MDA night ambulance service in territories returns following outcry

Group representing Judea and Samaria communities appeals to Smotrich, Litzman

Magen David Adom announced late Monday the renewal of its services in several Judea and Samaria settlements that had suffered without the emergency medical organization’s ambulances for the previous two days.

MDA’s decision was made following a protest by the Yesha Council – the umbrella organization representing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria – and its appeal to MKs Bezalel Smotrich and Ya’acov Litzman, the former health minister, who said the budget to run the ambulances during the late shift would be supplied within three weeks.

MDA director-general Eli Bin said the serious step of not providing night ambulances was taken after two years of demands that the government and local councils finance the services. The council insisted that there was no substitute for MDA services in Judea and Samaria and demanded that the subject of the budget be arranged immediately in the Finance Committee.

“Unfortunately, despite the many requests on the subject, all the parties ignored the requests and shirked their commitments to finance the services,” Bin said. “Despite this scandalous behavior, and in light of the appeal of Knesset members and Yesha Council representatives, we decided to resume operating the ambulance points in Judea and Samaria for another three weeks, in the hope that this time the matter will be resolved.”

He added that, for the last two years, MDA has been forced to pay for its operating budget and salaries for service in the territories from donations collected in Israel and abroad, since those costs were not covered by the government.