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Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, issued this statement on behalf of National President Carol Ann Schwartz:
“Hadasah is outraged by the petition being circulated to expel the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) from the World Medical Association (WMA). In seeking to exclude the IMA – a founding member of the WMA, the petition targets Israeli medical professionals based solely on their nationality and the actions of their government. This sets a dangerous precedent that politicizes medicine, normalizes a double standard for Israel and contributes to the global rise in antisemitism in medicine. Removing the IMA would also sever critical pathways for dialogue between Israeli doctors and scientists and the rest of the international medical community – a dialogue that is essential to improving public health, responding to emergencies and advancing scientific knowledge and innovation.
“As the owner of the Hadassah Medical Organization, a Jerusalem-based hospital system, we know the significant contribution that Israeli doctors and scientists make to the well-being of people around the world. Hadassah researchers and clinicians are compassionate leaders who embody the principle that medicine can serve as a bridge to peace for patients and practitioners of every race, religion and nationality.
“We applaud the WMA for rejecting the effort to expel Israel and for reaffirming its commitment to inclusive scientific exchange. Expelling the IMA would not only isolate Israeli doctors and scientists but would also betray the spirit of medical cooperation on which the WMA was founded.”
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