Israeli journalist and right-wing activist Arnon Segal responded on Sunday to criticism of his decision to donate one of his kidneys exclusively to a Jewish recipient and dismissed the accusations, claiming that the media was exploiting the situation for ratings.
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"It is my people, my community. It's a bit exploitative to use this event, which is a beautiful act in itself, to stir public furor," Segal told Ynet in an interview.
"I believe it was important to emphasize the fact that I agreed to donate a kidney to someone I don't know, without any consideration for their political or cultural affiliation."
It seems like something that tarnishes this otherwise beautiful act of yours.
"I didn't come here to educate anyone, so don't educate me. If someone in your family needed a kidney donation, God forbid, no one would expect you to donate your kidney to another person. So, I am expanding the family circle a bit. My people are the community I identify with, to whom I feel committed. Just as no one expects you to donate money to a cause you don't sympathize with, let alone when it comes to an organ from your own body. Charity begins at home."
"How audacious is it for someone who hasn't done it themselves to preach to those who were willing to put themselves, their families and their immediate surroundings through a challenging process? The one who willingly, in the middle of life, decides to bring everything to a halt in order to provide a significant donation to a complete stranger – that is what should be highlighted, not all these peripheral issues whose emphasis is meant to fuel fires in very challenging times.
After going through what I've been through, I shouldn't have to face questions that scrutinize the purity of my intentions. The significance of the act lies in its existence itself. Beyond that, it's petty and has no place here. Everyone should ask themselves whom they are willing to donate a kidney to.
Last Thursday, Segal spoke for the first time with the kidney recipient. “The person in whose body my kidney resides, it turns out he has endured seven years of suffering in dialysis, living a life that is not really life. Imagine if they were to say, 'No, Arnon Segal is not allowed to donate his kidney to whoever he wants, but only to those we decide.' Will kidney donations, in which Israel excels worldwide, continue like this? It's not advisable to put it to the test."
Do you know about reverse cases, where an Arab conditioned a donation to only go to an Arab?
"From my recent acquaintance with what is happening in the amazing Department of Organ Transplantation at [Rabin Medical Center], donations in the Arab sector, even within families, are unfortunately negligent, even altruistic ones."