Israeli Medical Association Faces Calls for Suspension Over Gaza Stance

The Israeli Medical Association (IMA) is facing growing pressure to be suspended from the World Medical Association (WMA) over its response to the conflict in Gaza. Critics say the IMA has failed to condemn attacks on healthcare in Gaza and has actively defended Israel's actions rather than remaining neutral. The IMA has argued that calls for expulsion wrongly confuse a government's policies with its medical association, calling such a move a dangerous precedent. However, opponents point to the IMA's history of aligning with Israeli state policies, including supporting a medical school in a settlement and not speaking out against restrictions on Palestinian patients. Since October 2023, the IMA has been accused of using its authority to contest allegations of war crimes and genocide, and to push back against international calls for a ceasefire. The IMA has also encouraged Israeli doctors to advocate for Israel's position abroad, framing this as part of a national effort. In response to a missile strike on an Israeli hospital in 2025, the IMA quickly condemned it, but it had earlier been slow to react to destruction of Gaza's hospitals. The WMA has expressed concern over the health crisis in Gaza but has also condemned attacks on all hospitals. The debate highlights tensions between medical ethics and national loyalty.