Community groups have criticised the British Medical Association (BMA) after Jewish doctors said they felt “intimidated” at their annual conference.
The Jewish Medical Association said that its members attending the BMA’s annual event feel “unsafe and excluded” and that it had sought advice from the Community Security Trust and the BMA itself “to ensure the safety and protect the wellbeing of Jewish representatives”.
The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) said that their intervention “should serve as a wake-up call”.
Russell Langer, the JLC’s director of public affairs was also critical of the “disproportionate number of motions related to the conflict in Israel and Gaza”.
According to the Daily Telegraph, around 10 per cent of the total motions for the conference put forward by members to be debated were in relation to Israel and Palestine.
“The BMA should also reflect on the message this sends to patients at a time of fractured community cohesion linked to the ongoing conflict. Patients must have faith that their doctors will treat them without any form of discrimination”, Langer added.
The Conservative Party also accused the BMA of wading into “complex geopolitical conflicts beyond its remit”.
Dr Caroline Johnson, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care told the JC: “When the focus shifts from medicine to international politics, it risks alienating members and detracting from the essential mission of supporting doctors and safeguarding healthcare standards across the UK.
Johnson went on to say that it was “deeply troubling that some Jewish doctors now feel unsafe within the very organisation meant to represent and protect them”.
“These individuals have long contributed with dedication and compassion to our health system and our communities. BMA meetings must remain a safe and inclusive space for all members, free from hostility and division. It should be firmly rooted in medicine, not politics”, she added.
On Tuesday, in a section devoted to “international relations”, every single motion passed by the BMA was related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
There were no motions about the conflict in Ukraine or in Sudan, which the US declared was a genocide earlier this year and some estimates say more than 100,000 people have been killed.
Similarly, there was no motion condemning the Iranian missile strike on the Soroka hospital in Beersheva in Southern Israel last week.
Instead, one motion that passed stated that “criticism of the actions of the state of Israel is not per se antisemitic”.
Another urged the government to “actively support the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in their investigations and prosecutions of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, including holding accountable any medical professionals who have participated in or facilitated the torture or mistreatment of prisoners.”
However, the same motion also reaffirmed support for a BMA political statement made last year which described Hamas’ actions on October 7 as “a gross violation of international humanitarian law” which they “unreservedly” denounced.
A separate motion, which called on the BMA “to lobby medical schools to not penalise and censor Palestinian advocacy” also called on the BMA to “develop robust safeguards in order to systematically differentiate rightful advocacy for Palestine while protecting Jewish people”.
A Department of Health spokesperson told the JC: “No one should feel unsafe or uncomfortable at work and with NHS colleagues. We expect NHS employers and regulators to act against any staff who promote hatred towards Jewish people.”
A BMA spokesperson told the JC: “We are totally clear that antisemitism is completely unacceptable. There is no place for it in the BMA, NHS, or wider society and we condemn antisemitism in the strongest possible terms, as we do with all discrimination based on race, religion, sexuality, gender or disability.
“The BMA’s annual representative meeting is an inclusive space, where wellbeing of members and staff is our priority and we’ve put in place a number of measures and sources of support to ensure this. We are also confident that we are complying with all of our obligations under the Equality Act and our own EDI policies.
“The BMA has a long and proud history of advocating for human rights and access to healthcare around the world, and motions submitted to this year’s conference reflect the grave concerns doctors in the UK have about the Gaza conflict, and the impact on civilians and healthcare.
“As with previous annual representative meetings, organisations and groups external to the BMA will choose to demonstrate outside the venue. They are entitled to do this, but we recognise that member and staff safety remains paramount. Regarding a demonstration outside this year’s ARM, we have received some concerns from members and staff, have updated our security teams and are liaising with the police to request that all protests are managed safely.”
According to the Telegraph, the Jewish Medical Association had also raised concerns about a protest outside the conference by Health Workers 4 Palestine.
As part of “a visual protest against Israel’s genocide and to show solidarity with the 1500+ health workers martyred over the past 20 months”, the group had reportedly asked for shoes be brought along, something the group claims is synonymous with a memorial for Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
