An effort to expel Israel from the leading global organization for social workers failed on Wednesday in a closed-door Zoom meeting. A second vote, on suspending Israel, also failed.

The International Federation of Social Workers, which counts social work organizations from 141 countries as members, was considering the measure against Israel after some European members complained that Israeli social workers had served in combat roles during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. IFSW formally censured Israel last year.

Jewish social workers in the U.S. and Canada mounted a brief advocacy campaign against the measure, authoring a petition signed by 12,000 people urging the U.S.-based National Association of Social Workers and the Canadian Association of Social Workers to vote against the measure. NASW released a public statement a day before the vote, saying that the expulsion effort violates “the profession’s core values of unity, dialogue and compassion.” 

Inbal Hermoni, the chair of the Israeli Union of Social Workers, said last week that kicking Israel out of the IFSW — whose members also include Russia, China and Iran — would not advance peace in the Middle East. 

The leadership of the IFSW did not publicly comment on the results of Wednesday’s vote. 34 countries voted against expulsion, with 16 voting in favor. A majority of voting members supported suspending Israel — 27 voted to suspend Israel, and 23 voted against it — but the measure would have needed 75% of votes to pass. 

NASW cheered the vote in a statement on Wednesday.

“Our position reflects our belief that professional engagement, ethical accountability and sustained dialogue are more effective than expulsion in advancing peace, justice and human rights,” NASW said.

Guila Franklin Siegel, the chief operating officer at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, called the vote “a victory for inclusion over discrimination.” 

“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,” said Siegel,  who had been working behind the scenes with Jewish social workers to rally opposition to the measure.