Doctor falsely accused of praising terrorist finally to return to work at Hadassah

A doctor who was suspended after being falsely accused of praising a Palestinian terror suspect being treated under his care will return to work following a drawn-out dispute over the incident, the Hadassah Medical Center says.

Dr. Ahmad Mahajneh, a resident at Hadassah Medical Center Ein Kerem, protested his innocence since the October 26 incident, and will now return to work with his name cleared, the hospital says.

Mahajneh was accused of giving patient Muhammad Abu Qatish, 16, a plate of sweets, congratulating him, and calling him a “shahid,” or martyr. Abu Qatish seriously wounded an Israeli man in a stabbing attack on October 22, in the Jewish East Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat HaMivtar, according to Israeli authorities.

The hospital says an investigation concluded that Mahajneh never made such comments.

According to Mahajneh, the knafeh and other food given to Abu Qatish were leftovers from food he had ordered to celebrate passing his residency exams, and were offered to all patients as part of a policy of equal treatment, though he was not the one to give it to Abu Qatish.