President Mahmoud Abbas used Article 43 of the Palestinian Basic Law to dissolve the Medical Syndicate, one of the oldest unions in the Middle East.
The Palestinian Medical Syndicate was established under the Medical Syndicate Law No. 14 of 1954 and is based in Beit Hanina in Jerusalem, and is a part of the Jordanian Medical Syndicate since before the War of June 1967.
On October 25, 2022, President Abbas issued a decree to dissolve the Medical Syndicate, and to establish a constituent assembly to replace it until the establishment of a Palestinian Syndicate.
He assigned specific people to manage the Syndicate without setting a timeframe for holding elections, and without giving a clear decision about the original Syndicate’s property and assets, and the rights of the doctors associated with it, hence with the Jordanian Medical Syndicate.
Since June 2017, Abbas has been issuing decrees after suspending the work of the Legislative Council, and he took advantage of the state of political division and the absence of state oversight.
His decrees are a clear example of consolidating the one-man rule, ending the work of trade unions and eliminating democracy.
His decrees are a clear example of consolidating the one-man rule, ending the work of civil unions, and eliminating democracy.
Such a decree turns the attention of the occupation to Palestinian unions based in Jerusalem and would result in targeting and closing these unions.
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK calls on all Palestinians and civil society institutions to overturn this dangerous decree, given that the Medical Syndicate in Palestine is one of the gains of the Palestinian people that must be protected.
