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NEW YORK, NY – Led by Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, 12 organizations have sent a letter urging the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) to oppose a vote to expel the Israeli Union of Social Workers from the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) planned for February 18, 2026.
The proposed IFSW motion targets Israeli professionals and seeks to expel them from the association based solely on their nationality, without support or documentation of ethical violations by any Israeli social worker. Excluding professionals on such terms is a violation of civil rights and NASW’s and CASW’s codes of ethics.
“Hadassah is alarmed by this blatantly antisemitic maneuver to isolate and exclude Jewish and Israeli professionals solely based on their ethnic and religious identity,” said Carol Ann Schwartz, National President, Hadassah. “We call on the National Association of Social Workers and the Canadian Association of Social Workers to reject this outrageous and grossly discriminatory proposal.”
"Professional associations are meant to unite practitioners around shared values and standards, not to divide them based on nationality or identity," said Shira Goodman, Vice President of Advocacy, Anti-Defamation League. "This motion to expel Israeli social workers is discriminatory and runs counter to the very principles of inclusivity and ethical practice that social work associations claim to uphold. We urge NASW and CASW to reject this harmful proposal and stand firmly against antisemitic and other forms of discrimination in professional spaces."
“The proposed motion to remove the Israeli Union of Social Workers is deeply troubling and reflects a dangerous pattern of singling out Jews and Israelis,” said William Daroff, Chief Executive Officer, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. “Anti-Zionism is antisemitism. The NASW and CASW should reject this effort and make clear that Jewish professionals will not be marginalized or pushed out of international forums.”
“It’s disheartening that the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has yet to speak out forcefully and unequivocally against this latest blatantly discriminatory effort to ostracize and isolate the Israeli Union of Social Workers, which includes Jewish, Palestinian, Druze, and other faculty and professionals in the Social Work field. Moving forward, the NASW should address the growing antisemitic hostility and identity-based bias experienced by Jewish Social Work academics and clinicians with the same degree of urgency that it devotes to other forms of bigotry and hate,” said Dr. Miriam F. Elman, Executive Director, Academic Engagement Network.
The letter was signed by Hadassah, Academic Engagement Network, American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Medical Association, Anti-Defamation League, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, Jewish Federations of North America, Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies, StandWithUs and StandWithUs Canada.
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