Israeli Medical Association: Physicians must not aid in death penalty for terrorists

In response to the Knesset National Security Committee’s discussion on the proposed death penalty for terrorists, the chairman of the Israeli Medical Association’s Ethics Committee, Dr. Yossi Walfisch, issues a statement saying that the IMA strictly “prohibits any participation of physicians in determining, preparing for, or carrying out the death penalty.”

“A physician is meant to heal,” he writes. “Accordingly, there is an absolute prohibition on Israeli physicians taking part, whether actively or passively, in executions, including evaluating fitness, participating in the administration of substances, monitoring vital signs, or providing technical consultation.

“Using medical knowledge for purposes other than promoting health and well-being undermines the ethical foundations of medicine,” Walfisch writes.