According to our inquiries, it all began with a naive gesture. The department’s staff celebrated the end of exams and decided to give out their leftover refreshments to patients. Among the patients was a 16-year-old Palestinian in police custody following a stabbing. The officers accompanying the patient were angered by Dr. Mahajna’s decision to offer him candy and by the physician’s refusal to identify himself to them.

Dr. Mahajna was astonished to discover that the hospital quickly issued a press release depicting him as a terrorist sympathizer. Before he could even tell his side of the story, Dr. Mahajna was summoned to a hearing before termination. Letters of support from patients and colleagues, all describing him as a caring and dedicated physician, proved useless.

The hospital’s conduct is a vile attempt to pacify those demanding the blood of the detained patient and the physician caring for him. These actions will have a long-lasting influence on the medical staff, particularly Palestinian employees, and promote a culture of oppression and silencing.