Medical Expo in France Encourages Hundreds of European Doctors to Move to Israel

A MedEx conference in Paris recently gathered 450 Jewish doctors and dentists from France and Belgium, providing them with crucial assistance for relocating to Israel. Amid a growing shortage of doctors in Israel and rising antisemitism in Europe, this initiative aims to ease the aliyah (emigration) process for medical professionals.

Sponsored by Nefesh B’Nefesh, in collaboration with Israel’s Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Ministry of Health, the MedEx event is timely and significant. Israeli representatives from hospitals and medical facilities traveled to Paris to meet these professionals, who often require extra support in converting their licenses and developing proficient Hebrew skills necessary for practicing medicine in Israel.

MedEx anticipates that hundreds of European doctors will make aliyah in the near future, with a target of 2,000 emigrating within the next five years. Ofir Sofer, the Minister of Immigration and Absorption, emphasized the positive impact this will have: “The immigration of doctors to the State of Israel, particularly the Galilee and the Negev, will greatly strengthen the Israeli health system.”

The MedEx Paris conference follows a similar successful event in New York, which attracted 1,500 participants from the medical field. Additionally, a medical fair was held in London for the first time in five years, marking another step in addressing the critical need for medical professionals in Israel.

Israeli Minister of Health, Uriel Bosso, commented on the importance of these conferences in increasing the number of doctors in Israel while promoting aliyah. “Shoring up the health system with high-quality Jewish professionals from Europe is an appropriately Zionist and forward-looking strategy,” he stated. Bosso assured that his office would work to simplify bureaucratic procedures and expedite the integration process for emigrating doctors.

Currently, Israel has 3.4 doctors per 1,000 people, slightly below the OECD average of 3.7. The influx of European medical professionals is expected to bolster the healthcare system significantly, ensuring better medical care and services for all Israelis.

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