NHS doctor accused of praising Hamas wears 'celebratory' number 7 necklace to tribunal
Dr Rahmeh Aladwan wore the necklace to a Manchester hearing where she faces claims of antisemitism and praising Hamas online
An NHS doctor accused of glorifying Hamas’s October 7 attacks in Israel has appeared before a medical tribunal wearing a gold necklace featuring the number seven.
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Dr Rahmeh Aladwan, 31, a British-Palestinian trainee trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, is facing claims of antisemitism and of repeatedly praising Hamas on social media.
She previously vowed she “would never” condemn the attacks, and had shared photos of the same necklace online, describing it as her “celebratory jewellery” alongside another chain showing a map of Palestine.
Last month, a tribunal cleared her of similar allegations, ruling her social media posts – including references to Israelis as “worse than Nazis” and the Royal Free Hospital as a “Jewish supremacy cesspit” – did not amount to bullying or harassment.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the earlier decision had left him with “no confidence” in the medical regulator, adding that allowing doctors to use such language “with impunity” risked undermining trust in the profession.
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The General Medical Council has since re-referred Dr Aladwan’s case to a second interim hearing, saying new evidence has emerged and that the move is needed to “protect the public or public confidence in doctors” while its investigation continues.
Dr Aladwan’s barrister, Kevin Saunders, accused the GMC of a “brazen attempt to re-litigate” the case until it achieved the result it wanted.
He also criticised Mr Streeting, claiming he was trying to “undermine the rule of law and the findings of an independent tribunal”.
The latest hearing comes just days after Dr Aladwan was arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred.
Footage of her arrest on Tuesday in South Gloucestershire was shared on social media, showing police officers detaining her at home.
In the clip, she tells officers: “You are doing this for the Israeli Jewish lobby.”
Police confirmed she was arrested on suspicion of three alleged offences linked to malicious communications and one count of inciting racial hatred.
An officer in the video can be heard saying: “On 7 October, you posted a variety of communications which demonstrated support for Hamas’s attack on Israel – an attack which involved murder, rape and kidnap of Israeli citizens – all of which may be considered grossly offensive in character.”
She is also accused of calling for the “eradication of Israel” during a speech at a pro-Palestine protest outside the Foreign Office on 21 July.