Doctor resigns from CMA board amid response to backlash over pro-Palestinian posts

A doctor and medical resident at the University of Ottawa who posted pro-Palestinian messages on social media that also criticized Israel has resigned from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) board of directors.

Dr. Yipeng Ge first faced backlash in November when a colleague shared his posts related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The posts supported the Palestinian cause and criticized what Ge called "apartheid upon Palestinian people" and "settler colonialism."

On Friday, Ge published a resignation letter, accusing CMA leadership of "bullying, harassment, and intimidation" related to his posts.

"I have substantial concerns related to the actions of the CMA leadership that has created an unsafe environment for me on the board as the sole resident board director," Ge wrote in his letter.

"I believe what I have experienced is a failure of the CMA leadership to meaningfully reflect on the role that anti-Palestinian racism has played in its response to my social media posts."

Association was 'accusatory'

In an interview with CBC News, Ge said the CMA's tone was "accusatory" and that he felt "unheard" by the leadership.

"To equate what I was doing to rising antisemitism around the world is really, really hurtful and also untrue," Ge said. "That narrative to support Palestinians in their call for equality ... to call that antisemitism, I think, does no one any good."

Ge said he couldn't share details about specific actions that amounted to bullying, harassment or intimidation, citing closed-door, legal mediation he went through with CMA.

He did say that in early November, he was outnumbered in a meeting and wasn't allowed to have anyone there to support him.

Though Ge said he apologized to people who expressed hurt over the social media posts, he also said "that didn't seem enough" for the CMA.

He said their leadership wanted him to do things that felt "compromising" to his character and integrity, like potentially issuing a public apology.

"I was prepared to do something like that. But the more that I reflected ... it felt wrong."

A large crowd gathers for a pro-Palestinian rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in November. (Rebecca Kwan/Radio-Canada)

Ge said there were exchanges from senior CMA leadership that were "inflammatory," questioning his ability and competency as a physician due to the posts.

Ge, who's training in public health medicine, said he was also accused of not being able or willing to unbiasedly respond to public health concerns that could, for instance, involve Kosher foods.

"The number of mental gymnastics and assumptions that one has to make to [link] the social media posts [to my competency] is such a jump," Ge said.

After realizing the mediation wasn't successful, Ge said he decided to leave the CMA.

"For me to stay with an organization that has caused me so much psychological harm over the course of the past two months ... I feel like I just cannot go any further putting myself in a position of harm's way."

CMA responds

In its own statement issued Friday in response to Ge's letter, but before he spoke to CBC, the CMA said he notified the board of his departure on Thursday, four months after he was appointed.

CMA said a "restorative process to repair relationships" was agreed upon in the wake of Ge's pro-Palestinian posts, and the organization accepts his decision to step down "following this process."

"The CMA remains firmly committed to denouncing and confronting antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, and Islamophobia, in all their forms," the statement read.

CMA declined to respond directly to Ge's allegations of bullying and intimidation.

In 2020, the University of Ottawa featured Ge in an article that celebrated him for turning 'passion into action for health and social equity.' It's since suspended him from his residency. (Maxim Saavedra-Ducharme/CBC)

Colleague drew attention to posts

Last month, Ge said he was suspended from his residency with the University of Ottawa's public health and preventative medicine program over the same posts.

The school told CBC there had been complaints about an alleged breach of professional standards by a medical resident.

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, had drawn attention to a number of Ge's posts on his Substack page, which Freedhoff shared on social media.

Freedhoff also drafted an article that focused on Ge's posts and called them an example of "antisemitism."

Among Ge's posts were slogans including "Ottawa standing with Gaza" and a photo of a sign stating "from the rivers to the sea Palestine will be free," which Freedhoff called a "genocidal" chant that implies the elimination of the State of Israel.

"I had the opportunity to visit Palestine earlier this year," Ge told CBC News. "What I saw with my own eyes was a system of apartheid and system of oppression."

He said that to him, the phrase "from the rivers to the sea" means equal rights and freedoms for Palestinians as well as Israelis in that territory.

"People feel so afraid to talk about this issue whatsoever," Ge said. "And if we can't talk through the difficult conversations, then we completely ignore the root cause [of the] ongoing genocide happening."

In June 2020, the University of Ottawa featured Ge in an article that celebrated him for turning "passion into action for health and social equity."

Despite the suspension, Ge has continued to receive his full salary and benefits, the university said.

Ge said he was unable to discuss the suspension due to ongoing legal reasons.