Thread by @Liam_O_Hare

Thread: It was reported in February that Chelsea and Westminster Hospital took down a display of decorative plates designed by children in Gaza after complaints by “Jewish patients”. I’ve looked into this.

thejc.com/news/news/lond…

A Hospital spokesperson at the time said: “patients found (the artwork) offensive”. But no patients were quoted, even anonymously. The only quotes are from UK Lawyers for Israel, a pro-Israel lobbying group, which has been accused of using “lawfare” to silence Palestinian voices.

I decided to put in a Freedom of Information request to the hospital involved to ask for a copy of any complaints made by patients about the artwork. That was three months ago. I’ve yet to receive a reply despite the statutory response time being 20 days.

However, despite the lack of an official reply, I have had it confirmed to me by a source at @ChelwestFT that they received ZERO complaints from patients about the artwork. The ONLY complaint came from UKLFI.

So it appears clear that @ChelwestFT removed art designed by children in occupied Gaza not due to patient complaints as initially reported but at the behest of a powerful political lobbying group who according to their own website “support Israel using their legal skills”.

In isolation this may not seem that important or even that surprising. But what does it tell us about the way lobbyists operate when they are so successful in not only getting displays removed but also spinning the story as “patient complaints”?

And what does it tell us about the current environment in the UK regarding speaking about Palestine when art by children is not safe from being attacked and hastily removed by NHS hospitals due to such political pressure? It’s time for a proper sensible discussion about this.