United Kingdom

The move to ban NHS staff from displaying political symbols in the workplace and wearing medical scrubs in protests has been widely condemned by politicians and healthcare workers, who say it is using fears of antisemitism to crack down on expressions of solidarity with Palestine.

Middle East Eye spoke to a number of pro-Palestine NHS workers about their experience campaigning against the genocide in Gaza and the backlash they have faced from their workplace as a result.

The Mann report was commissioned by former health secretary Wes Streeting in 2025 to investigate antisemitism in the NHS.

However, the British Medical Association (BMA) noted that, although the need to combat antisemitism and racism within the NHS is vital, some of the recommendations from the report are “deeply concerning” in how they might be implemented, particularly with regard to freedom of speech and expression.

Charities and other organisations registered in the UK are advertising to them through gap-year programmes, subsidised “birthright” trips and migration assistance.

These programmes offer participants the chance to go to occupied Palestinian territory, train with the Israeli army or live in an illegal settlement, Middle East Eye can reveal.

The most prominent charity linking Britons to Israel is United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA), which handles significant capital, declaring an income of £12.8m ($17m) in 2024. Its stated mission is to “inspire young Jews” to forge a “relationship with Israel” by supporting organisations that run trips and gap year programmes.