Israel recruits British doctors in London to offset local staff shortages

Israeli government agencies held a medical job fair in London on Sunday to recruit British doctors, aiming to counter a steep decline in domestic medical staff. The event, named MedEx UK, took place at a Jewish community centre and was co-hosted by the Nefesh B’Nefesh organisation, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. The drive is part of the International Medical Aliyah Program, launched in 2020 with a goal of bringing 2,000 doctors to Israel by 2029.

The Israeli government has intensified recruitment efforts in response to a survey by the Israeli Medical Association, which found that 1,369 doctors left the country for more than a year between 2023 and 2025. To streamline the process for foreign professionals, the Ministry of Health issued new regulations in 2025. These rules allow doctors with 10 years of experience to skip the licensing exam, a threshold previously set at 14 years. In 2026, the ministry allocated up to 240 million NIS, approximately $76.7 million, specifically for international recruitment.

Attendees at the London event received materials from major Israeli health funds, including Terem and Clalit. A flyer from Terem listed medical centres in the West Bank settlements of Modiin, Beit Shemesh, Ma’ale Adumim, and Beitar Illit. An activist from Jewish Anti-Zionist Action who entered the event noted that representatives from Leumit Health Services and Shivat Zion were also present. The activist reported that Clalit staff emphasized they could help with accommodation for doctors willing to work in any location within Israel.

The recruitment push occurs while the Ministry of Health tightens rules for Palestinian doctors. In 2019, the ministry adopted the Yatziv Reform, which revoked recognition of medical degrees from non-OECD countries. This change affects many Eastern European nations and Palestinian universities in the West Bank. Although Palestinian doctors made up 25 percent of all physicians in Israel in 2023, up from 8 percent in 2010, that share is expected to drop. Students who began their studies in 2019 at now-unrecognised institutions are set to graduate this year without their degrees being accepted.

Shani Bar Tuvia, director of the health policy department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel, stated that the number of Palestinians among medical students has fallen to around 9 percent. She argued that the ministry is aware the Yatziv Reform will reduce the number of licensed doctors and that they must compensate for the disqualified institutions. To address the shortfall, the ministry has also opened new medical schools, including facilities at Ariel University and Reichman University.

Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, and Clalit did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. The next phase of the international recruitment program involves continued hosting of medical job fairs to facilitate the licensing of foreign medical professionals.