Pro-Israel doctor sues New York hospital for suspending him

Director of New York University cancer center claims he was suspended to balance suspension of pro-Hamas doctor.

Susan Tawil, World Israel News

Dr. Benjamin Neel, who for nine years served as Director of New York University’s Langone Cancer Center, and who is also a professor at NYU, is suing both the hospital and the university for his suspension, allegedly over his pro-Israel postings on private social media accounts.

The cancer specialist says that he was the target of religious discrimination, and that he was not afforded due process in the termination.

NYU Health Center says it has a policy regarding conduct on social media, and that employees were reminded several times in the past month about these rules.

The physician said he was fired for reposting tweets on X/Twitter that criticized those who supported violence against Israelis.

This included retweeting cartoons on his X account that parodied the murderous October 7 Hamas attack of Israel.

One such post depicted Israeli PM Netanyahu negotiating with a Hamas terrorist who is holding a paper saying: “Demands: Death to All Jews.”

For such postings, Dr. Neel was accused of racism and anti-Arab sentiment.

Milt Williams, Neel’s lawyer, called his firing a “travesty,” and questioned the doctor’s loss of job and reputation due to his calling out those “seemingly celebrating the death of innocent people in Israel.”

Another NYU physician, Dr. Zaki Masoud, a resident at NYU Langone Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, Long Island, was also suspended for his allegedly controversial social media posts. In his case, his Instagram posts contained antisemitic statements, and messages in support of the Hamas massacre of Israelis.

“Don’t hesitate to openly state your support of Palestinian resistance,” he wrote. “Be loud & proud you’re on the side of justice…Let them call it terrorism. Extremism. Barbarianism,” he continued. “We call it liberation. Decolonization. Resistance. Revolution.”

The hospital suspended Masoud and posted: “We will not tolerate reprehensible statements condoning hatred or violence, which have no place at our institution. All employees are held to this high standard.”

NYU Health released a statement saying: “Dr. Benjamin Neel has been suspended from his role as director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center; and Zaki Masoud has been removed from service as a resident at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island…We are following our investigative and disciplinary processes in both matters.”

Dr. Neel feels that his dismissal was an attempt by the hospital to mitigate the effect of firing Masoud.

He maintains that he is being offered as a “sacrificial lamb,” as the hospital bends over backward to “feign impartiality in its effort to curb political and religious expression.”