Israel’s Magen David Adom is expanding to help more Arabs. Israeli MDA ambulance. Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock
What do the Netherlands, Israeli Jews, and Arabs have in common? Well one thing for sure is the new Magen David Adom (MDA) medical station in the Israeli Arab town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye. The center, designed to provide quick emergency medical care to the 35,000 inhabitants of the town and the region around it, was donated by the Netherlands Friends of MDA. The MDA is Israel’s emergency medical organization, providing ambulance, paramedic, and blood donation services. In addition to life-saving care, the MDA said via press release that the Baqa al-Gharbiyye center will also be involved in teaching first aid in schools.
The Mayor of the Arab town, Mursi Abu Much, was quoted in the press release as thanking the MDA for the new facility. “The message here is that Muslims, Jews and Christians can do great things in this world,” said Abu Much. “Today is living proof that we are uniting in order to do good despite what is happening in the world.”
Israel has a long provided medical care for Arabs, both those with Israeli citizenship and those without, even including care for Palestinians from Gaza during conflict with the Gaza rulers, Hamas.
The MDA informed the Netherlands Friends of MDA of the need for the new center in Baqa al-Gharbiyye, which is located in the northwesetern region of Israel. The MDA press release explained that the location is strategically located in a junction of two highways, which was done “in order to make emergency medical care accessible to all residents of the area in the shortest arrival time.”
The Netherlands were proud of their people’s aid in building the new MDA center, with their Ambassador to Israel, He Gilles Beschoor Plug, attending the opening ceremony for the center.
“Magen David Adom is about saving lives regardless of background, religion or culture,” said the Dutch ambassador in the MDA press release. “I see great importance in the close relationship of the people of Netherlands and the people of Israel.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, November 14, 2016)