Deputy Minister of Regional Cooperation Ayoub Kara departed for Washington and New York on Wednesday night 15 Cheshvan for a series of meetings to promote joint projects between Israel and the countries of the region and to discuss Syria and the refugee crisis.
During his visit, Deputy Minister Kara is expected to meet with congressmen and senators and representatives of the State Department, and hold discussions with humanitarian organizations and think tanks, including USAID, Center for American Progress, International Rescue Committee and the Council on Foreign Relations.
The Deputy Minister will attend is a special fundraising evening for ‘Save a Child’s Heart’. The organization works for the provision of life-saving heart treatment to children all over the world, including the Arab states and countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel. The children treated at Wolfson Hospital in Holon, where a center for children’s cardiology is currently being built in cooperation with the organization. The Ministry for Regional Development has supported ‘Save a Child’s Heart’ in recent years, in the belief that saving lives is a goal that has no borders and can serve as a bridge between Israel and the countries of the region.
While this is true, Israel sorely lacks hospital beds for citizens as well as dealing with a significant shortage of physicians and nurses. Nevertheless, terrorists and wounded from the Syrian civil war continue to receive treatment in Israeli hospitals, along with PA (Palestinian Authority) residents who prefer medical care in Israel over PA hospitals.
Deputy Minister Kara said before his departure: “As the humanitarian crisis is taking place in Syria, the impact of which is reverberating all over the world, I intend to discuss it and how to cope both with officials and with aid agencies. At the same time, I will present the important humanitarian contribution of Israel to the world, as is reflected in part by the important activities of ‘Save a Child’s Heart’, to save the lives of children even from enemy countries. This is the best way to show Israel’s moral path.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Mr Kara, a Druze and a member of a large family that has contributed to tepge defenseif Israel is a staunch Zionist that is trying to do good. He is simply aiming to expand a program that shows the humanitarian side of my country. Yes non jews from many nations are treated here often with with the taxpayer picking up the tab. Programs like this can only help bring sanity in a part of the world where common sense from all sides is sorely lacking. To blame such a program as a strain on the health system shows a lack of understanding of the area and a lack of empathy.
It is actually very clever manipulation of Israel’s enemies. Israel does not want to face a strong hostile entity on its northern border. ISIS is a real threat. By helping the various sides in the multi-sided Syrian War other than ISIS, Israel helps keep them united. The last thing Israel wants is for one side, especially ISIS, to win. Most of the refugees are opposed to both ISIS and Assad (who is the Iranian “side” in the war), so by helping the refugees, Israeli is undermining its worse enemies.
Perhaps humanitarian. Definitely clever.
The shortage has nothing to do with it. It is simply the result of a socialist system where doctors are paid nothing.