Palestinians Fighting Israeli Fires
This article displays a silver lining in the midst of a tragedy: Palestinian firefighters participated in the humanitarian effort to extinguish the fires in the Carmel region of Israel. (The firefighter’s admitted that their efforts were purely humanitarian and not indicative of any political statements, but one cannot help but feel moved and inspired by the cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians depicted here.) Beyond the article itself being a mark of true hope, the talkbacks at the bottom of this article- which are usually just spurts of extremism and skepticism- show that people are filled with hope and ready for peace.
Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel.
Palestinian firefighters help battle Carmel blaze
Head of Palestinian team says assistance is a ‘humanitarian gesture’ that has nothing to do with Israel-PA relations
Hassan Shaalan
Published:
12.05.10, 14:18 / Israel News
Twenty-one Palestinian firefighters arrived at the Mount Carmel region on Sunday to assist in its battle against the huge wildfire which has claimed the lives of 41 people.
"I’ve dreamed of visiting Haifa for a long time," Ibrahim Ayash, the head of the Palestinian rescue team told Ynet, "But unfortunately I came at a very sad time."
‘Humanitarian gesture.’ Palestinian firefighters in Israel (Photo: AFP)
The Palestinian firefighters entered Israel through the Salem crossing. They were accompanied by Civil Administration personnel. "We arrived in Haifa two hours ago, and we are supposed to help extinguish the fire that has spread in the Carmel Forest," Ayash said. "I consider our assistance a humanitarian gesture."
According to Ayash, the Palestinian people viewed the disaster with a great deal of sorrow.
He said the cooperation has nothing to do with the relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. "We came here to help without addressing the issue of Jews and Arabs," Ayash added. "We will stay in the Carmel region until the fire is put out."
The Palestinians joined hundreds of firefighters who have been battling the fire since it erupted on Thursday.
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