Delegates at the annual British Medical Association (BMA) conference in Liverpool have voted in favor of suspending ties with the Israeli Medicine Association (IMA) over Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The decision is now BMA policy. The BMA Council will decide how to implement it, including what steps will be taken and which actions may follow.
The motion accused the IMA of remaining silent on what it described as “the killing, arrest and targeting of Palestinian health care workers and facilities,” and criticized the World Medical Association (WMA) for condemning an attack on Israel’s Soroka Medical Center while failing to denounce the destruction of Gaza’s health care system.
The BMA conference approved three key motions:
- A renewed commitment to the impartial protection of medical personnel in all war zones.
- A call for the WMA to consistently condemn attacks on health systems, including those in Gaza.
- Suspension of ties with the Israeli Medicine Association unless it explicitly upholds medical neutrality and denounces attacks on health care in Gaza.
Some participants also urged the BMA to lobby for Israel’s suspension from the WMA altogether. Additional motions raised concerns over the UK National Health Service’s (NHS) adoption of data technology from U.S. company Palantir, which was criticized at the conference as a “pro-Israel military contractor.”
Accusations, counterclaims and broader implications
BMA members stressed that criticism of Israel does not equate to antisemitism and voiced opposition to the criminalization of pro-Palestinian medical students and staff.
They demanded the immediate release of detained health care workers in Gaza and called for international investigations into alleged war crimes—potentially including Israeli doctors involved in or complicit with the alleged torture of Palestinian detainees.
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The proposed motions reflect a growing backlash within parts of the British medical community over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Delegates cited a November 2023 incident in which dozens of Israeli doctors signed a letter calling for the destruction of Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital and other medical sites believed to be used by Hamas as command centers. Critics in the UK condemned the IMA for not disciplining those signatories, prompting censure from Israeli NGO Physicians for Human Rights.
Delegates emphasized that the resolutions stem from concern for civilian health in Gaza and were motivated by humanitarian rather than political considerations, reaffirming their opposition to all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism.
Israeli response and broader healthcare tensions
The Israeli Medicine Association responded to Ynet’s inquiry, saying that it had not received any official notification and is currently engaged in extensive discussions with international partners in preparation for potential talks with the BMA.
The BMA issued a statement following Ynet's inquiry confirming the vote. "This was a motion brought to the BMA’s Annual Representative Meeting—its policy-making conference—last week, which representatives passed in full. This was the only motion that referenced the IMA," according to the BMA
"Motions are brought to the conference by grassroots members. This is now BMA policy. It is now up to BMA Council, the BMA’s executive committee, to decide how to implement policies passed at the ARM," it added.
The controversy comes amid wider criticism of the UK’s National Health Service, which has faced growing scrutiny for inefficiency, outdated technology and bureaucratic overload. Against this backdrop, the BMA’s internal politics are being closely watched, as the association’s policy positions could influence NHS partnerships, staff training and broader international cooperation.