Actions Have Consequences
British-Palestinian NHS Doctor Arrested For Vile Antisemitic Posts
A British-Palestinian NHS doctor was arrested in a storm over social media posts glorifying Hamas’s 2023 attacks and spewing antisemitic rhetoric. Rahmeh Aladwan now faces legal scrutiny and intense public outrage just days before a tribunal examining whether she can continue practicing medicine
A British-Palestinian NHS doctor, Rahmeh Aladwan, was arrested by Metropolitan Police on yesterday on suspicion of three counts of malicious communications and one count of inciting racial hatred, stemming from social media posts and a public speech that allegedly expressed support for Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and contained antisemitic tropes.
The 31-year-old trainee trauma and orthopaedic surgeon was detained at a property in South Gloucestershire and later released pending further investigation. The arrest occurred just days before Aladwan's scheduled hearing on October 24 before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), which is examining her fitness to practice medicine amid complaints about her online activity.
Video footage of the arrest shows officers informing her that the charges relate to a July 21 speech at a pro-Palestine protest outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, where she allegedly called for the "eradication of Israel" and implied support for "armed resistance" groups, including Hamas.
Additional allegations involve posts from October 7, 2025, described as "grossly offensive" for demonstrating support for an attack involving "murder, rape, and kidnap of Israeli citizens."
Aladwan, who has worked in NHS hospitals including the Royal Free in London, has made several controversial statements online. These include declaring, "I don’t condemn Hamas. I don’t condemn October 7. I don’t condemn armed resistance to the Occupation. I condemn ‘Israel.’” She has also referred to the UK as "occupied and controlled by Jewish supremacy—in fact, most Christian countries," and called a UK hospital a "Jewish supremacy cesspit."
In another post, she stated, "Not trying to be unreasonable, but every ******** settler will leave Palestine... Algeria did it. So will Palestine," invoking historical decolonization as a model for Israel.
At a Leeds rally, she reportedly called for "armed resistance" and urged holding "Jewish communities to account."
She has also been accused of making a "slit your throat" gesture toward Jews and claiming the Holocaust is a "fabricated victim narrative."
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), which has lodged multiple complaints with the General Medical Council (GMC) about Aladwan, welcomed the arrest but criticized the medical regulators. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), CAA said, "We have submitted numerous complaints to the General Medical Council (GMC) regarding this doctor, who is a prolific poster of the most deranged material and claims about Jewish people and is self-evidently unfit to serve as a regulated professional." They added that the MPTS's earlier decision to allow her to continue practicing pending investigation was "inexplicable," and described the regulators as "unfit for purpose."
CAA has threatened legal action against the GMC and MPTS.
Aladwan, a former supporter of the now-banned Palestine Action group, has denied the allegations, framing them as an attack on free speech and criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza.
In a video posted after her release, she claimed the arrest confirmed her view that "Britain is not sovereign" and is "occupied... for the 'Israeli' Jewish lobby."
She has launched a crowdfunding campaign on CrowdJustice, raising funds to "fight the UK 'Israel' lobby and keep my medical licence," describing the complaints as backed by organizations like CAA and the Jewish Medical Association (JMA).
This case comes amid heightened scrutiny of antisemitism in the UK, particularly since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The UK government proscribed Hamas as a terrorist organization in 2021, making support for it illegal under the Terrorism Act 2000. Reports from the Community Security Trust (CST) indicate a record surge in antisemitic incidents in the UK in 2024, with over 3,000 cases logged, many linked to pro-Palestine protests.
Similar cases include a retired NHS surgeon struck off the medical register in early October 2025 for antisemitic abuse, highlighting ongoing concerns about prejudice within the health service.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest relates to an investigation by their public order crime team into "grossly offensive and antisemitic" comments.