An American Jewish cardiologist told the US Committee on Education and Workforce that his union supports terrorists and excludes Israeli workers from employment.
Dr. Jacob Agronin, a Philadelphia-based cardiology fellow, testified at the subcommittee that his union, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), publicly supports terror sympathizers and formally endorses the exclusion of Israeli colleagues based on national origin.
He also said the union has declared the State of Israel guilty of apartheid and genocide as a matter of official organizational doctrine.
“I am an American physician. I did not choose this union. It was voted in at my institution; no collective bargaining agreement has yet been signed, and I will soon be compelled by law to fund it.
“I am a Jewish American, but the concerns I bring to this subcommittee are not Jewish concerns. They are American concerns. When a union representing 37,000 physicians openly supports figures associated with Hamas and Hezbollah, formally recommends that hospitals exclude Israeli workers, and uses compelled dues from federally-funded trainees to advance that agenda – that is a problem for every American who cares about the integrity of our medical institutions and our national security,” he said.
He then testified that CIR meets the United States government’s own definition of antisemitism, and urged legislative action to protect medical trainees from being compelled – with federal dollars – to financially support an organization engaged in such conduct.
CIR is the largest house staff union in the United States, currently representing approximately 37,000 resident and fellow physicians.
In May 2024, it passed a formal resolution, titled “Housestaff Against Apartheid.”
The resolution formally declares, as a matter of CIR organizational doctrine, that Israel maintains “an apartheid occupation against the Palestinian people” and that Israeli actions constitute genocide under the UN definition.
Resolution endorses BDS, rejects conflating antisemitism with anti-Zionism
The resolution also formally endorses the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and directs CIR to pursue it through a specific set of actions.
It also rejects the conflation of antisemitism with anti-Zionism.
Additionally to the resolution, CIR has publicly posted in support of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University organizer, despite his connection to organizations linked to Hamas or those espousing pro-Hamas views.
CIR and affiliated accounts have also posted publicly in support of Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a physician who made documented public statements expressing sympathy for Hezbollah.
Regarding the experiences of Agronin’s Israeli colleagues, he said they feel “directly targeted by the ‘human capital’ divestment language – that CIR has formally recommended that people like them not be employed at the institutions where they work and train.”
“And yet they will not sign petitions, will not speak publicly, and do not want their names associated with any challenge to the union. The reason is not indifference. It is fear: fear that visible dissent could affect their visa status, their employment standing, their ability to complete training and remain in this country, and most importantly, their ability to care for patients without threat of harassment from their peers.”
During the subcommittee, Eveline Shekhman, chief executive officer at the American Jewish Medical Association, also testified about the pervasive antisemitism in the medical field.
She cited a 2025 peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Religion and Health that found that 75% of Jewish-identifying medical students and professionals reported exposure to antisemitism.
Jewish Americans represent roughly 14% of all US physicians, according to the latest studies. There are approximately 250,000 Jewish healthcare professionals in the US.