society, especially doctors and healthcare professionals, to ponder once again and use common sense."