Since the Trump administration came into power, it has shown a clear intent to reprimand anti-Israeli activism in the USA. University students, scientists, and professionals from various fields have faced scrutiny from the new government. The administration has made it clear that it does not want the country to be used as a platform for anti-Semitism.
Following this policy, a Mount Sinai doctor who allegedly praised Hamas as "noble resistance and freedom fighters" and denied reports of atrocities was recently fired from her teaching role, according to the New York Post.
Dr. Lila Abassi, an assistant professor of medicine at the Upper East Side hospital, was dismissed earlier this month following an investigation into a series of controversial online posts, a hospital spokesperson confirmed.
Abassi, 46, allegedly wrote inflammatory posts supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, calling the Israeli military a "plague," and accusing Israel of "slaughtering babies." She also rejected reports of sexual violence during the October 7, 2023, attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and thousands injured.
Using the pseudonym "Kluver Bucy" in a Facebook group for doctors, she reportedly posted, "Please show me actual rape video." She further claimed that Israel was responsible for killing more people on October 7 than Hamas.
New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn), who is Jewish, reported Abassi to the hospital last month. This led Mount Sinai to launch an internal probe, resulting in her termination.
"Our most basic expectation of doctors is that they perform their duties without bias—especially in a city as diverse as ours," Vernikov told The Post. "How scary is it that this woman was entrusted with the lives of Jewish patients while openly supporting terrorists who seek to eliminate Jewish people and destroy America?"
Abassi's social media activity was widely condemned by medical professionals. Physicians Against Antisemitism, a watchdog group, exposed her posts, warning that such views could erode patient trust.
"No Jewish patient will feel safe being treated by someone who expresses support for those who seek their destruction," the group's founders said.
A Mount Sinai colleague described Abassi as "one of the more outspoken and egregiously antisemitic physicians in the community."
Abassi previously worked at the American Council on Science and Health. In a 2016 post for the group "Doctors for Afghanistan," she praised the "lack of a filter" in her job, saying she appreciated it "personally" because she "doesn't have a filter either."
Her posts have drawn sharp criticism, particularly in the wake of rising tensions in the Middle East and concerns over antisemitism in the U.S.
Abassi, who graduated from St. George's University School of Medicine in 2011 and completed her residency at SUNY Downstate, has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
