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‘Complicit’: World Medical Association criticised for rejecting calls to suspend Israel
The World Medical Association (WMA) is facing criticism after rejecting calls to suspend the Israeli Medical Association (IMA). Campaigners say the IMA has failed to investigate or discipline doctors allegedly involved in the torture and abuse of Palestinian detainees, raising questions about the WMA’s role in upholding medical ethics.
A petition signed by 6,500 medical personnel was presented at the WMA’s General Assembly in Rotterdam, where hundreds also protested. The article says a complaint to the International Criminal Court seeks an investigation into alleged involvement by Israeli doctors, the IMA and government officials; it is the first time a WMA member has been referred to the court. The WMA represents 118 countries, and its last suspension of a medical association was in 1976, over doctors’ complicity in torture under apartheid in South Africa.
In short
- WMA rejected calls to suspend the Israeli Medical Association.
- A petition from 6,500 medical personnel called for the IMA’s expulsion.
- The ICC has been urged to investigate alleged abuses involving Israeli doctors.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
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The case for
The WMA should suspend the IMA if it has failed to investigate credible allegations that doctors took part in torture or abuse: professional membership carries obligations to uphold medical ethics, and inaction could weaken those standards. Campaigners argue that a suspension would signal that such allegations require serious, independent scrutiny, while the petition and protest show concern among medical personnel.
The case against
Suspension is a serious sanction that should rest on established evidence and a fair process, rather than allegations or pressure alone. The WMA may reasonably conclude that its role is to seek accountability through investigation and engagement, and that suspending the IMA before the claims are resolved could unfairly penalise its members and reduce opportunities to address any misconduct.
Explained simply
The World Medical Association (WMA) is an international body whose members include national medical associations. It sets guidance on medical ethics, while the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) represents doctors in Israel.
The dispute centres on allegations that Israeli doctors were involved in the torture or abuse of Palestinian detainees, and on whether the IMA investigated or disciplined any doctors over such claims. The IMA and the WMA have different roles: the WMA can decide whether a member association remains part of the organisation.
The issue matters because medical ethics include duties to protect patients and prevent harm, including when people are detained. The WMA has suspended a member association once before, in 1976, after doctors were implicated in torture under apartheid in South Africa.
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