Michael Baum: The Threatened Academic Boycott of Israel and the Accusation that the Israel Medical association (IMA) is Complicit in the Torture of Prisoners

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One of the ugliest consequences of the debate on the threatened academic boycott of Israel was to provide another opportunity for Dr Derek Summerfield to repeat his libel that the IMA is complicit in the torture of Palestinian detainees. My initial response and that of the IMA were insufficient to convince a number of your readers and the latest posting (14th September) from a Doctor Brian Robinson stated; “Prof Baum has still not provided independent evidence to justify his exoneration of the Israeli Med Assoc: does it exist?” In addition I have received several hate filled e mails implying that our silence could be interpreted as guilt.

It is of course easy to make accusations but it takes time to collect the evidence to refute these allegations. I alerted the editor of the BMJ that I was working with the IMA to produce a once and for all statement that the IMA is not an arm of the Israeli government or the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and is not complicit in the torture of prisoners. I’m now happy to post it on their behalf. It has to be remembered that it is impossible to prove a negative. For example no one could prove that British doctors, members of the BMA, have never been involved in the torture of IRA prisoners during the Irish troubles or in the present war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

I think it is very unlikely that Summerfield or others of his ilk will be satisfied with the IMAs response, because like most bigots their minds are closed to any facts that fail to reinforce their prejudice. However I have reasonable hope that the open minded and uncommitted of the readership will accept that the IMA is not involved in torture and takes its responsibility for the health and welfare of both Palestinian and Israeli Arabs very seriously.

One is left to ponder what Summerfield hopes to gain by his high profile, one might almost say, professional act, as an anti-Israel mouthpiece. Certainly the single minded hatred of one party in the face of such a long, bitter and complex conflict can do little to advance the peace process. In fact the opposite is true. The blind acceptance of every propaganda ploy by the extremist Palestinian militant organizations, by naïve and gullible commentators in the West, adds oil to the flames. In the end peace can only emerge from the tentative journey from hate and fear, to mutual respect, trust and eventually to reconciliation.

Yours Sincerely,

Michael Baum

Michael Baum: The Threatened Academic Boycott of Israel and the Accusation that the Israel Medical association (IMA) is Complicit in the Torture of Prisoners

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