About the Israeli Medical Association
- Anglo Doctors in Israel
- Dec 8, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Every Israeli doctor should know about the IMA. If you are seeking recognition of your specialty in Israel, you will quickly become familiar with the organisation, and it will continue to accompany you throughout your medical career.
The Israeli Medical Association (IMA) (known in Hebrew as הר״י - הָאִגּוּד הָרְפוּאִי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) is the national professional body representing physicians in Israel. Established more than a century ago, it has grown from a small medical society into an organisation that supports, regulates and advocates for the medical profession. Today, it represents the vast majority of doctors in Israel and plays a central role in shaping the country’s healthcare system.
In this blog, we explore the history of the IMA and the roles it fulfils today.
The First Medical Society in Israel
It is hard to imagine Israel with only 32 Jewish doctors, but that was the situation in 1912. That year, 9 doctors gathered in Tel Aviv to found the first medical society in the Land of Israel. They called it The Hebrew Medicinal Society for Jaffa and the Jaffa District. Although most doctors did not yet speak Hebrew, the group decided to publish a Hebrew quarterly journal called Minutes of the Hebrew Medicinal Society in the Land of Israel. This was visionary.
One year later, in 1913, new immigrant physicians in Jerusalem formed a separate association called The Hebrew-Speaking Physicians’ Society. A major question at their first meetings was whether Hebrew-speaking doctors were right to differentiate themselves from the wider medical community in Israel at the time. They reached a compromise by keeping its Hebrew identity but allowing membership for Hebrew-speaking doctors living abroad.
By 1914, wonderfully the numbers doubled and there were 60 Jewish physicians in the country, and the two societies, in Jaffa and Jerusalem, agreed to collaborate.
A National Medical Body
Following World War One, the two groups merged to form The Hebrew Medical Association in the Land of Israel (HMA). Unlike many European medical associations which focused mainly on scientific activity, the HMA worked on three fronts: continuing medical education, protecting the rights and conditions of physicians, and strengthening the Jewish national character of the profession.
In 1920, with great pioneering spirit, the HMA launched its own medical journal, HaRefuah, published in Hebrew. At a time when most doctors did not speak the language fluently, the journal made a big statement and subsequently played a key role in developing Hebrew medical terminology.
Today, HaRefuah continues as a monthly journal, demonstrating the success of Israel’s first doctors, who were determined to advance medical knowledge and education even in a fragile and developing country.
The Scientific Council
In 1936, the HMA established the Central Scientific Committee, later known as The Scientific Council (הַמּוֹעָצָה הַמַּדָּעִית). Its original goal was simply to organise scientific lectures in smaller branches of the association. Over time it became the professional authority for all specialty training in Israel, supervising residency programs, running specialist examinations and supporting continuing medical education.
Expansion of the HMA’s Role
The HMA’s role expanded and evolved to meet the needs of immigrant doctors in the rapidly changing landscape of the pre-state years.
In 1939, the British Mandate imposed strict limits on work permits for doctors who arrived after 1935 leading to many immigrant physicians unable to work in medicine, pushed into other jobs or struggling financially. The HMA responded by creating an organisation for physicians without permits, which quickly became the largest group in the association.
That same year, the HMA established its own legal court and committees in each branch to resolve disputes between doctors and to handle patient complaints. Relations with the health funds (Kupot Holim) were tense, and with few secure public-sector jobs available, many physicians depended on private practice, which was shrinking month by month.
Again, in a bid to support doctors, the HMA developed financial assistance systems, including the Saad loan fund and the Constructive Fund (later the Physicians’ Unemployment Fund). It opened clinics for underserved communities, offering treatment at minimal cost, and for the first time took on the role of a professional union, advocating for working conditions and employment rights.
The Birth of the Israeli Medical Association
With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the Hebrew Medical Association became the Israeli Medical Association (IMA). In the early years of the state, the IMA worked to secure the status of physicians in the developing public health system and define its relationship with the Histadrut, the national labour organisation.
Alongside negotiations on employment and wages, the IMA continued to promote scientific activity, publishing HaRefuah, organising national medical conferences, and supporting the creation of the first medical school at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Protecting Medical Independence
From the 1950s onward, the IMA led a strong campaign against full nationalisation of the healthcare system, aiming to protect the independence of doctors working in the private sector and preserve professional autonomy. As private medicine declined between 1948 and 1963, the IMA emerged as the single recognised organisation representing doctors in Israel.
IMA Today: Roles and Responsibilities
Today, the IMA represents over 90 percent of physicians in Israel and fulfils a wide range of essential roles, including:
Professional Representation and Advocacy
The IMA represents physicians in negotiations with the government and health system to secure fair pay, conditions and rights, acting as a union when needed.
Scientific Leadership and Medical Education
Through its Scientific Council, the IMA sets national standards for specialty training, oversees residency programs, runs exams and grants specialist certification, while supporting continuing medical education.
Publication and Knowledge Sharing
The IMA publishes Israel’s leading medical journals, Harefuah and IMAJ, and produces guidelines, position papers, scientific updates and educational conferences.
Ethics and Professional Standards
The IMA maintains the medical ethical code in Israel and operates ethical committees and disciplinary processes to handle complaints, resolve disputes and uphold professional conduct.
Public Health and Medical Policy
The IMA advises on national health policy, offering recommendations on reforms, public-health issues and workforce planning.
Support for Physicians
The IMA offers legal support, welfare programs and professional guidance for physicians, amongst other perks for members.
Continuing the Legacy of Israel’s First Physicians
It is inspiring to see how far the medical community in Israel has come. From 32 doctors to almost 50,000, our founders successfully built a strong, professional and governing body within an unstable and constantly evolving landscape, holding fast to the ethics and values that bind us as physicians.
In just 100 years, they supported and standardised the training of thousands of doctors, helped shape the healthcare system, advanced clinical excellence, and championed the rights of physicians at every stage.
It is a powerful reminder of the impact a small group of driven individuals can have, and of what a privilege it is to continue in their footsteps, investing in and building their legacy here in the Land of Israel.
In our next blog, we’ll look at the benefits and drawbacks of IMA membership, as well as recent headlines about its role in internal politics and defending Israel on the global medical stage.
Can a single organisation be both the union fighting for doctors and the body that regulates their training and ethics? The IMA does both and that creates inevitable tension.
Read next week’s Medical Monday to learn more.
