The World Medical Association (WMA) on Tuesday called on the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA) to reverse its August suspension of an Israeli member organization.
WMA said it was concerned that the “extraordinary suspension” of the Federation of Israeli Medical Students (FIMS) for alleged harassment lacked evidence and due process.
“We believe that in the absence of clear evidence and due process, the suspension of FIMS from the IFMSA remains unjustified,” said WMA. “We therefore urge immediate readmission of FIMS without prejudice.”
While WMA welcomed IFMSA’s November 24 statement, promising to conduct a review of its suspension procedures, it noted that IFMSA did not acknowledge that its actions may have been improper and did not present a timeline for readmission.
At its August 6 IFMSA General Assembly meeting in Finland, a motion to suspend FIMS for constitution and bylaw violations was proposed by the organization’s National Member Organizations (NMOs). The motion passed with a two-thirds majority.
“Due to the dire nature of the allegations against the FIMS, which included threats against medical students, online harassment, and hate speech, NMOs decided to proceed with a vote for the suspension of FIMS,” IFMSA said on August 9.
FIMS president Miri Shvimmer said in an August 12 statement that the process for the vote was deeply flawed, in which IFMSA allegedly voted to suspend due process, forgo an investigation, and not allow FIMS time to prepare a response.
FIMS accused IFMSA of shutting down a livestream to prevent the recording of the proceeding and for muting some of the voters.
Rumors were also allegedly spread that members of FIMS were Mossad agents.
Support of the October 7 attacks
The harassment allegation came in response to FIMS condemning a social media post by an IFMSA official supporting the October 7 massacre, said Shvimmer. FIMS had also proposed to condemn IFMSA officials for an “extreme one-sided approach to a war started by Hamas.”
In the wake of the October 7 Massacre, IFMSA issued an October 17 statement of solidarity with those impacted by Israel’s war with Hamas, detailing only its concerns about Israeli actions in Gaza.
“For many years, we have experienced extreme animosity within the organization, and our removal has been the desire of many members, as was emphasized by the mass celebrations after the vote,” said Shvimmer.
FIMS said that because the suspension could only be revoked with a two-thirds majority, it was unlikely that the Israeli group would be reinstated in the near future.
The World Union of Jewish Students condemned the IFMSA decision as the political weaponization of a professional and academic platform in an August 12 statement, arguing that the suspension represented “a disturbing and dangerous trend of discrimination against Israeli and Jewish students on a global scale.”
“If international bodies can groundlessly suspend an entire national federation of medical students based on biased political motivations, it opens the door to further discriminatory actions against Israeli professionals in other fields, such as law, engineering, etc.,” said WUJS.
“Furthermore, this action by the IFMSA not only endangers Israeli and Jewish students but also contributes to an environment of increasing hostility and intolerance that could lead to further exclusion of Jewish students from associations around the world.”
On November 24, IFMSA responded to criticism of the suspension, stating that it was conducting a review of the application of its suspension procedures against FIMS. It said that it welcomed feedback but that it expressed concern about hostile and “undue pressure” that challenged the organization’s autonomy and independence.
“It is important to recognize that the decision to suspend a membership during our General Assemblies is made in response to urgent and sensitive circumstances that require swift and decisive action,” said IFMSA.
“The General Assembly, as the highest decision-making body of IFMSA, stands as a unique platform composed exclusively of our National Member Organizations (NMOs). While the IFMSA Executive Board respects the decision made by the General Assembly at that time, we acknowledge that the situation’s urgency has highlighted the need for clearer procedural guidelines and safeguards for future instances.
This will ensure that the balance between timely responses and procedural thoroughness is upheld without compromising the integrity of the Federation or our members.”