Members of the South African Boycott Divestment Sanction (BDS) Coalition and supporters, including ophthalmologists and healthcare workers, protested at the Sandton Convention Centre on February 13 against the participation of an Israeli ophthalmologist in the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa (OSSA) conference.

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The demonstration aimed to highlight the BDS movement’s opposition to Israeli involvement, citing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Protesters voiced concerns over the Israeli delegate’s presence, urging the OSSA to reconsider its stance on Israeli participation.

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The protest remained peaceful, raising awareness about the issues surrounding the conference.

The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) commends the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa (OSSA) for taking a principled stand against an attempt by the Islamic Medical Association (IMA) to exclude Professor Didi Fabian, a distinguished Israeli paediatric ophthalmologist, from the OSSA 2025 Congress.

SAZF spokesperson Rolene Marks said since November 2024, the OSSA organising committee has faced sustained pressure from certain members demanding that Professor Fabian’s invitation to speak at the Congress be rescinded.

“This campaign intensified in December and January, with the IMA calling for a boycott and threatening to involve political parties in a blatant attempt to intimidate event organisers.

“While the OSSA local committee initially succumbed to this pressure and withdrew Professor Fabian’s invitation, widespread public and member outcry followed,” Marks said.

In response, OSSA conducted a poll among its members, where an overwhelming 81.8% supported Professor Fabian’s attendance, prompting the reinstatement of his invitation.

“The numbers speak for themselves. The Islamic Medical Association’s campaign was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt at discrimination and racism, targeting a respected medical professional purely due to his nationality and religion,” Marks added.

Professor Fabian’s medical career is defined by humanitarian excellence. As the founder of the Global Retinoblastoma Study Group, he has united experts from 153 countries to improve treatment for childhood eye cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects underserved regions.

“He has co-launched the Asian Retinoblastoma Group, spearheaded Africa’s first ISOO conference on eye cancer, and played a critical role in providing life-saving treatment for Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza, overcoming immense logistical challenges to transport them to Israeli hospitals.

“Beyond the Middle East, Professor Fabian has extended his work across Africa, treating children with retinoblastoma in Nigeria while training local doctors to build sustainable medical expertise,” Marks said.

“Professor Fabian’s unwavering dedication to saving lives transcends politics and prejudice. Medicine is not just his profession but his calling—to heal both physical ailments and the divisions created by hate.

“Those seeking to impose their ideological biases on the medical community should take note: the world is far richer with Professor Fabian’s contributions,” Marks concluded.

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