A Jewish physician working at a healthcare center outside Stockholm says he was subjected to antisemitic abuse by a colleague before his contract was terminated, prompting him to speak publicly about the incident amid growing debate over political activism in Sweden's healthcare system.
Gregory-Zvi Wirschubsky, 69, said the incident occurred last year while he was working as a consultant physician at a Meliva health center. According to his account, a colleague approached him during a coffee break and asked whether he was Jewish. After he answered yes, she allegedly accused him of "killing Palestinian children."
According to the Swedish publication Expressen, Wirschubsky said he responded that he had no connection to the Israeli military and had lived in Sweden since the age of seven. He alleges the colleague then cursed at him, telling him, "You can go to hell, you fucking Jew," before he ended the conversation. He said several coworkers witnessed the exchange but did not intervene.
The physician reported the incident to his manager, arguing that it constituted discrimination and noting that staff had previously agreed not to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the workplace. According to Wirschubsky, management told him the matter would be handled internally. Shortly afterward, he was informed that his consulting assignment had been terminated.
Wirschubsky was employed through a staffing agency rather than directly by the health center. Documents reviewed by Swedish media indicate the client had the contractual right to end the assignment with one month's notice without providing a reason. He said the health center's medical director supported him and wrote a letter to management seeking answers, but he claims he has received little explanation beyond being told that the incident had been exaggerated.
Although Wirschubsky said he does not believe his assignment ended because he is Jewish, he believes the decision was connected to tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
He decided to share his account publicly after doctors and other healthcare workers took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside Karolinska University Hospital last week. The protest drew criticism over its location and the participation of medical staff wearing work attire. Swedish Health Minister Elisabet Lann said the demonstration reflected "poor judgment" and argued that a hospital entrance is not an appropriate venue for political protests.