The IFSW executive has, by majority decision, issued a censure against the Israeli Union of Social Workers (IUSW) for not upholding the Federation’s ethical principles of supporting peace and non-violence.
In the context of recent and ongoing military action by Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza and Palestinian Hamas combatants in Israel, and escalating loss of civilian life, particularly in the extended action in Gaza, in June 2024, IFSW called on its members in Israel and Palestine to confirm their compliance with the Federation’s Statement of Ethical Principles, which states:
9.3 Social workers support peace and nonviolence. Social workers may work alongside military personnel for humanitarian purposes and work toward peacebuilding and reconstruction. Social workers operating within a military or peacekeeping context must always support the dignity and agency of people as their primary focus. Social workers must not allow their knowledge and skills to be used for inhumane purposes, such as torture, military surveillance, terrorism, or conversion therapy, and they should not use weapons in their professional or personal capacities against people.
The PUSWP immediately confirmed that its members are not engaged in military combat at any level and that they stand for peace and self-determination. Through multiple exchanges between the IFSW Executive’s representatives and its Israel member organisation, the IUSW confirmed that its members were in combat roles and that military conscription is a requirement under Israeli law. The Executive asked the IUSW if they would be willing to request that their government exempt social workers from military conscription into active combat roles on the basis that their skills should be used for peacebuilding. The ask was one of ethical and professional principle, not one expecting the Israeli Union to be able to change the current Israeli government’s approach to conscription.
The IUSW responded by highlighting the horrific attack by Hamas on October 7th 2023, the ongoing terror relating to the hostages still missing and that they would not be successful with any request for social workers to be exempt from military service, that this call would not be widely supported within their organisation, and they would not make such a request to their government. Other parts of the social work profession in Israel confirmed that social workers and social work students are active in Gaza in Israeli combat roles. The latest death toll stands at 46,640 Palestinians, and 1,139 people have been killed in Israel since October 7, 2023.
The IFSW Executive, by majority decision, affirmed that the IUSW’s refusal to request the Israeli government exempt social workers from combat roles is a breach of the Statement of Ethical Principles. The executive noted that even if the Israeli government did not affirm the request, international social work learning on its role in war and conflict situations has consistently demonstrated that the action would have a positive effect in an ongoing step-by-step process of building trust between civil social organisations working on different sides of the conflict. Building trust is a prerequisite for such civil society actions and also in social work examples of effective peacebuilding. The executive further noted that the IUSW have said at this stage they would not make any statement calling for peace.
An executive censure can be removed by a majority decision of the executive at any time. The executive has requested ongoing discussion with the IUSW to work towards a resolution. If a resolution is not found by next year’s IFSW General Meeting, the issue will be discussed and decided by the member organisations.
This is the second Censure issued by the IFSW executive. The first Censure issued in 2018, also focused on the IUSW and its refusal to recognise Palestinian rights. Following ongoing internal and external discussions, that Censure was removed in 2022 after the IUSW made a statement recognising Palestinian people’s rights equal to Israeli people’s rights.