Donating organs of their loved ones, Arabs, Jews forge bonds amid fierce conflict
JERUSALEM: As Israel struggles to restore peace within its boundaries after being jolted by its worst communal riots in decades, the country saw citizens upholding humanity and promoting coexistence. Bereaved families extended hands of friendship, donating vital organs of their loved ones killed in the violence to save lives of members belonging to the other community.
An Israeli Arab woman from Jerusalem underwent a kidney transplant last week with the organ coming from a Jewish man who was killed during the recent riots in the mixed Jewish-arab city of Lod, Ha’aretz newspaper reported.
Randa Aweis, 58-year-old Jerusalem resident and a mother of five, received the kidney of Yigal Yehoshua, 56, in an operation performed at Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Hospital after waiting for seven years on the transplant list and battling a kidney disease for nearly a decade, the report said.
“He was a man of charity,” Yehoshua’s brother Efi told Fox News adding, “Just because he had such a big heart, we said we will donate his organs. We have been honoured to do so. They will live because of him”.
Yehoshua, a resident of Lod the city worst affected by the recent communal violence, died on May 17 after his car was pelted by stones during riots sparked by the death of an Arab youngster Moussa Hassouna, who was shot during clashes between Arabs and Jews on May 11.
In yet another similar gesture, organs belonging to 17-year old Mohammed Kiwan, a resident of Umm al-fahm who was killed last week, were donated to six people, including five Jews.
“Every human being has his dignity. We respect all people. Both Arabs and Jews,” Kiwan’s father Mahmoud told Walla news website.
Kiwan’s mother was grieving but also “rejoicing that his organs saved the lives of six people,” his uncle told the news portal.
“She is even glad that five of them are Jews. That already says it all. We are a family that believes in coexistence and we wanted to save lives regardless of religion, race and gender,” he said.
Kiwan was brought to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa last week with bullet wounds to the head. It was not clear, as per the report, as to how he got shot and the police were still investigating the case. It is possible that he was shot in police firing.
While violence raged and even after it has subsided, many people from both the communities have been seen extending gestures of friendship and coexistence across the country as it struggles to find peace within its territory.