Doctors group says they won’t show up for work if government ignores High Court orders

The White Coats – Healthcare Professionals for Democracy group announces that its members will refuse to show up to work should a constitutional crisis arise from the government’s refusal to abide by Supreme Court decisions.

“If the government and its ministers refuse to carry out the decisions of the Supreme Court, or order public workers to act in opposition to the court’s decisions, then it will be a criminal dictatorship regime that should not be obeyed,” the organization says in a statement.

White Coats members were the first in the healthcare community to protest the government’s judicial overhaul plans. As the Knesset vote on the “reasonableness law” neared, others, including the Israeli Medical Association, joined the protest.

The White Coats would place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the government should a constitutional crisis force a strike by medical staff, causing disruptions in the health system.

“We call on the Israeli Medical Association, the Histadrut (Organization of Workers in Israel), and all citizens, companies, and organizations loyal to the law to announce ahead of time that a constitutional crisis will result in a general strike of the economy until the prime minister and his ministers return to following the law,” the statement said.