The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has officially suspended its bilateral relationship with the Israeli Medical Association (IMA), citing the ongoing conflict and its impact on medical personnel and infrastructure.
The decision, announced by SAMA Vice-Chairperson Dr. Zanele Bikitsha, is a direct response to the detention of Palestinian medical personnel and the broader conditions affecting healthcare in the region. While the move is a significant protest, Dr. Bikitsha clarified that it is a suspension, not a permanent severance of ties, and outlined clear terms for the relationship’s restoration.
The suspension comes amid news that some South African activists detained from a flotilla are scheduled for release. Dr. Bikitsha expressed that SAMA is “elated” by this development but stressed it “must not deter from the rest of the detainees and the rest of the casualties that are still embroiled in this matter.” She emphasized the urgent need for medical aid and food relief to reach the war-torn area.
In an interview, Dr. Bikitsha detailed the specific demands SAMA has formally presented to the IMA as conditions for resuming normal relations. She was careful to note there is no “bad blood” between the two professional bodies, but that SAMA expects its Israeli counterpart to take a public ethical stand.
The conditions require the IMA to:
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Publicly call out the killing of all healthcare workers in the region.
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Condemn the bombing of health infrastructure and demand its immediate rebuilding.
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Condemn the restriction of food and medical supplies into the area, which Dr. Bikitsha described as being “almost starvation.”
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Demand that all detainees be allowed medical attention and be released.
“We are just asking that they take a stand at this point and call out the attacks on the health care system,” Dr. Bikitsha stated. “That is our focus because we are physicians and with our ethical principles say they first do no harm.”
When asked if simply asking the IMA to “call out” and “condemn” these actions was a strong enough measure, Dr. Bikitsha defended the approach. She explained that as an affiliate of the World Medical Association (WMA), founded on humanitarian principles, a strong public statement from the IMA would carry significant weight and help mobilize global pressure.
Dr. Bikitsha framed SAMA’s position as a matter of medical ethics, not politics, drawing parallels to South Africa’s own history during apartheid. “Physicians were forced to treat detainees and keep them alive so they could be tortured,” she noted, underscoring the need for physicians to be free from political influence.
As a further step, SAMA has tabled a motion at the current WMA General Assembly in Portugal to step down from the Declaration of Taipei, an ethics committee currently chaired by the IMA. SAMA argues that a “conflicted party” should not chair a committee reviewing ethical medical practice.
When questioned on whether SAMA would consider the IMA complicit if it did not respond positively to their demands, Dr. Bikitsha declined to pre-empt the outcome. “I do have faith in their leadership,” she said, adding that SAMA would await the IMA’s formal response.
The association has assured its members that its stand is a professional one, rooted in the principle that health workers must be safe from the politics of war and be allowed to treat any casualty without fear.
