Live After Quit

Unmasking the Disgraceful Spewing of Antisemitic Hate by Doctors and Dentists

As the fight against anti-Semitism continues to intensify, one organization is leading the charge to challenge those responsible for instilling harmful prejudice. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is headed by a former Israeli diplomat, Olaf Glöckner, who is charged with leading the group’s online campaign to identify antisemitism in all its forms. In a recent interview with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Glöckner discussed the various challenges he’s faced in his mission and how he’s come to see the role of members of the medical and dental professions in perpetuating anti-Semitic views. Glöckner’s campaign to raise awareness of how anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head in everyday life has led him to uncover some disturbing realities about how members of the medical and dental professions are perpetuating hatred against Jews. In particular, Glöckner noted that doctors and dentists have been leading the charge to publicly spew anti-Semitic views in a seemingly unchecked manner. He noted that many medical professionals are publicly embracing what Glöckner referred to as ‘eco-fascism’ – an ideology which combines hatred of Jews with ‘compassion’ for animals, nature, and the environment – and that these voices of prejudice can be found in numerous online forums. However, these online forums, despite their cloak of anonymity, are not those responsible for allowing hatred to persist. The real source of anti-Semitism, Glöckner asserts, lies in prejudice that is running rampant in society more generally. In order to effectively challenge this hatred, he and the IHRA are working hard to identify and challenge those perpetuating anti-Semitic views in public forums and are also asking medical and dental professionals to stand up against hatred publicly. Glöckner and the IHRA’s work has been incredibly important in raising public awareness of the pervasiveness of anti-Semitism, especially given the apparent willingness of medical and dental professionals to openly and publicly spew hateful views. Through their tireless effort to combat prejudice, the IHRA is providing a much-needed platform for countries to engage in addressing anti-Semitism and to promote greater understanding and tolerance.