A JOURNAL for doctors has apologised for offence caused by an insert for a Palestinian charity. GP Magazine has received a number of complaints over the leaflet, appealing for donations to Medical Aid for Palestinians.

According to the appeal’s wording: “Israeli Army curfews, checkpoints and attacks in the occupied territories have made the lives of ordinary Palestinians a nightmare. “Restrictions on movement and the ‘security’ wall have created mass poverty and wrecked the health of a nation.”

Among the complainants was Merseyside GP Dr Paul Bracey, who told the JC: “This is not a political magazine. The insert was political and inappropriate.”

Responding to the criticism, the managing director of Haymarket Medical Group, Peter Welland, said that he regretted the insert had caused offence.

The magazine had agreed to include the leaflet on the ground that MAP is a registered charity and received EU and lottery funding, he said.

However, the insert had been sent directly to the printer by the advertiser. Mr Welland said: “I accept we should have seen a sample prior to publication.

He said that the charity had been advised that “we will not run the insert again unless they take out the political statements. We have also taken steps to ensure that all loose inserts are checked prior to publication in the same way as we check advertisement pages within the newspaper.”

Mr Welland said that Haymarket’s medical titles concentrated on professional issues and “do not have a political agenda.”