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Jewish Doctor Apologizes For White Nationalist Writings

A Jewish doctor in New York City who has been “placed off duty” by his hospital after being accused of writing hateful comments on a white nationalist website has apologized.

“I am filled with remorse and take full responsibility for my actions, which will long be an embarrassment to my family, friends, colleagues, and community,” Dov Bechhofer wrote in a statement shared with the Forward.

Bechhoffer advocated for a white ethnostate and the deportation of Muslims, mused about the possibility of armed racial revolution, expressed disgust with interracial relationships and wrote what he called “A Jewish Defense of Anti-Semitism.”

Bechhofer’s online identity, including his comments on the blog of the white-nationalist publishing house Counter-Currents, was revealed in an article that briefly appeared on the website Medium on Monday before being taken down because it also shared his home address and contact information.

Paper copies of the since-deleted original article were distributed in Bechhofer’s building on Tuesday by an unknown party, a resident of that building told the Forward.

The person who revealed Bechhofer’s identity told the Forward on Tuesday that the investigation was done “so his neighbors know who he is and who they’re living near. Just like child sex offenders get registered.”

Bechhofer’s statement went on to denounce bigotry and violence and said he is “actively seeking long-term professional help to deal with these issues, which must be confronted honestly and completely.”

“While I have much soul-searching and work to do on myself, I intend to take actions for the rest of my life that promote the dignity of all humanity,” he concluded.

Bechhofer’s hospital, Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, said in a statement that Bechhofer would remain off duty pending the results of an investigation. The hospital made a point to clarify to the local news site Gothamist that being taken off duty was different than being suspended.

Next Monday, the hospital will be the site of a protest calling for Bechhofer to be fired and have his medical license revoked, organized by a self-described “revolutionary mass organization” called SPARC.

Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink

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