Over 600 doctors signed a petition calling on the Israel Medical Association (IMA) not to involve the organization in politics in the wake of its announcement of a healthcare strike in protest of the government’s judicial reform plan.

The petition states: “We would like to express our disgust at the attempts to turn the representative organization of doctors in Israel into a political body. This is the crossing of a red line and will lead to the destruction of the organization. Keep your political opinion to yourself and don’t use our names, the membership fees we pay to the organization, and the many long hours that many of us donate through the organization for the advancement of medicine in Israel. Don’t drag us all down this slippery slope, bringing destruction and disaster.”

In addition, the doctors slammed the politicization of the IMA board: “We were shocked to receive reports today from the IMA board about turning the committee into a political axe. We were shocked to discover that the candidates for the chairman of the Histadrut were required to express their political position and the manner in which they intend to use the IMA in order to express opposition, ostensibly to the legal reform, but in practice to the duly elected government. We want to express our firm opposition and even our anger at this.”

“The Medical Association is not a political body – it was not elected as a political body and its members were not authorized to function as one. We will not allow this delicate structure to be destroyed. We will not allow our names and membership fees to be used against our will for political purposes. We will not be part of the trampling of political positions, principles, or values of either side of the map. We will not agree to their statements on behalf of an entire community of doctors – statements that range from political to just controversial – that certainly not all of us agree with.”

“The statements presented by officials in the IMA are not acceptable and do not represent all the members of the organization. In addition, we fear that taking a position on the part of the representative organization of the doctors will be the beginning of a slippery slope where doctors may be discriminated against and hindered in their advancement due to their political positions.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)