Numerous anti-Israel motions were submitted for consideration at the Annual Representative Meeting (ARM) of the British Medical Association (BMA) this year, but not selected for debate.[1] Flags, scarves, badges and other visual displays were also prohibited.

The ARM is the BMA’s main policy-making function. Motions passed at the ARM become BMA policy.[2] The BMA is the trade union and professional body for doctors and medical students in the UK.

Around 10% of over 400 motions submitted by different parts of the BMA for consideration at the ARM this year, held in Belfast on 24 and 25 June, related to the war in the Gaza Strip. A number of these contained highly defamatory allegations regarding Israel, including allegations as to the number of Palestinian civilian casualties, famine and genocide.

There was also a perceived risk that large numbers of Palestinian flags, scarves, badges, etc. would be on display.

Concerned BMA members contacted UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) in advance of the ARM. As well as providing some legally-informed advice, UKLFI wrote to the Chair of the BMA’s Representative Body shortly before the ARM with a request to circulate the letter to the agenda committee.

UKLFI’s letter warned against the meeting becoming a platform for the dissemination of false and divisive propaganda about the war in Gaza. It pointed out:

“The Gaza war is very divisive indeed at the present time. Almost any discussion is likely to promote distrust and hostility between people of different backgrounds and views. Medical care is provided in England by practitioners of different ethnicities and religions, very often working together. Distrust and hostility between them may prejudice medical care. We therefore urge you and your colleagues to exercise as much caution as possible in considering whether to include any additional motions that might be used to raise this subject, as well as in the chairing of the debate on motions that are already scheduled to be taken.

The letter added that some of the motions that had been submitted, for example to promote boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS), may encourage unlawful action in breach of the Equality Act 2010, public procurement legislation and/or fiduciary duties. The BMA could be liable if a motion were to lead to breaches of the Equality Act, since those who instruct, cause, induce or aid contraventions are liable under sections 111 and 112 of that Act. UKLFI suggested that the committee does not select for debate any motion where there is a risk that it might encourage unlawful action.

UKLFI noted that there is a great deal of false information in circulation regarding the Gaza conflict and expressed concern that “members may try to publicise incorrect and inflammatory allegations, even in motions to which they are irrelevant or barely relevant.” UKLFI urged the Chair to be alert to such abuse of the platform provided by the ARM and to be ready to intervene to stop it.

UKLFI’s letter provided several common examples of the false information in circulation about the Gaza war:

• Palestinian casualty figures: several statistical studies have now demonstrated that the casualty figures frequently cited in the media, produced by Hamas-controlled Gaza ministries, have been fabricated and manipulated.[3] In any case they include terrorists whom Israel has successfully killed[4] and Palestinian civilians killed by Palestinian fire.[5] Israel estimates that the ratio of civilians to combatants killed has been less than 1.3:1, far lower than the average ratio of casualties in urban conflict worldwide of more than 8:1 in 2021.[6]
• Allegations of famine: earlier reports claiming that the Gaza Strip or parts of it were on the verge of famine or experiencing famine have now been shown to be based on false and incomplete data.[7]
• That the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that there was a plausible case of genocide by Israel: Judge Donoghue, who was President of the ICJ when the relevant order was made, has confirmed that this is not what the Court found.[8]
• That the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to cease military operations unconditionally in Rafah: this is a misinterpretation of the qualified order made by the ICJ.[9]

In the event, none of the most offensively worded motions was accepted for debate. An emergency motion was taken that objected to alleged attempts by members of the Agenda Committee to remove over 30 motions from the agenda. Some members called out “shame” when a supporter of this motion said she was Jewish. This motion was not wholly successful.

Two motions referring to the conflict were debated and some anti-Israel comments were made in relation to other motions. However, overall, we understand that there was less hostility than had been feared.

[1] https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/annual-representative-meeting/arm-2024-documents

[2] https://www.bma.org.uk/about-us/about-the-bma/how-we-work/bma-governance#:~:text=There%20are%2012%20members%20%2D%20three,the%20chair%20of%20the%20BMJ.

[3] See eg https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/how-gaza-health-ministry-fakes-casualty-numbers#; https://fathomjournal.org/statistically-impossible-a-critical-analysis-of-hamass-women-and-children-casualty-figures/; https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/gaza-fatality-data-has-become-completely-unreliable; https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/how-hamas-manipulates-gaza-fatality-numbers-examining-male-undercount-and-other; https://x.com/Aizenberg55/status/1797648673964282104; https://x.com/adesnik/status/1789826262640280011; https://x.com/MarkZlochin/status/1777057066600763852

[4] The Israel Defence Forces estimated these at over 13,000 at the end of February 2024 (https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/hamas-israel-war-24/briefings-by-idf-spokesperson-rear-admiral-daniel-hagari/february-24-press-briefings/press-briefing-by-idf-spokesperson-rear-admiral-daniel-hagari-february-29th-2024/) and over 14,000 by 13 May 2024 (https://x.com/AviHyman/status/1790024952860627423)

[5] https://www.uklfi.com/false-al-ahli-casualties-still-included-in-hamas-un-data;

[6] https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/S_2022_381.pdf at §12

[7] https://www.gov.il/en/pages/transparency-and-methodology-issues-in-the-ipc-special-brief-of-18-march-2024; https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/generalpage/transparency-and-methodology-issues-in-the-ipc-special-brief-of-18-march-2024/en/English_Swords_of_Iron_Nutrition-in-Gaza-June-2-2024.22.00.pdf; https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/documents/IPC_Famine_Review_Committee_Report_FEWS_NET_Gaza_4June2024.pdf ; https://govextra.gov.il/media/dtmhzmtn/discrepancies-in-un-aid-to-gaza-data-2.pdf

[8] https://www.uklfi.com/icj-president-confirms-it-did-not-find-there-is-a-plausible-case-that-israel-is-committing-genocide

[9] https://www.uklfi.com/the-icjs-order-of-24-may-2024