Outrage at SUNY Downstate: Jewish doctors condemn "blood libel" panel on Israel

An anti-Israel student group is set to host a controversial lecture at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday, accusing Israelis of committing health care “genocide” in Gaza - a claim that has sparked outrage among Jewish doctors who have condemned it as propaganda and “blood libel” against Jews.

The event, co-sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), is titled “CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY: The Decimation of Palestinian Healthcare in the Ongoing Genocide and the Continuing Legacy of Settler-Colonialism.”

Among the guest speakers are Drs. Feroze Sidhwa, Simon Fitzgerald, Abdel Aziz Al Bawab, and attorney Diala Shamas, who will argue that Israel is committing “genocide” and “war crimes” in Gaza.

These claims are being denounced by the Jewish American Medical Association, which called the event “medical propaganda” that fuels antisemitism against Israelis.

In response, SUNY Downstate acknowledged the event but clarified that it is not sponsored by the administration. A university spokesman said, "Any event that promotes hate, bigotry, or antisemitism is disgusting and does not represent SUNY’s values.”

* The New York Post contributed to this article.