[PHOTO LINK BELOW] The IDF rescue teams returning from Haiti were met with a hero’s welcome at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Thursday morning. Present were Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gabi Ashkenazi, who had words of praise for the officers and soldiers who took part in the two-week rescue effort.
The prime minister boasted that “those who know the IDF over the years are not surprised,” stating this is Israel’s way, to come to the rescue of those in need, crediting the team “with proving these abilities once again,” while “lifting the national spirit”.
The IDF commander hinted at the one-sided Goldstone Report, stating “there are those who seek to tarnish our name but your actions have proven otherwise”.
The team leader, Brigadier-General Shalom Ben-Aryeh reported that final numbers indicate 1,111 patients were treated in the field hospital. 16 infants were delivered and 317 life-saving surgical procedures were performed.
Also given a hero’s welcome was the ZAKA team.
YWN PHOTO LINK: Click on the following link for photos: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/photos.php?albumid=5431831920751652193
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
This is yet another sign of how much the world hates Isreal. There has been no praise from the US, or anyone else!! They were the first to set up makeshift hosiptals,Saved more lives than any other of the people there. Yet not a word. I’m surprised this doesnt anger more people.
They definitely set up the FIRST. But soon after many countries who brought over many more soldiers did loads of more work than Israel. That is why we only heard about Israel in the beginning. To say that they saved more lives than any of the other countries is wrong. By the 3d or 4th day, every country had hospitals set up.
READER SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL:
Dear YWN Editors,
I wanted to write to express my thanks. I read the site everyday and so often YWN is forced to run news of tragedies and cases of chilul hashem or machlokes in Am Yisrael.This morning when I logged on I was greeted by the article and photos of the returning Medical Corps and the Zaka volunteers from Haiti. These photos brought tears to my eyes. What a kiddush Hashem this story is. First off that Bnei Yisrael have the capability of saving lives and reaching out to help people even if they are not Jews or even tied to Am Yisrael , is a tremendous kiddush hashem both because of the ability that we have and the fact that the brave soldiers and zaka people went and did it. The other touching point is that when these heroes arrive back in Eretz Israel they are greeted as Heroes both Zionist Soldier and Chareidi volunteer. All of them, Jews, not divided but united in Kiddush Hashem.
Thank you for posting this
J.A.
They left way too soon. They should have stayed there for a month at least.