Israeli Medical Association chief condemns Lancet boycott petition as 'blood libel'

Professor Zion Hagay, head of the Israel Medical Association, sharply criticized The Lancet for publishing a petition calling on the World Medical Association to suspend the Israeli medical association. In an interview with ynet, he called the publication a "blood libel" and said the journal was effectively encouraging calls to boycott Israel by giving the petition a platform.

The petition has gathered more than 1,150 health professionals. It accuses the Israeli Medical Association of failing to condemn what it calls the "genocide" of Palestinians, the destruction of Gaza's health system, and the torture of detainees. The Israeli Medical Association has rejected those accusations outright.

Hagay, who serves on the executive board of the World Medical Association, said he was elected unanimously before October 7 by 120 countries and remains on the eight-member leadership body alongside representatives from the United States, Japan, Germany and others, including Israel. He said that after October 7 the situation changed dramatically, with repeated efforts led by Britain, Spain and Turkey to remove the Israeli association from the global body.

According to Hagay, those efforts have so far failed because the Israeli leadership worked intensively at international conferences to explain Israel's position. He said they have removed four attempts to place condemnations of Israel on the agenda, especially motions accusing Israel of genocide. Hagay warned that if Israel were expelled or isolated, the damage to Israeli medicine would be severe, preventing doctors from attending international conferences, presenting research or going abroad for residencies and training, including in the United States and England. He said, "I will not give up and I will not let this happen."