NURSE SUSPENSION FOR SHARING SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS IS DISPROPORTIONATE AND UNJUST

Together Gibraltar are deeply concerned by reports that a GHA nurse has been suspended for sharing an ‘anti‑Zionist’ video on their personal social media. This is a disproportionate and unjust response to lawful political expression made outside of work.

We are also concerned by comments from the Jewish Community Organisation whose recent statement incorrectly asserted that “public servants, especially in health care, have a duty to remain politically neutral in public”. This is incorrect. Public servants have as much right as anyone else to express their political views without fear of reprisal, so long as they uphold their professional duties.

From our founding, TG has fought for public servants’ right to free speech. In 2019, we successfully campaigned against the Government’s attempt to impose a disastrous social media policy that would have gagged employees across the public sector.

As a party committed to fostering civil political debate, we are particularly concerned about the use of ‘anti-Zionism’ as an excuse to target public servants. We stand with advocacy groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace who have stated that:

“We do not believe that to be Jewish you must support Zionism… Anti‑Zionism means supporting justice for the Palestinian people, including their right to live in freedom and equality.”

JVP, along with groups such as Jewish Currents and Amnesty International, have consistently made clear that criticism of the Israeli government is a legitimate part of public debate. We stand with them in defending free expression while standing completely against anti-semitism of any kind.

Our public services must listen to community concerns, but they must also stand behind their employees when they are targeted for lawful political expression. Allowing members of the public to hound a worker out of their job for their beliefs sets a dangerous precedent which will leave staff afraid to express their own beliefs.

Sources say the nurse served six years at the GHA with an unblemished record. Removing them for reasons unrelated to patient care will impact the quality of care the GHA can offer.

We call on the Government to publicly affirm its commitment to protecting the free speech rights of all public servants, and to ensure that no employee is disciplined solely for expressing lawful political opinions in a personal capacity.

ENDS