Jewish Doctors in Britain Consider Moving to Israel as Fears Grow Over Their Safety

Growing antisemitism in Britain is prompting increasing numbers of Jewish doctors, dentists, and other healthcare professionals to consider relocating to Israel, with some saying they no longer feel safe openly identifying as Jews in the United Kingdom. The concerns were evident at a recent gathering in London, where approximately 150 British medical professionals explored opportunities to continue their careers in Israel.

The event, known as MedEx UK, was held last week as part of an international initiative designed to help medical professionals make aliyah. The program provides assistance with professional licensing, employment opportunities, financial grants, and the bureaucratic requirements involved in transferring medical qualifications to Israel.

For many participants, the decision to relocate reflects a combination of longstanding aspirations to live in Eretz Yisroel and mounting unease about the atmosphere facing British Jews, particularly since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

Among those attending was 59-year-old dentist Shlomo Franks of Edgware, who previously lived in Israel for five years approximately three decades ago. Speaking to the British Jewish Chronicle, Franks explained that he had always intended to return but had been waiting for the appropriate time.

Franks said that his two youngest children, one of whom is studying medicine and hopes to serve in the IDF as a psychologist, are expected to complete their university studies next year. The family intends to relocate together, and he plans to continue practicing dentistry in Israel.

Although his desire to make aliyah predates the current wave of antisemitism, Franks acknowledged that the deteriorating situation in Britain has provided an additional reason to move. Even if conditions in the United Kingdom were entirely favorable, he said, he would still want to live in Israel.

A 23-year-old medical student from Hackney, who requested anonymity, described a more immediate concern. She said she has become uncomfortable revealing her Jewish identity to others and does not want to spend her professional life in an environment where she feels compelled to conceal who she is.

She also expressed frustration with working conditions in Britain’s healthcare system, citing inadequate compensation and a lack of professional respect. In contrast, she believes Israel offers medical professionals a wider variety of opportunities to develop their skills and contribute meaningfully.

The student is particularly interested in rural medicine and hopes to practice in an underserved community, possibly on a small kibbutz or in another rural area. She described Israel’s medical environment as more innovative and welcoming than the one she expects to encounter in Britain.

Another prospective immigrant, a family physician who also asked not to be identified, said she had grown up in a strongly Zionist household and had long envisioned eventually living in Israel. However, the events of October 7 and the subsequent rise in antisemitism accelerated what had previously been a distant plan.

She compared the gradual normalization of antisemitic behavior in Britain to a frog sitting in water that slowly grows hotter. People become accustomed to increasingly troubling circumstances, she explained, until an incident forces them to recognize how much their surroundings have changed.

The physician said friends already practicing medicine in Israel have described a substantially different professional atmosphere, one in which they feel their work makes an immediate and meaningful contribution to patients’ lives.

A fourth woman interviewed at the event described a similar transformation in her thinking. She had previously resisted moving to Israel because she was determined to build her medical career in Britain. As conditions changed, however, she reconsidered and eventually became the person encouraging her family to make aliyah.

She said she looks forward to practicing medicine in a country where colleagues naturally understand Jewish holidays, family obligations, and the rhythms of Jewish life. In Britain, she explained, Jewish medical professionals frequently find themselves having to explain religious practices and personal commitments that are readily understood in Israel.