Hospitals should be places where every patient feels safe, respected, and welcomed—regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs.

The display of the phrase "Am Israel Chai" ("The People of Israel Live") as permanent signage within the Antenatal Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital introduces a politically and culturally charged message into a healthcare environment that serves an incredibly diverse population.

For many Jewish patients, this phrase may represent identity and resilience. However, for many Palestinian patients, as well as others deeply affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the broader Israel–Palestine conflict, the slogan has become associated with a deeply painful and divisive political context. Regardless of intent, its placement in a clinical setting risks making some patients feel excluded, distressed, or that the institution has taken a political stance.

Healthcare institutions have an ethical responsibility to remain welcoming to all patients. The focus in an antenatal unit should be on compassionate, impartial medical care—not messaging that can reasonably be perceived as endorsing one side of an ongoing geopolitical conflict.

This petition is not directed against Jewish people, Judaism, or Israeli patients. Every patient deserves dignity and respect. Likewise, Palestinian patients deserve to enter a hospital without encountering messaging that may heighten feelings of fear, grief, or alienation.

We respectfully call on Mount Sinai Hospital to:

Remove the "Am Israel Chai" signage from the Antenatal Unit.

Ensure patient-facing spaces remain politically and religiously neutral.

Reaffirm its commitment to providing an inclusive environment where every patient feels equally valued and safe.

A hospital's role is to heal. Its public spaces should reflect compassion, neutrality, and inclusivity for everyone who walks through its doors.