Istanbul – A vigil held by a group of doctors near the Balat Jewish Hospital in İstanbul for the victims of war in Gaza has drawn accusations of antisemitism.
A group of doctors protesting Israel’s attacks on Gaza caused controversy by staging a demonstration near the Balat Jewish Hospital wearing “bloody” lab coats.
The protest has been labeled as antisemitic due to its proximity to a Jewish hospital.
Ahmet Selim Köroğlu, a member of the Presidential Health and Food Policies Council, announced the protest, which involves a silent march every Saturday. However, the selection of the proximity to the Balat Jewish Hospital for the vigil has been questioned by critics, who argue that it unfairly targets a religious community and violates the principles of equal citizenship.
Social media users recalled that a decree of Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II established the Balat Jewish Hospital in 1898. They argued that the protest in front of a hospital that has been serving patients regardless of religion is a bad idea.
They assert that the actions of the Israeli state are unrelated to Turkey’s Jewish citizens.
