An attempt to have an Israeli psychotherapist removed from a professional webinar failed after UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) intervened.

David Amias, a British-Israeli family therapist, had been invited by the Association for Family and Systemic Psychotherapy (AFSP) to present a webinar on “Working in the context of international conflict, trauma and displacement” on 7 September 2026.

AFSP approached Mr Amias in January after publication of his research into collective trauma among therapists working in southern Israel. The webinar was to include a separate presentation from a Ukrainian therapist, while AFSP was also planning an earlier webinar focused on the Palestinian perspective.

Shortly before the event, however, a group calling itself Family Therapists for Palestine (FT4P) demanded that AFSP cancel Mr Amias’s presentation.

FT4P accused him of supporting a “racist apartheid state” and being “deeply implicated in the production and justification of genocide”. It said expressly that its call for cancellation was being made “in line with the BDS movement”.

Its complaint focused heavily on the fact that Mr Amias lives in Israel and provides trauma therapy to Israelis, including soldiers and reservists. It alleged that by treating such patients he was “directly facilitating the atrocities committed by these very same soldiers”.

AFSP’s own webinar committee wanted the event to continue, but the final decision was referred to the organisation’s Board.

Mr Amias contacted UKLFI after being told that cancellation was being considered. He described the complaint as “character assassination” and said he was concerned about the implications for other Jewish and Israeli professionals.

UKLFI wrote to AFSP’s Chair and trustees on 1 September, pointing out that Mr Amias had been invited because of clinical research published in AFSP’s own Journal of Family Therapy. His presentation concerned therapeutic work in conditions of collective trauma, not advocacy for the Israeli Government or armed forces.

UKLFI also challenged factual inaccuracies in the FT4P complaint. Mr Amias is not employed by Israel’s Ministry of Defence, but he receives some referrals from them. He works at the Sdot Negev Resilience Centre and may receive referrals of soldiers, reservists and other personnel suffering from PTSD, anxiety and related difficulties.

UKLFI said that a therapist does not become responsible for the conduct of a patient merely by treating that patient.

UKLFI warned that cancellation in circumstances substantially connected with Mr Amias’s Israeli nationality, residence and patient group could give rise to a substantial risk of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

UKLFI further pointed out that the Israeli and Palestinian webinars had been contemplated at the same time. AFSP had not required presenters discussing Palestinian experiences to account for the conduct of Palestinian authorities or armed groups, and UKLFI urged AFSP not to apply a different standard to an Israeli clinician.

The webinar went ahead successfully on 7 September.

Mr Amias subsequently told UKLFI:

“Thanks to your intervention I am glad to report that my webinar took place successfully on Monday and there were no interruptions from the anti-Israel people.”

A UKLFI spokesperson said:

“This was an attempt to turn political hostility towards Israel into the personal exclusion of an Israeli clinician from a professional event to which he had been invited because of his published research.

“A therapist does not become responsible for alleged actions of his patients or his country simply by providing trauma treatment.

“We are pleased that AFSP ultimately allowed the webinar to proceed and did not permit a political boycott campaign to determine who may participate in its professional life.”