On July 2nd, Main Line Health (MLH) disseminated a DRE&I (Diversity, Respect, Equity & Inclusion) newsletter that was inflammatory, inaccurate and misleading. When an article is written and distributed in a way that incites hostility and anger toward a minority group, the writer and editor are responsible for endangering members of that group. The article “Biography of a Hospital during Occupation and War” creates a false narrative by including factually incorrect statements and omitting crucial facts. In response, we, the undersigned, unite in demanding immediate remediation from MLH. The severity of this violation of trust and values, and the inherent danger it poses to the Jewish community, necessitates urgent and comprehensive action.

On October 7th, the Hamas terrorists launched a savage, brutal attack on Israel. They killed, raped, and kidnapped young people at a peaceful music festival; murdered innocent babies, women, children and entire families in their homes, and burned, mutilated and beheaded anyone in their path. These were peaceful members of southern communities who actively believed in peace and a two-state solution. These terrorists took approximately 250 hostages from numerous countries.

Greater Philadelphia, including the Main Line area, is home to the 4th largest Jewish population outside of Israel. In light of the October 7th atrocities and the rapidly rising anti-Zionist discourse in the USA, it’s crucial to emphasize the deep and enduring connection between Jews and Israel. Israel is not just a place; it is our ancestral homeland, our cultural compass. The bond between Jews and Israel is enduring and unbreakable, forming the very essence of Jewish identity, unity and strength.

The article is rife with misinformation and omissions, creating a dangerously false narrative that distorts the truth and misleads readers. Omitted is any mention of the atrocities that precipitated the current conflict, the holding of multiple hostages at Al-Shifa hospital and the use of the hospital as a Hamas command hub. The article omits the fact that Hamas stored weapons and ammunition in the hospital and maintained a large active terrorist cell there. Additionally, it excludes the account of a Gaza physician who personally held hostages at his home and the multiple verified reports of rockets being fired from civilian areas adjacent to Gaza hospitals.

The decision by the DRE&I committee of MLH to post such a one-sided and inaccurate depiction of Al-Shifa hospital can only lead to one outcome: increased hatred of Israel and heightened antisemitism. Collectively, these omissions and distortions propagate a hateful narrative against the world’s only Jewish state. This unmasked contempt sets the tone for discourse and conduct across MLH. While that would be troubling at any time, it’s particularly problematic as we confront an unprecedented surge of antisemitism in our own communities.

Many community members were shocked and dismayed by the woefully inadequate apology issued by the DRE&I committee. Describing the incident as an "Ouch moment" was an appalling understatement of what transpired. The apology letter outrageously referred to Hamas, which repeatedly calls for the genocide of Jews, as a “combatant organization.” It also failed to acknowledge the fact that Hamas is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. This inadequate response only trivializes the role that MLH played in fanning the flames of Jew hatred.

This situation demands rectification. First, we insist that MLH corrects the record. Such a correction should include public acknowledgement that the conflict started with a massacre that Hamas perpetrated on October 7th and that hostages have been held at Al-Shifa hospital. This hospital has been used as a command center by Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.  Furthermore, this necessitates a thorough investigation into the very foundation of MLH. The demand is for complete transparency and accountability, extending beyond a few individuals in DRE&I and HR. This situation reveals a profound failure in leadership and oversight for allowing such a grievous situation to unfold. The senior leadership must be held accountable to restore trust, demonstrate a genuine commitment to the values MLH professes to uphold, and ensure that such egregious actions are never repeated. This requires a full evaluation of the policies, procedures and cultural attitudes that permitted this occurrence; addressing the root causes and implementing substantial reforms.

We also call upon MLH to totally dismantle DRE&I. Time and again the Jewish community has observed that the tenet of “inclusion” within the DRE&I apparatus does not extend to Jews. Rather, DRE&I portrays the world in a reductive paradigm that imagines “white” oppressors pinned against a “nonwhite” oppressed, with Jews assigned to the first group. This type of thinking doesn’t help anybody, including the patients it purports to help. 

Unless these changes are realized, we are prepared to seek healthcare elsewhere and halt all financial support. This decisive action is essential to combat the antisemitism and hatred that newsletters like this incite. The integrity and trust in our healthcare institutions must be restored and upheld without compromise.

List of Demands:

1. Adoption of the IHRA Antisemitism Definition: Officially adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism and integrate it into institutional policies. The Trump administration's 2019 Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism highlighted how Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 could be used to fight anti-Semitism. This order remains in place under the Biden administration, emphasizing the importance of the IHRA definition for addressing violations.
2. Antisemitism Training: Conduct comprehensive antisemitism training, collaborating with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Jewish Medical Association (AJMA), and StandWithUs.
3. Creation of a Jewish Employee Resource Group: Establish this group to provide guidance on antisemitism and promote Jewish cultural education. The Jewish people are a distinct ethnocultural group, not just a religious community, and deserve their own affinity group, similar to those granted to other ethnocultural groups.
4. Creation of a Dedicated Committee to investigate this event and antisemitism within MLH. This committee must operate transparently, include community members and adhere to a strict timeline.
5. Public Apology: Issue a genuine and unequivocal public apology acknowledging the gravity of this incident. This apology must be in addition to the public acknowledgment of the facts surrounding the conflict, as described above. The apology should reflect a deep understanding of the harm caused and a commitment to rectifying the situation.
6. Termination of all individuals involved in the production and dissemination of the DRE&I antisemitic newsletter. This demand extends to anyone within DRE&I, HR, and leadership who had any level of involvement or oversight in the decision to publish this hateful content. No one who contributed to this gross violation should remain in a position of influence within the organization.
7. Accountability from Senior Leadership: This situation reveals a profound failure in leadership, allowing such an egregious incident to occur. We demand that the Board of Governors and Officers take personal responsibility and directly engage in assessing the situation based on the committee's findings. Senior leaders must be held accountable for fostering an institutional culture that permitted this hateful publication.
8. Disassembling the DRE&I committee: Disassembling the DRE&I Committee: Given the depth of the problem within DRE&I, we demand its complete disbandment. Should there be a need to establish a similar committee in the future, it must be reconstituted with multiple stakeholders, including Jewish members of MLH and representatives from the community to ensure balanced and inclusive perspectives.
9. Concrete Process to Prevent Recurrence: Develop and publicly share a process to ensure such incidents never happen again.

These demands are not just necessary steps to address this specific incident but are also crucial to rebuilding trust within our community. The publication of an antisemitic article by MLH has severely damaged this trust and it is MLH's responsibility to take comprehensive and transparent actions to correct the narrative and prevent future occurrences.