MDA israel

Israeli ambassador Alon Bar, Mohammed Al-Hadid, President of the Red Crescent of Jordan, the leaders of MDA Israel and the UK, along with 160 guests attended the event that marked the common commitment to life.

An evening dedicated to peace, friendship and solidarity, to carry out the most important mission that can be entrusted to humanity: saving lives. This is how the event organized by the Friends of Magen David Adom Italia ETS Association on 20 September at the Sheraton San Siro Hotel in Milan can be summarized. The occasion for the meeting was the ten years of the Association born exactly on 19 September 2012 in Milan, in order to support the relief organization of the State of Israel.

A success: over 160 guests and many international personalities made the evening memorable. Two in particular: the Ambassador-designate of Israel in Italy H.E. Alon Bar, in one of his first official outings, and Mohammed Al-Hadid, President of the Jordanian Red Crescent, a man who has always fought for the cooperation of relief organizations in the Middle East.

The evening was presented by famous Italian actress Matilde Gioli, a touch of charm and professionalism with a particular link to the themes of the meeting. "I feel close to this world, for some years I have also been a doctor - he joked recalling the character he plays in a successful TV series, but he also listed the impressive numbers of MDA in 2021 and the consequent Italian commitment - in Israel MDA has responded to 1,259,464 emergencies, treated almost 700,000 patients, collected about 270,000 units of plasma. In these 10 years, the Friends of MDA Italia have contributed to sending rescue vehicles and equipment to Israel, they have participated in the construction of the new Marcus National Blood Services Center, of the new MDA operational headquarters in Gan Yavne, installed AED defibrillators in the most frequented sites of Italian Judaism and organized training courses and opportunities for sharing experiences and discussions between paramedics of the MDA and rescuers of our territory on protocols in case of maxi emergencies ".

After a greeting from the Chief Rabbi of Milan, Alfonso Arbib, the birthday of AMDA Italia began with the moving words of the President and founder of the Association, Sami Sisa: "These have been 10 very long years in which we have supported Magen David Adom in Israel, but also the first steps of a magnificent adventure, in a world that has seen unimaginable changes. Exciting and difficult years, where our association has never lost sight of its goal: to make known in Italy that magnificent reality that is Magen David Adom. But among all that we have accomplished, the most valuable asset does not have a plaque or a dedication: it is friendship ".

His words were followed by those of Ambassador Alon Bar, who recalled MDA's commitment in Israel and in the world "only possible thanks to the support of people like you" and how this evening is destined to consolidate the bridge of friendship between Italy and Israel.

And a significant delegation of MDA arrived from Israel which in the morning was also engaged in the Course on the management of mass incidents which took place successfully in the Sala Segre of the Jewish Community in Milan. The delegation was led by Yonatan Yagodovsky, Director, Fundraising & International Relations MDA. “You are a cause of happiness for me, the fact of being supported by you is absolutely important for our daily work. I am really lucky that Sami has taken on the task of re-establishing the organization here by spreading our values ​​and our ideas ", he declared before giving the President of the Italian Association a beautiful model of ambulance.

It was then the turn of Felix Lotan and Giada Hachmoun Baum, paramedics and trainers of MDA, who brought their testimony on the daily work of the Organization. Felix in particular on operations involving MDA in the event of natural disasters. Jade on the path that took her from Rome to become a paramedic in Israel.

A promise, a peace speech and a commitment to donate

Daniel Burger, Chief Executive of MDA UK, introduced the guest of honor, but not before an important announcement: "MDA Italy has done a great job. Our President Sir Russell Jacobs has promised that whatever money is raised this evening will be doubled by our British organization ”.

All focused-on peace and collaboration, Dr. Al Hadid "Your work here in Italy has been brilliant and Matilde Gioli has truly become our colleague since this evening - she started jokingly, before remembering how her work in the Red Crescent and then in the Red Cross Internationally involved him more and more. "It creates an addiction; you can no longer stop when you work for this cause".

A cause that has to do with peace and humanitarian culture. “You know what happens in the Middle East, where we live: it is the cradle of three religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. One would think this is an incentive to live in peace, yet we continue to look at each other with suspicion. What we must do instead is to create a culture of mutual respect, a culture of life that unites two peoples traumatized by so many years of mistrust. We are committed to leaving our children and grandchildren the hope of better years and if we manage to bring peace between us, it will only be a matter of time and the other countries will follow ".

"I was a student in England in the 70s - continued Al Hadid - I was seeing on TV a meeting of Mohamed Ali, together with my friend Ben who was Israeli, another student came in and started shouting that we could not be together if our countries were enemies. For me it was inconceivable, Ben and I had been friends for a long time ... This teaches us that you have to know people before you can judge, because when you do it, respect and understanding comes. As long as we ignore each other we are more likely to consider the other as an enemy. Knowledge must be a bridge to obtain peace in the Middle East ”.

Finally, he recalled how the friendship relations between the Red Crescent and MDA were built and how this brought the Organization within the International Red Cross. "It was 1997 and in Jordan there was a slight earthquake, I considered how we were in the center of a large seismic area and so why not do something together with our neighbors? After all, we were all in the same boat. It took some time to convince the Israeli government, but eventually we began to jointly exercise and collaborate more and more closely. Since 1948, that is, since the International Red Cross Committee met in International Conferences, the motion for the entry of MDA into the Committee has always been on the table in Geneva, a motion voted only by Israel and the US. In 2003 I began to commit myself to that cause, my colleagues were worried: they thought that Palestinians and Israelis would never meet and instead it was easy. We immediately made it clear that we would never talk about wrong or right, but only about the humanitarian reasons that had brought us there. And indeed in 2006, under my Presidency of the Commission, Magen David Adom and the Palestinian Red Crescent were fully admitted. Beyond any division we are all human beings and we must always remember this ”.

The evening also had an important charitable purpose, launching the campaign for the purchase of a "First Response Vehicle": a medical car intended to help Magen David Adom's work by saving lives in Israel. The appeal to donate conducted by Roberto Cohen concluded the event in a participatory and moving way.