Israel suspended from international medical association amid accusations of genocide in Gaza

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The State of Israel has been suspended from the International Federation of Medical Student Associations (IFMSA) following accusations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and displaying "a lack of morals and humanitarian values," the Israeli news outlet Ynet reported.

Two thirds of the IFMSA voted in favor of suspending Israel from the association for the next two years, according to the report.

The IFMSA is a NGO that represents medical students internationally. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen, the IFMSA connects some 1.3 million medical students from 130 countries worldwide.

A Brazilian medical student association DENEM Brazil initiated the move against Israel, following the Brazilian government's inability to permanently oust Israel from the international organization.

IFMSA Israeli representative Miri Schwimmer criticized the associations political bias against Israel.

"Although the organization is defined as non-political, they do political things. After the October 7 massacre, I called on the organization to condemn the massacre. So far I have not received an official condemnation," Schwimmer stated.

"The conference proceeded as usual, there were plenaries and votes. Everything is democratic. When you want to raise an issue for a vote, you announce it two months in advance. but this was well planned and on purpose that they did it on the last day of the conference," she added.

Israel's suspension from the IFMSA will reportedly be reviewed in August 2025 and, again, the following year, in August 2026. Unless the association’s position on Israel is reversed, the suspension will automatically become permanent.

Prof. Zion Hagay, head the Israel Medical Association, blasted the the decision to exclude Israel and called on the IFMSA President Evangelia Roubou to reverse it.

"The decision was based on political calculations. The Israeli delegation is not the Israeli government. The Israeli delegation is responsible for government actions just as the Palestinian delegation is responsible for Hamas terrorism," Hagay wrote in his letter to Roubou.

"More importantly, Such a move is in direct contradiction to the goal of the federation, which is to bring together medical students from all parts of the world. If there are differences of opinion, the goal should be to discuss them, not to engage in drastic measures such as suspending an entire delegation. On a technical level, it is far from clear on what basis the Israeli delegation can be removed," he argued.

In May, the government of South Africa repeated its accusation that Israel is attempting to wipe Gazans “off the face of the earth,” despite ample evidence that the Israeli military has tried to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza by moving civilians out of war zones.

The United States and most Western democracies have rejected the genocide charge against Israel.

“Contrary to allegations made against Israel in the ICC (International Court of Justice), what’s happening is not genocide. We reject that,” U.S. President Joe Biden stated in May.

At the time, Biden emphasized that Washington “stand[s] with Israel to take out Sinwar and the rest of the butchers of Hamas,” referring to Hamas’ top leader Yahya Sinwar who is believed to be the mastermind of the October 7 massacre of over 1,200 Israeli men, women and children.

Germany has also backed Israel’s right to defend itself while rejecting the accusation of genocide.

"The Federal Government firmly and expressly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made against Israel at the International Court of Justice. This accusation has no basis whatsoever,” Berlin said.