Israel
Israel’s Magen David Adom world’s most efficient ambulance service
By MYRON LOVE
Daniel Amzallag always had a fascination with all things medical, but his path was laid out for him when Magen David Adom came to his high school in Kfar Saba to do a presentation.
“I immediately signed up with Magen David Adom (Israel’s combination emergency responders and blood Services providers) for a first aid and CPR course and was hooked,” recalled Amzallag, the now Toronto-based Canadian Magen David Adom (CMDA) national media and volunteer co-ordinator, who was in Winnipeg on Wednesday, November 1, to introduce Winnipeggers to the work of MDA at a presentation at the Berney Theatre.
Amzallag’s first opportunity to put his new training to use came much sooner than he might have expected. He recalled that immediately after passing the MDA courses, he and a friend were at a local mall when a terrorist blew himself up at the mall entrance, killing the security guard and a teenager and injuring more than 50. Although injured himself, he rushed to the scene of the explosion to offer what help he could.
“The nearest MDA centre was just minutes away,” he said. “It seemed to take forever for the first ambulances to arrive but in reality it was just two to three minutes. Within 15 minutes, all of the wounded were in ambulances on the way to hospitals. I was the last to be evacuated and was released from hospital shortly after.
“Within two to three days, I signed up for the MDA’s First Responder course. The medic who treated me at the explosion became my partner and the ambulance in which I was taken to hospital became the ambulance I drove.”
Amzallag noted that Israel’s 75-year-old MDA is the world’s most efficient medical service when it comes to responding to serious situations. “In Israel,” he reported, “it takes the first First Responder less than a minute on average to reach the scene of a critical incident with an ambulance arriving within eight minutes. In Canada, the average wait time is 32 minutes.”
The MDA, he noted, has about 2,000 full time employees and 15,000 volunteers who commit to one or two shifts a week in addition to their regular jobs. In the case of critical incidents, all volunteers are potentially on call.
The organization also has at its disposal 900 ambulances (three of which were donated by the Winnipeg chapter of the CMDA) and several hundred scooters (two of which have been contributed by the Winnipeg CMDA) to allow first responders to get to critical scenes quickly in cases where traffic may be heavy.
Perhaps surprisingly to some readers, terrorist attacks only account for a small percentage (about 10%) of such critical incidents, he noted. Most such incidents are the result of traffic accidents.
And it was surprising how Amzallag defined mass casualty incidents. It isn’t the number of deaths and injuries that cause a situation to be labeled a mass casualty incident, but rather whether or not there are enough ambulances, supplies and medical personnel to handle the situation.
There have been only three situations that qualified as mass casualty incidents in his experience. One was the collapse of a banquet hall dance floor that resulted in 100 injuries. The other two were accidents involving trains.
The big one, he noted, would be a major earthquake. A major earthquake strikes the region every hundred years or so, he reported. The last major quake was in 1917.
“We expect that a major earthquake could damage up to 70% of Israel’s infrastructure,” he said. “Our hospitals are prepared to treat up to half a million casualties.”
To provide additional support for situations –such as a war or earthquake that may strain Israel’s medical response capability, Amzallag noted, the MDA introduced a program a couple of years ago which recruits doctors in other countries (France and Canada, so far) who are willing to come to Israel to help to be trained in MDA procedures.
Amzallag provided an overview of how assignments are divided up in incidents where there are a number of dead and injured. The first responder, rather than immediately treating the injured, becomes instead the co-ordinator directing responders who arrive later where to go and which of the injured need to receive priority attention.
This chain of command structure was implemented in response a 1990 terrorist incident on a bus winding its way down the highway leading from Jerusalem. The terrorist forced the bus off the road down the mountain. As this was before the advent of cell phones, the call came from a motorist who witnessed the incident. The first two MDA personnel who arrived on the scene looked down, saw 60-70 people below in distress and went down to help – leaving the MDA dispatcher in the dark. The second pair of responders did the same. It was only the third pair on the scene that thought to contact the dispatcher to report on the situation.
Amzallag also pointed out that even though all MDA personnel are trained in CPR, they are not allowed to perform CPR where there are a lot of injured. The priority is first to help those who will benefit from quick treatment rather than those who may be dying.
