Israeli doctors perform surgery (file)
Israeli doctors perform surgery (file)Nati Shohat/Flash 90

The World Medical Association (WMA) will not censure Israeli doctors over pro-Palestinian claims they perform medical torture on Palestinian patients. 

After a group of 71 British physicians demanded the membership of the Israel Medical Association (IMA) be revoked, Shimon Samuels, the international relations director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, sent an urgent letter to the WMA's president.

In his response, the UK-based Michael Marmot said he rejected the call from the British physicians to expel Israel from the world body.

"The main authors of the letter have launched several attacks against the Israeli Medical Association with similar arguments in the past," Marmot wrote, noting that “investigations have revealed no wrongdoing." 

"We have trust that our Israeli colleagues will stand firm on our values and the protection of human rights," he added. 

Although no official motion to oust the Israeli physicians has been filed, Marmot said the organization had contacted the IMA representative about its response to the allegations. 

The Israel Medical Association has roundly denied any abuse of human rights and says all its practices are in keeping with WMA protocol. 

Samuel, meanwhile, praised Marmot's response, saying, "We should feel gratified at the reassuring response to our protest letter." 

He added that Marmot's letters "exudes a fatigue" with the BDS movement which seeks to boycott and delegitimize the Jewish state.