The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement groups across the Arab world are calling on doctors and medical associations to boycott Dubai-based conference hosting Israeli guests.
The Qatar Youth Opposed to Normalisation (QAYON) are demanding the boycott of Dubai World Trade Centre’s (DWTC) Emirates International Dental Conference and the Arab Dental Exhibition (AEEDC) Dubai 2022, due to Israeli participation.
DWTC is set to host a variety of international events, building on its recurring events-chain put in place for international industries to participate in.
The 26th edition of AEEDC conference will take place on 1-3 February, hosting dentists, dental specialists, nurses, assistants, hygienists, therapists, technicians and other dental affiliated professionals from around the world.
QAYON regards this conference as an act of normalisation with Israel as doctors and companies affiliated directly with the illegal Occupation are participating.
Read also: Kuwaiti tennis player rejects normalisation with Zionist state
QAYON expressed their outrage in a tweet, saying: “In another attempt to standardise normalisation with the Zionist entity, the Emirates International Dental Conference and the Arab Dental Exhibition (AEEDC Dubai) will be held this year with the participation of several Zionist doctors and companies, amid continuous boycott announcements from Arab unions and doctors.”
في محاولة أخرى لتمرير التطبيع مع الكيان الصهيوني، سيقام مؤتمر الإمارات الدولي لطب الأسنان ومعرض طب الأسنان العربي (أيدك دبي) هذا العام بمشاركة أطباء وشركات صهيونية عدة، وسط إعلانات مقاطة متتالية من نقابات وأطباء عرب#قاطع_ايدك
— شباب قطر ضد التطبيع (@QAYON) January 22, 2022
Some of these companies include DSI Dental Solutions and the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute (IEICI), with the latter being supported by both private Israeli firms and the Zionist government, promoting opportunities for Israeli exporters to connect with businesses abroad.
QAYON has forwarded their concern to the Qatar Medical Association “to draw attention to this Zionist participation and to force the association and the doctors affiliated with it to officially boycott the conference”. The youth organisation however are yet to hear back from them.
As it stands, Qatari participation at the dental conference is scarce as the official website states the participation of but one doctor, who is based between Qatar and the UAE.
An Arabic hashtag in support of the boycott is currently trending on Twitter under the label, “#قاطع_إيدك” (“boycott AEEDC”).
The official BDS Arabic account also urged doctors and companies to boycott AEEDC Dubai 2022, stating that, “These Israeli participations cannot be explained in isolation from the general political context in which the UAE government is at the fore in attempts to impose the Israeli enemy as a reality and as a natural entity in the region, whilst the overwhelming majority of the Arab people still consider Israel their number one enemy and Palestine their central issue.”
Read more: 90% of Qatar, Kuwait populations reject Israeli normalisation: survey
This comes in the wake of the Occupation destroying Gaza’s medical facilities and infrastructure in May 2021, where two prominent Palestinian doctors, Moein Al-Aloul and Ayman Abu Al-Ouf, lost their lives.
The group tweeted, “We invite dentists and specialists to boycott this normalising forum [and] demand the owners of the Bahraini institution to withdraw their participation.”
On their Facebook account, the Jordan Dental Association released a statement on 12 January asserting their refusal in participating at the AEEDC 2022.
They also urged other doctors and companies to boycott and withdraw their syringes in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
