In the wake of last month’s rocket attacks and the sectarian riots that broke out throughout Israel, Magen David Adom senior paramedic and ambulance driver Malka Loc shared her story of treating a man whom rioters had attempted to kill amid the violence.
A brutal scene took place in Jerusalem when a large group of Palestinians tried to pull three Jews out of their vehicles and beat them. MDA crews arrived at the scene of the attack within two minutes of the initial report, while rioters continued to attack motorists.
“The truth is that it felt very unpleasant, and the situation was very explosive,” Malka said. “We locked windows and doors and drove to where police said it was relatively safe, but the whole area felt like a war scene.”
“We put the wounded in an MDA vehicle and started treating them,” she said. “The driver was very frightened, but he maintained his composure and he was determined not be evacuated [to the hospital]. He suffered a head injury…but insisted on staying in the area.
“The other two passengers were also injured. One suffered blows to the lower extremities and a cut on his face, and one temporarily lost sight because tear gas was sprayed on him. The two were terrified of the situation.
“While we were in the area, the violence continued, the stone-throwing, the onslaught of the rioters, everything burned,” she said.
“As soon as we went out to evacuate with the two wounded, there was a repeat attack of the same driver by the crowd. We left quickly because we knew the police were trying to secure the place, and that it was our window of opportunity to get out without getting hurt.
“In 2013, I joined the organization as a volunteer and several years ago joined as a fulltime staffer. I’m proud to say that despite the attack and danger in the area, my staff and I — and all MDA EMTs — provide equal treatment to Jews and Arabs,” she said.
This riot was considered a boiling point in last month’s Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Hamas announcing that it would fire rockets at Jerusalem to protest the events.
Malka, a mother of six, knew the chances of a barrage hitting the city while she was still on duty were high.
“We were supposed to end the shift a few minutes before 3, but it was extended because we needed to treat people wounded in the riots,” Malka said. “When Hamas carried out its threat and fired missiles at Jerusalem at 15:00 (3 p.m.), I was there. I immediately called my children and calmed them down. All six were home and I promised to get home as soon as possible to be with them. It was an unpleasant situation.”
