AJC: Israeli Army's Humanitarianism Helps Wounded Syrians

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Mar 28, 2013, 03:01 ET

NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC praised Israel for providing urgent medical care to Syrians wounded in their country's civil war. More than a dozen Syrians were allowed to cross into Israel on the Golan Heights for treatment at an Israeli hospital. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), according to Israeli media, is planning to set up a field hospital near the border in anticipation of treating more Syrians.

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"The humanitarian core of the IDF often comes to the fore in times of tragedy," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "That Israelis generously assist Syrians who had nowhere else to turn for medical treatment is a noble, and typical, attribute, one that we witnessed at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, where many Palestinians from Gaza have gone for care. The Hippocratic oath trumps politics."

In addition, an Israeli non-profit organization, Save A Child's Heart, performs heart surgery on young children from around the world, including from the Palestinian territories and Arab countries, who are brought to Israel for the life-saving procedures.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee