Lancet Calls for Israeli Medical Associations Expulsion from World Medical Association, IMA Responds with Legal Threats

A provocative editorial in the British journal The Lancet has urged the World Medical Association (WMA) to suspend the Israeli Medical Association (IMA). The appeal follows a petition signed by 1,150 health professionals—largely from pro‑Palestinian groups—demanding the IMA’s expulsion at the WMA’s general assembly in Rotterdam, slated for October 2026. Petitioners accuse the IMA of failing to condemn what they describe as the genocide of Palestinians, the destruction of Gaza’s health system, and the torture of detainees.

The IMA, founded in 1912 and representing more than 90 % of Israeli physicians, issued a written rebuttal on Sunday. It dismissed the Lancet article as “cynical politicisation of medicine and health” and called the petition’s allegations libelous and outrageous. The association warned that it would consider “unspecified action” against the journal and the petitioners, and urged The Lancet to investigate the claims of the IMA’s involvement in torture before publishing them.

The WMA, whose membership includes 117 national medical associations, stated that it “deeply values inclusion and believes engagement with its constituent members is vital to medical ethics globally.” It rejected the idea that the IMA should be expelled, arguing that exclusion would damage scientific collaboration and set a precedent for political pressure campaigns to isolate healthcare professionals on the basis of nationality.

The petition’s background is rooted in the ongoing Gaza war, which has seen extensive attacks on health facilities and a collapse of Gaza’s health system. United Nations and World Health Organization reports document repeated damage or destruction of Gaza hospitals, severe restrictions on medical equipment and fuel supplies, and a humanitarian crisis that several organisations have labeled a genocide. Estimates of more than 70 000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries underscore the severity of the situation.

In its “world report” section, The Lancet framed the IMA’s silence as a failure to uphold the principles of medical ethics and international humanitarian law. It cited the IMA’s lack of condemnation of attacks on Gaza’s health infrastructure and the treatment of detainees as evidence of complicity.

The IMA’s response emphasised its long‑standing advocacy for medical ethics and support for WMA policies. It also highlighted that the accusations made by the petitioners and The Lancet are unsubstantiated and harmful to the reputation of Israeli physicians.

The controversy raises questions about the intersection of medicine and politics. Expelling the IMA could undermine international medical collaboration and set a precedent for targeting medical associations for political reasons. Conversely, the IMA’s refusal to condemn the Gaza war could be viewed as a failure to uphold its own ethical commitments.

The WMA’s general assembly, scheduled for 7–10 October 2026, will be the venue where the petition’s demands could be formally considered. While the IMA has not yet announced a definitive legal strategy, it has indicated that it will pursue further action against The Lancet if the allegations remain unverified.

At present, the IMA remains a key professional body in Israel, and the WMA maintains that inclusion and dialogue are essential to global medical ethics. The outcome of the upcoming assembly will determine whether the IMA’s membership status is altered and how the international medical community responds to the politicisation of health during armed conflict.