Physician Tells Congress Union Endorses BDS and Excludes Israeli Doctors

A Philadelphia-based cardiology fellow told a House subcommittee that his union, the Committee of Interns and Residents, has adopted positions that target Israeli physicians and endorse the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Dr. U.S. Committee on Education and Workforce on May 24, 2026.

” The resolution declares that Israel maintains an apartheid occupation and that Israeli actions constitute genocide under the UN definition. It also endorses the BDS movement and rejects equating antisemitism with anti-Zionism.

Agronin said the union has posted support for Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University organizer, and for Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a physician who expressed sympathy for Hezbollah. He added that the union recommends hospitals exclude Israeli workers based on national origin.

He stated that Israeli trainees feel targeted by the union’s “human capital” divestment language but remain silent because of fear that dissent could affect their visas, employment, or training. Agronin noted that he did not choose the union and that it was voted in at his institution.

He said he will soon be required by law to pay dues to an organization whose positions he opposes. Eveline Shekhman, chief executive officer of the American Jewish Medical Association, also testified. She cited a 2025 peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Religion and Health that found 75 percent of Jewish-identifying medical students and professionals reported exposure to antisemitism.

U.S. government’s definition of antisemitism.