An NHS neurologist who described the former leader of Hamas as a “legend” has been temporarily suspended from the medical register.
Rehiana Ali, who has worked in the NHS for two decades, published posts on X, formerly Twitter, that said Israel’s killing of Yahya Sinwar had turned the Oct 7 mastermind into a “legend” and “male role model”.
In separate posts, the consultant neurologist also said the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, had turned him into a “legend” who was “completely untouchable”.
Dr Ali has now been temporarily suspended pending investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of doctors.
It comes after Wes Streeting called on regulators to strike off doctors who bring extremist views about Gaza into the workplace as part of a wider crackdown on anti-Semitism within the NHS.
The Health Secretary told The Telegraph he would enforce a “zero tolerance approach” to “anyone who uses the conflict in the Middle East as a pretext to attack communities” in the health service.
Announcing the decision to temporarily suspend Dr Ali, a GMC spokesman said: “Dr Rehiana Ali has been interim suspended pending the conclusion of a full GMC investigation.
“An Interim Orders Tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service imposed the interim suspension on her practice on Friday (Dec 20).
‘Patient safety’
“We are acutely aware of the concerns that have been raised regarding Dr Ali, and we will take action where concerns suggest patient safety or the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk.”
The GMC can temporarily suspend a doctor while it investigates a complaint.
It can do this if it believes a doctor’s practice should be restricted to protect members of the public or if it’s in the doctor’s interest.
Three tribunal members will decide whether to suspend or impose conditions on a doctor’s registration for up to 18 months.
In a previous statement to The Telegraph, Dr Ali said: “Posting facts is not ‘anti-Semitic’. It is the Palestinians who are Semites according to scientific/historical studies so the correct term you should be using is judeophobic/jewish hatred.
“I find it troubling that you object to questions being asked or concern [sic] over Israeli terrorism – common before and since its inception [as a country]. I see no reason why any decent Jewish patient would object to a doctor being horrified by atrocities.
“What are you trying to say about Jewish people?”
Dr Ali was approached for comment about the suspension.
