Israeli doctors urged to refuse force-feeding of hunger-strikers

The head of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) has urged doctors to refuse to take part in the force-feeding of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners, despite a recent Israeli Supreme Court decision backing the practice.

In a letter to Israeli doctors, IMA chief Dr. Leonid Eidelman urges them to abide by the principles of medical ethics, regardless of the legal ruling. The statement was co-signed by IMA ethics committee chair Dr. Tami Karni.

Israeli Physicians for Human Rights (PHRI) praised the statement as “important” and “courageous.”

Following the recent ruling, PHRI accused the Supreme Court of “trampl[ing] over medical ethics”, and said the judges had shown “disregard for international declarations and ethics that prohibit the force-feeding of hunger strikers, a practice that can amount to torture.”

The group said that they hoped “the medical community in Israel will refrain from cooperating with this law, and will keep acting according to the hippocratic oath and to medical ethics.”