The hate-filled placards in University College London Hospital frightened a Jewish patient.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A British hospital removed several anti-Israel posters from its hallways last week and apologized for their presence to the legal group that lodged a complaint about them on behalf of a Jewish patient.

The woman who saw them had been in University College London Hospital (UCLH) undergoing medical tests, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) said in a statement Sunday.

She contacted the group, telling them she felt angered, “vulnerable and scared” after reading their contents, and was “grateful that no one knew she is Jewish,” the organization said.

“I’m an outpatient, but God forbid in other circumstances to feel so vulnerable already and be surrounded by hostility would be so scary,” UK Lawyers for Israel quoted her as saying. “I shouldn’t have to remove my Star of David necklace to go to a hospital visit.”

The group immediately contacted the trust in charge of the hospital.

Trust CEO David Probert said the hospital had taken prompt action.

“All the posters were removed without delay,” he responded to the group. In addition, “senior members of staff conducted a walk-around to ensure no further posters remained.”

The department’s newsletter, he continued, addressed the issue, “reminding staff of the Trust’s policy against displaying political messages and encouraging vigilance in identifying and removing any similar materials. Security personnel have also been instructed to remain alert.”

Probert also expressed regret over the incident, writing: “I would like to apologise on behalf of UCLH for the distress and upset caused by these posters. At UCLH, we value diversity and inclusivity, and we are committed to providing a fair and non-discriminatory service to all individuals, regardless of background.”

The A4-sized pages had accused Israel of “starving and killing Palestinians in Gaza” and “slaughter[ing]” children “beyond measure.”

“Zionism is Poison,” they said, asking for people to learn what was going on from extremist Instagram accounts such as eye.on.palestine so they could then “influence the system and government” against the Jewish state.

“Free Palestine. End Zionism,” they concluded.

UKLFI Director Caroline Turner said the lawyers were pleased at the quick response, since everyone should “feel comfortable and safe” when receiving medical care.

“UCLH is a major London hospital, frequented by people from all of London’s diverse communities, but it’s particularly close to major north London Jewish communities,” Turner noted.

“We welcome UCLH’s prompt, proactive and constructive engagement with this issue,” she said. “UCLH’s actions will help preserve dignity, equality, neutrality and respect within [National Health Service] spaces, particularly for Jewish patients seeking medical care.”

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Selling these items with the offensive slogan violates Etsy’s prohibited items policy and its policy on “items that promote, support, or glorify hatred.”

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

The American e-commerce company Etsy has come under fire from a group of pro-Israel lawyers in the United Kingdom for selling merchandise on its website that promotes the destruction of the Jewish state following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of Israeli communities.

T-shirts, baseball caps, sweatshirts, and more items bearing the slogan “Make Israel Palestine Again” are being sold on the website, which focuses on unique, handcrafted, or vintage items made by entrepreneurs wanting to grow their businesses.

A similar item listed as a “bestseller” on Etsy is a T-shirt that says in large text, “Resistance until reclamation generation after generation until total liberation.” The shirt also features images of Palestinians, including one person wearing a keffiyeh scarf and using a slingshot. Other offensive items being sold on Etsy include stickers that say “end the Israeli occupation of Palestine.”

Caroline Turner, the director at UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), wrote a letter to Etsy Chief Legal Officer Colin Stretch on Nov. 5 voicing concerns about the items featuring the slogan “Make Israel Palestine Again” and asking for them to be removed for the website. Writing on behalf of UKLFI, Turner explained how the phrase suggests that “there should no longer be a State of Israel, which as you are no doubt aware, is the aim of the terrorist group Hamas” during its ongoing war with Israel.

Turner pointed out that selling items with the offensive slogan violates Etsy’s prohibited items policy and its policy on “items that promote, support, or glorify hatred.” It also goes against other Etsy regulations and promotes illegal activity in breach of the UK’s Terrorism Act 2010, while wearing items with the slogan violates the UK’s Public Order Act of 1986, according to Turner.

“If the items being sold on the Etsy platform are worn by customers in a public place they could be seen to be supporters of Hamas, and they could also cause alarm and distress to Jewish and Israeli people, and those people that support Israel, which includes the UK government,” she explained. “We do not think that there is any argument for these items to remain on sale on their website given that they are in breach of Etsy’s own policy guidelines and that selling such items and wearing the items in public can be a criminal offense.”

The slogan is also not in compliance with the UK government’s Terrorism Act of 2000 for expressing an opinion or belief that supports a proscribed organization and “being reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organization,” she said.

“We suggest that by advertising this merchandise for sale on your website, Etsy is endorsing the slogan and thus expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organization (in this case Hamas),” she continued. “Since Etsy pages online are seen by multiple people, Etsy is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organization.”

UKLFI drew attention last week to apparel and other items being sold on Amazon that bear the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” — known as a call for the destruction of Israel, which is located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The slogan has also been used by those who defend the Hamas terrorist attacks perpetrated against Israel on Oct. 7 and during the current war between the Jewish state and the Palestinian terrorist organization.

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