Knesset debates Israel’s membership in WHO amid accusations of bias

Son-Har Melech also pointed to the decision of the United States to leave the WHO under the Trump administration, arguing that Israel should take a similar stance.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

The Knesset Health Committee held a heated discussion on Monday regarding a proposal for Israel to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing claims of systemic anti-Israel bias and discrimination.

Coalition lawmakers argued that WHO has repeatedly acted against Israel’s interests, while medical professionals warned that withdrawal could have serious consequences for public health and international cooperation.

The discussion was initiated by MK Limor Son-Har Melech (Otzma Yehudit), who accused the WHO of consistently acting with hostility toward Israel.

“The World Health Organization consistently operates with a hostile approach against the State of Israel, while promoting decisions that harm its rights in the international arena,” she stated.

“The organization’s policy is often tainted with anti-Semitism and clear discrimination against Israel and constitutes a serious violation of the legitimacy of the State of Israel as a sovereign state.”

Eighty-five percent of Gaza’s hospitals have been used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for terror according to the Israel Defense Forces.

As reported by The Press Service of Israel in 2023, Hamas made extensive use of the Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical center. Hamas launched rockets from its compound, hid hostages in the bowels of the building, tortured collaborators, and dug tunnels connecting Shifa to nearby sites.

Israel also released a recording of a phone call confirming that Hamas also stores at least a half-million liters of fuel underneath the compound.

Other Palestinians told Israeli interrogators Hamas deeply embedded itself in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society to use hospitals as a base for attacks.

Son-Har Melech also pointed to the decision of the United States to leave the WHO under the Trump administration, arguing that Israel should take a similar stance.

“The President of the United States announced the U.S.’s withdrawal from the organization on the day he entered the White House, with the understanding that the organization does not serve the interests of democratic countries and even harms them. The State of Israel must take a similar step to maintain its international status, prevent harm to its interests, and send a clear message against antisemitic discrimination in any international institution.”

President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the World Health Organization on Jan. 21 amid a series of executive orders signed that day.

Several other coalition lawmakers, including MKs Galit Distel Atbaryan, Nissim Vaturi, Osher Shekalim, Tsega Malko, Ariel Kellner, Kati Shitrit (Likud), Ohad Tal, and Michal Waldiger (Religious Zionism), expressed support for the proposal, arguing that the WHO has failed to address attacks on Israeli medical personnel and facilities during the October 7 Hamas attack.

Prof. Ehud Keinan, an international chemistry expert, also criticized the organization’s credibility, calling its authority “controversial” and its policies “corrupt and self-serving.”

He cited Taiwan as an example of a country that has thrived in medical and scientific fields despite not being a WHO member. Taiwan is not a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) primarily due to political pressure from China.

However, Prof. Dorit Nitzan, a representative of the Israeli Medical Association and a former WHO official, warnead that leaving the organization could significantly harm Israel’s security and public health.

“Withdrawing from the organization could cause significant harm to the country’s ability to cooperate with global health bodies,” she cautioned.

“This includes access to global medical information, early warnings, international research, and medical standards, as well as support during disasters and epidemics.”

The discussion also highlighted the WHO’s failure to condemn Hamas’ use of hospitals, particularly Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, for terrorist activities. While the organization condemned an Israeli strike on an Indonesian hospital in Gaza, it has not acknowledged Hamas’ attacks on ambulances or medical personnel.

The committee is expected to hold another session to hear from government representatives before reaching a decision.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.