Amzallag’s most traumatic event, as was noted before, was early in his MDA work when he was among the first at the scene of a terrorist bombing. The first person he saw was a teenage girl on the ground. “My first impulse was to perform CPR,” he recalled. “I knelt and checked her pulse. Although her eyes were open, she had no pulse. Then I noticed another dozen people laying around. I left the girl to treat other people.
“The next day, I went to one of the hospitals to visit two of the people I had treated. As I was leaving, a man in a wheelchair came up to me and said that he forgave me and that he understood. He was the father of the teenager and had seen me leave her to help others. That was the hardest decision that I have ever had to make and his words broke me up. I went back every day while he was in hospital to see him and every day he would tell me that he wasn’t mad at me and that he forgave me.”
It is not only in Israel that the Magen David Adom saves lives and trains people in first aid and CPR, Amzallag noted. MDA goes into action worldwide wherever disaster strikes. Whether it’s an earthquake in Haiti or Turkey or major flooding in Houston or Puerto Rico, the MDA is among the first on the scene.
The MDA also trains first responders in a number of countries.
“It’s a great feeling not only to be able to save lives but also to teach others to save lives too,” Amzallag concluded.
If you would like to donate to Canadian Magen David Adom, go to https://www.cmdai.org
Features
New website for Israelis interested in moving to Canada
By BERNIE BELLAN (May 21, 2024) A new website, titled “Orvrim to Canada” (https://www.ovrimtocanada.com/ovrim-en) has been receiving hundreds of thousands of visits, according to Michal Harel, operator of the website.
In an email sent to jewishpostandnews.ca Michal explained the reasons for her having started the website:
“In response to the October 7th events, a group of friends and I, all Israeli-Canadian immigrants, came together to launch a new website supporting Israelis relocating to Canada. “Our website, https://www.ovrimtocanada.com/, offers a comprehensive platform featuring:
- Step-by-step guides for starting the immigration process
- Settlement support and guidance
- Community connections and networking opportunities
- Business relocation assistance and expert advice
- Personal blog sharing immigrants’ experiences and insights
“With over 200,000 visitors and media coverage from prominent Israeli TV channels and newspapers, our website has already made a significant impact in many lives.”
A quick look at the website shows that it contains a wealth of information, almost all in Hebrew, but with an English version that gives an overview of what the website is all about.
The English version also contains a link to a Jerusalem Post story, published this past February, titled “Tired of war? Canada grants multi-year visas to Israelis” (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-787914#google_vignette) That story not only explains the requirements involved for anyone interested in moving to Canada from Israel, it gives a detailed breakdown of the costs one should expect to encounter.
(Updated May 28)
We contacted Ms. Harel to ask whether she’s aware whether there has been an increase in the number of Israelis deciding to emigrate from Israel since October 7. (We want to make clear that we’re not advocating for Israelis to emigrate; we’re simply wanting to learn more about emigration figures – and whether there has been a change in the number of Israelis wanting to leave the country.)
Ms. Harel referred us to a website titled “Globes”: https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001471862
The website is in Hebrew, but we were able to translate it into English. There is a graph on the website showing both numbers of immigrants to Israel and emigrants.
The graph shows a fairly steady rate of emigration from 2015-2022, hovering in the 40,000 range, then in 2023 there’s a sudden increase in the number of emigrants to 60,000.
According to the website, the increase in emigrants is due more to a change in the methodology that Israel has been using to count immigrants and emigrants than it is to any sudden upsurge in emigration. (Apparently individuals who had formerly been living in Israel but who may have returned to Israel just once a year were being counted as having immigrated back to Israel. Now that they are no longer being counted as immigrants and instead are being treated as emigrants, the numbers have shifted radically.)
Yet, the website adds this warning: “The figures do not take into account the effects of the war, since it is still not possible to identify those who chose to emigrate following it. It is also difficult to estimate what Yalad Yom will produce – on the one hand, anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews and Israelis around the world reminds everyone where the Jewish home is. On the other hand, the bitter truth we discovered in October is that it was precisely in Israel, the safe fortress of the Jewish people, that a massacre took place reminding us of the horrors of the Holocaust. And if that’s not enough, the explosive social atmosphere and the difference in the state budget deficit, which will inevitably lead to a heavy burden of taxes and a reduction in public services, may convince Zionist Israelis that they don’t belong here.”
