News
JCRC Applauds Defeat of Motions to Exclude Israeli Social Workers
February 18, 2026
The following is a statement from Guila Franklin Siegel, chief operating officer of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, in response to the International Federation of Social Workers today rejecting a pair of motions to suspend and expel the Israeli Union of Social Workers from the international body.
“These votes are a victory for inclusion over discrimination. For years, the Israeli Union of Social Workers (IUSW) has worked tirelessly to support the mental health and well-being of Israelis and Palestinians alike. Their work has taken on new and added meaning over the past two years in the face of Hamas’ horrific mass slaughter of Jews on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza. The heroic efforts of Israeli social workers during such a difficult time amid a surge of antisemitism generally and directed at them in particular are a model for those affiliated with the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) worldwide to follow.
“While it is disappointing that the IFSW even considered such exclusionary motions, we are hopeful that this closes the door on any effort to isolate Israeli social workers initiated by international bodies that should be supporting and lifting them up. JCRC is proud to stand with the ISUW, the Jewish Social Work Consortium, and the thousands of people who signed a petition urging opposition to these votes. We hope IFSW will not go down this path again.”
The following is an additional statement from Jennifer Kogan and Andrea Yudell of the Jewish Social Work Consortium, with whom we worked closely on this issue.
“Rejecting this motion affirms that collective punishment and exclusion have no place in social work for any group.”
“Israeli social workers continue to serve on the front lines, providing critical care and support to all who need it, across lines of identity, religion, and background. That is what ethical practice looks like and what solidarity should mean. We are especially thankful to the National Association of Social Workers for choosing to use its voice to condemn this effort and to stand firmly for principle. Their leadership in this moment reflects the profession at its best.”
“At the heart of social work is honoring the dignity of our colleagues and clients, which requires cultural humility and the courage to examine our own assumptions rather than make sweeping judgments about entire groups of people.”
“We remain hopeful that this stance is not only a rejection of exclusion, but the beginning of deeper engagement, listening, and repair so that Jewish and Israeli social workers can participate fully, safely, and with dignity in the global social work community.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
We commend NASW for choosing ethics and principle over silence and collusion. We have just learned that NASW issued a public statement opposing the suspension or expulsion of the Israeli Union of Social Workers from the International Federation of Social Workers. In a moment when remaining quiet would have been easier, NASW chose transparency and moral clarity. We are deeply grateful for this clear and public commitment and appreciate NASW’s decision to take a principled stand.
This moment arises in the context of serious and ongoing concerns within the field of social work. For more than two years, Jewish social workers have raised alarms about the rise of antizionist hate circulating in our professional and clinical spaces. This has included recurring libels, dehumanizing rhetoric, exclusionary practices, and assumptions directed at Israelis and at the vast majority of Jewish people, attacking core identity. Too often, these harms have flowed unchecked through workplaces, training programs, conferences, classrooms, and professional discourse.
This vote and NASW’s clear ethical stance is a welcome start. At the same time, it it does not resolve the climate many colleagues here in the US continue to experience. The patterns that have been documented and in many cases directly endured require sustained attention, ethical leadership, and courageous engagement. Silence in the face of discrimination contradicts the core values of our profession. By taking this public position, NASW has signaled that principle must guide us.
We remain hopeful that this marks the beginning of mutual dialogue, meaningful listening sessions, and concrete efforts to right the wrongs that have taken root. Repair, accountability, and a renewed commitment to pluralism and human dignity is possible. This moment can be a turning point.
We, The Jewish Social Work Consortium, respectfully renew our request for a meeting with NASW leadership to discuss the ongoing hostility affecting Israeli and Jewish professionals and to explore tangible steps to ensure that our field remains grounded in ethical practice, inclusion, and respect for the full diversity of Jewish identity.
We appreciate NASW’s leadership and courage. We remain committed to constructive engagement and believe that, together, we can strengthen our profession and restore trust.
Sign the Petition Now
Protest the International Federation of Social Worker’s Feb. 18th Vote Targeting Israeli and Jewish Social Workers
The International Federation of Social Workers has set a vote for February 18th on whether to expel or suspend the Israeli Union of Social Workers.
This vote is unethical, contradicts core social work values, and is steeped in generalized antizionist hate.
We call on the National Association of Social Workers and the Canadian Association of Social Workers to vote no on this motion, publicly condemn the targeting of Israeli social workers, and to address the growing climate of hostility and exclusion towards Jewish and Israeli social workers within the field.
Please sign and share our petition widely.
Jewish Social Work Consortium Statement on the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) Targeting of Israeli Social Workers For Immediate Release
After formally censuring the Israeli Union of Social Workers last year, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) is now moving toward suspension or expulsion. The IFSWs planned February 18, 2026 vote marks a clear escalation in a selective enforcement campaign. Presented as accountability, the proposal advances an ideologically driven effort to isolate Israeli social workers as a collective, based on nationality rather than actual professional conduct…
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Statement on Jew Hate: Too Little Too Late
Four Days of Silence
It took four days for NASW to make any mention of the pogrom carried out against Jews gathered on Bondi Beach celebrating the first night of Chanukah. It remains unclear what prompted the statement today… Read More
Naming Hate: Antizionism in Social Work
by Jennifer Kogan and Andrea Yudell
Imagine belonging to a minority group within a helping profession that prides itself on empathy and social justice. You watch as other communities receive compassion in their moments of fear and grief. Historically, you have stood alongside them. You and your colleagues have spoken up, shown up, and held space for their pain. Not performatively, but out of a steadfast commitment to justice.
Now picture this: when your own community faces a moment of true vulnerability, that same care and concern are shockingly absent. Then in an incredible coordinated swath of gaslighting, your people are vilified. Terms like ‘colonizer,’ ‘oppressor,’ and ‘genocide’ are tossed like grenades into the midst of this shocked and grieving minority. This functions to erase your humanity. Ask yourself: could you envision any other group being subjected to such sweeping generalizations and blame? … Read More
Psychotherapy Networker Magazine: Antisemitism and the Trauma of Invalidation
by Jennifer Kogan, Dean McKay, Miri Bar-Halpern and Andrea Yudell
Therapy is built on trust, safety, and the feeling of being truly seen, but for many Jewish therapists, that foundation has been shaken. Since October 7, we’ve realized the world we thought we lived in was not the one we actually inhabited. These four essays are our attempt to name that rupture and reflect on what it means for us and our clients
Jewish Insider: Jewish social workers warn of growing antisemitism in the field: ‘Counter to everything that we learn in social work school’
by Gabby Deutch
A new report details the ‘exclusion, isolation and public targeting’ that Jewish social workers have faced particularly since October 7th. Many of the complaints in the report target the National Association of Social Workers, the field’s leading professional body, with 110,000 members. “The silence and negligence of NASW has been especially egregious,” the report’s authors write, referencing the group’s two-month delay in publicly addressing the events of Oct. 7 and its alleged reticence to strongly denounce antisemitism in the nearly two years since. An NASW spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Report and Testimony on Antisemitism in Social Workby Jennifer Kogan and Andrea Yudell
A report and testimonies outlining what Jewish social workers have been experiencing and are bearing witness to in our field since October 7. Social justice is foundational to social work, and a primary reason so many of us chose this profession. However, the current application within social work schools and professional spaces often leads to the harmful stereotyping of Jewish and Israeli individuals, categorizing them as ‘oppressors’ within a rigid binary. This approach overlooks the complexities of identity and fails to recognize the unique challenges faced by Jewish communities, students, and colleagues. Urgent action is needed and is outlined in this document.