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Yesh Atid Chairman MK Yair Lapid visited the Zaka headquarters on Yaffo Street in the capital on Wednesday, 11 Teves. He met with Zaka Chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav and volunteers. Meshi-Zahav briefed MK Lapid on the activities of the volunteer organization, specifically against the background of the ongoing terror attacks and spoke about the many challenges that the volunteers face at this time.

Lapid stated “I have wanted to visit Zaka for some time now, especially so that I could express my gratitude for your work. The expression ‘holy work’ characterizes what you do. The fact that every Israeli citizen knows that, at the time of his death, he will not be forgotten or abandoned, but rather there will be someone to care for him and his family – knowing that is what gives us all strength.”

Lapid also referred to the fact that Zaka has a role in uniting the Jewish people: “You are a model for coexistence. This is how the country should be run. Living together in coexistence is about every person doing what he can for the other – we are obligated to each other, I want to help you and you want to help me. I take my hat off to you. I am very moved to be here.”

Speaking about the current wave of terror, Lapid noted that “the stabbing intifada is not going to go away soon and the Israeli public must prove their steadfastness. And you, the Zaka volunteers, are part of this steadfastness against the will of an enemy that wants to murder us.”

Meshi-Zahav told Lapid “It is very important that you should meet those Zaka volunteers who every day run towards those places that others naturally tend to run away from. They shoulder the burden on a daily basis and give of their time and energy for the benefit of all, regardless of religion, race or creed. It is important that you hear, first-hand, how the volunteers deal with this situation and how much they do and contribute to the wider society, all from a sense of mission, faith and caring for others.”

“There are two meanings for the acronym Zaka”, continued Meshi-Zahav. “The first is Identification of Victims of Tragedy (זיהוי קורבנות אסון )and that is the work for which thousands of Zaka volunteers, in Israel and around the world, are best-known. But there is another meaning that I have adopted: “Bringing People Together, (זה קירוב אחים) . Zaka is an organization that acts as a bridge between different sectors of the Jewish population, the Israeli public and even the wider world. We have thousands of volunteers who have done National Service and we are proud of that contribution.”

Meshi went on to explain that, beyond the terror headlines, Zaka volunteers work day in day out with other tragedies, including an average of 30 incidents a week and some 500 suicides and 350 fatalities on the road every year.

It was only a couple of hours after this meeting that those same volunteers were back on the streets of Jerusalem, tending to the injured at the stabbing attack at Shar Yaffo.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Photos: Mendy Hechtman)