University rector investigated after social media outburst on Middle East conflict
THE General Medical Council (GMC) has opened an investigation into the rector of Glasgow University following controversial comments he has made about the Israel-Palestine conflict, The Sunday Telegraph understands.
Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British-Palestinian plastic surgeon, is being investigated after at least one complaint was submitted to the regulator about his comments.
Dr Abu-Sittah, who is based in London, was installed as rector of the University of Glasgow last month after being nominated and elected by students.
In the past he has courted controversy over pro-Palestinian comments made on social media.
The surgeon has previously been accused of tweeting praise for a 1987 attack by two militants from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine that saw Israeli soldiers killed.
In a 2019 post on Twitter, he wrote: “They landed in gliders into our occupied territories and killed 30 Zionist soldiers in an hour. Glory to the martyrs.”
In December 2022, he posted: “We congratulate the brothers in Hamas and the comrades in the Popular Front on the anniversary of the launch. May you always be truthful, loyal and committed, may you always be proud and may your enemy be humiliated.”
The Telegraph understands that the GMC is investigating the doctor following a complaint.
When contacted for comment, a spokesman for the regulator told The Telegraph: “We are only able to confirm the publicly available information about individual doctors as it appears on the medical register, and are not able to provide details about individual concerns or complaints. We can and will investigate serious concerns that suggest patient safety or the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk.”
Mr Abu-Sittah did not respond to The Telegraph’s request for comment.
He has previously expressed regret for his choice of words, telling the Jewish Chronicle: “While I may have used emotive language at the funeral of a friend or following an extra-judicial killing, I vehemently oppose terrorism, and civilian casualties on all sides. As a surgeon, my vocation is preserving life and I repeat my calls for a sustainable ceasefire and lasting peace.”
Earlier this month, the GnasherJew website, which monitors social media content, urged followers to report Dr Abu Sitta to the GMC over the publication of controversial online posts.