Yochai Damri
Mount Hebron Regional Council to assist Palestinian hero
After a Palestinian doctor was allegedly fired for treating Rabbi Michael Mark’s family after deadly terror attack, the Mount Hebron Regional Council head Yochai Damri calls for allocation of work permits; ‘The 2 Arabs protected them despite threats;’ Doctor; ‘I am no hero.’
The Mount Hebron Regional Council has come to the aid of a Palestinian doctor who was reportedly dismissed for attempting to save Rabbi Michael ‘Miki’ Mark’s
family in July.
Rabbi Mark was killed in July when a Palestinian terrorist sprayed his travelling vehicle with bullets as they were driving in Mount Hebron from Otniel. During the attack, Miki’s wife, Chava was seriously injured while two of his ten children, Pedayah (15) and Tehila (13) were also injured.
After the attack, the family was assisted by two Arabs prior to the arrival of Israeli medical teams and their actions arguably saved their lives.
“In this dark attack two Arab residents acted to help and rescue the family until the Israeli teams arrived. These actions were extremely important in preventing much more serious damage,” said Mount Hebron Regional Council head Yochai Damri during a tour by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked in south Mount Hebron.
Yochai Damri (Photo: Mount Hebron Regional Council)
“The first one arrived at the scene just seconds after the incident and started trying to force the doors open with a car jack to free the children and get them out. He also tried to unfasten the safety belt that was choking the mother,” said Damri.
“Afterward he protected the children in his car and made sure that no one hurt them or tried to kidnap them. He did this despite the fact that dozens of vehicles passed by, threatened him and demanded that he stop treating Jews. After a few minutes a doctor arrived who was also on his way to Jerusalem. He provided first aid to the wounded and continued on his way when the rescue teams arrived.”
“As a result of this he (the doctor) was fired from his job,” Damri claimed. “I met with him and he asked me to help him in removing the obstructions for his work license.”
Rabbi Michael 'Miki' Mark
Damri said that he wrote a letter this week to the defense minister asking for his help in providing work permits for the two heros. ”I met with them and I understand their difficulties but it is reasonable that in instances like these we are obligated, as the Jewish people, to express our gratitude to the people who behave like human beings as is expected from them in these instances.”
“Now, of all time, is the time to strengthen the positive elements and send a clear message that normal and positive conduct will be rewarded in kind,” he concluded.
The justice minister is expected to send a letter to the UN Secretary-General in order to exert pressure on the Palestinian Authority for firing the Palestinian doctor.
In an interview with Ynet, Dr. Ali Abu Shareh, the doctor who helped the family, said that he saw the overturned vehicle of the Mark family while he was driving with his brother and wife to Jerusalem to pray in the al-Aqsa mosque.
“I stopped and there was already a Palestinian man there with his wife who were trying to help the wounded,” he recalled. “The first thing that I saw was Tehila in a state of shock. I started speaking to her in English and she understood me. Then my brother started speaking to her in Hebrew and said to her, ‘Don’t be frightened. This is my brother who is a doctor and he wants to help you.’”
“I checked the children and realized that they were not seriously injured. Then I got to the mother and saw that she was choking because of the safety belt,” continued Dr. Shareh. “We unfastened the belt, removed her from the vehicle and started treating her. At this point the first ambulance arrived from the Red Crescent and a military jeep. I shouted to the soldier in English inside, ‘Call an Israeli ambulance urgently! Now! Now!’”
After a few minutes a Magen David Adom ambulance team arrived at the scene. Dr. Shareh explained to them that he was a doctor, that the woman had a pulse and had to be urgently evacuated to hospital.
“At the same time I shouted to the soldiers to move the jeep to make way for the ambulance so it could travel quickly. Thank God we got her out of there quickly. If we had got there later it could have ended very differently.”
Dr. Shareh emphasized that he does not feel like a hero but simply acted in the same way any doctor should be expected to act. “I did was was obligated of me,” he insisted. “It doesn’t matter to me whether we are talking about a Palestinian or a settler. My job is to save people because they are people.”
Moreover he asked that the message be sent to the children of Miki Mark: “I know that the blow to the family is a heavy one but I want them to know that I did all I could to help them.”