Thus, as much as many of us would be disappointed to learn that there is now an upsurge in Israelis wanting to move out of the country, once reliable figures begin to be produced for 2024, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that is the case – which helps to explain the tremendous popularity of Ms. Harel’s website.
Features
Message from a Palestinian in Gaza to protesters: “You’re hurting the Palestinian cause”
A very brave Palestinian who was willing to put his name to paper and write an article for Newsweek Magazine has exposed the utter hypocrisy of all those students – and others, who have been setting up encampments across the U.S. – and now Canada, too.
You can read the article at https://www.newsweek.com/message-gazan-campus-protesters-youre-hurting-palestinian-cause-opinion-1894313
Features
The Most Expensive Israeli Soccer Transfers
Even if Israel isn’t known as a world soccer power, it has produced plenty of talented players who have made a living in top European leagues. On more than one occasion, an Israeli international has commanded a rather large transfer fee. But who are the most expensive players in Israel’s history? The answer could be a little surprising. We took a look back to find the most expensive Israeli soccer transfers of all time.
Tai Baribo
In 2023, Baribo made the move to MLS, signing with the Philadelphia Union. The reported fee was around $1.5 million, which is one of the highest transfer fees the Union has ever paid for a player.
Omer Atzili
Throughout his career, Atzili has played for a variety of clubs, including stops in Spain and Greece. In 2023, he joined Al Ain in the UAE for a transfer fee of $2.1 million.
Maor Buzaglo
Now retired, Buzaglo was briefly the holder of the richest transfer deal for an Israeli player. After a couple of successful seasons on loan, Maccabi Tel Aviv paid $2.7 million to rival Maccabi Haifa for Buzaglo in 2008.
Dia Saba
Saba made history in 2020 when he joined Al-Nasr, making him the first Israeli player to play for a club in the UAE. At the time, it was a big deal for relations between the two countries. Al-Nasr also paid an impressive $2.9 million transfer fee for the midfielder.
Tal Ben Haim
On multiple occasions, Ben Haim has been sold for more than $1 million. First, there was his move from Hapoel Tel Aviv to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023 for close to $1.2 million. A few years later, Sparta Prague came calling for him, spending $3.1 million as a transfer fee for the winger.
Itay Shechter
During the prime of his career, Shechter was the type of player who warranted a seven-figure transfer fee. German club Kaiserslautern paid a little over $2.6 million in 2011 to bring Shechter to the Bundesliga from Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Daniel Peretz
When Peretz was sold to Bayern Munich, it wasn’t the most expensive deal involving an Israeli player, although it was arguably the most important. He became the first Israeli Jew to play at Bayern, which is one of the biggest clubs in the world. The transfer fee for Peretz paid by Bayern Munich to Maccabi Tel Aviv was around $5.4 million.
Oscar Gloukh
Gloukh is one of the best young Israeli players right now. He already has three international goals in a dozen appearances to his name. Somehow, Gloukh is already one of the most expensive players in Israel’s history. After coming up with Maccabi Tel Aviv, he moved to Austrian giant Red Bull Salzburg in 2023 for a transfer fee of close to $7.5 million. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him top that number one day.
Liel Abada
Abada has been a part of two huge transfer deals in his young career. In 2021, Scottish club Celtic paid $4.8 million to acquire him from Maccabi Petah Tikva. However, that number was topped in 2024 when Charlotte FC of MLS paid a fee of $8 million for Abada.
With Charlotte FC, Abada competes in North America’s top league, facing teams from both Mexico and Canada. Throughout North America, sports betting has taken off in recent years. That includes betting in Canada, where there is a large collection of trusted sports betting platforms.
Eran Zahavi
To date, Zahavi holds the record for the most expensive transfer fee paid for an Israeli player. It’s fitting for Israel’s former captain and all-time leading scorer. In 2016, Chinese club Guangzhou City paid $12.5 million to get Zahavi from Maccabi Tel Aviv. That record was nearly broken later that year when another Chinese club offered $20 million for Zahavi, who turned it down and stayed with Guangzhou City.