The MDA ambulances that helped establish the Medical Corps, the Haganah fighters who volunteered in MDA, the medics who dealt with the chemical threat from Iraq and, other fascinating secrets that reveal how much Magen David Adom influenced the strength and resilience of the country, from its inception until today. A special feature article.
Magen David Adom is the common thread in the country’s founding moments and was even responsible for some of its greatest moments. The organization, which will celebrate 93 years this June, was at the heart of the struggle for the establishment of the State and has been part of its challenges and successes ever since. Here are moments worth knowing about:
Immediately after the end of World War II and as soon as the extent of the disaster became clear, MDA sent medical equipment, food, and clothing to the survivors of the Holocaust, and its volunteers went on expeditions to Europe with the aim of bringing back survivors to Israel.
MDA volunteers helped hundreds of illegal immigrant refugees (ma’apilim) enter Israel under the noses of the British, risking their lives. The volunteers hid in trenches along Israel’s coast, watching for refugees and helping them slip in. When the refugees finally set foot on Israeli soil, the volunteers provided them with medical aid for injuries and illnesses that they picked up during their journey.
Many of the Haganah, Lehi, Etzel, and Palmach volunteers were actually MDA volunteers. Moreover, the organization trained the fighters in first aid so that they could provide lifesaving medical assistance to those wounded in the struggle for the establishment of the State.
Magen David Adom helped establish the Medical Corps by donating to the IDF 50 ambulances, which were the first in the military system. The ambulances, which originally came to MDA via a donation from a supporters’ association in the U.S., created a cycle of giving that enabled the establishment of the military and civilian corps.
In the first Gulf War, Israel faced the threat of chemical missiles. At MDA, they said “at your service” and went into the field to save lives, realizing the magnitude of the task. Many of them left families behind who did not know if they would get to see their loved ones return from the shift alive.
The stories about the courage of MDA employees and volunteers in the first and second intifadas, in wars and military operations, in national disasters and also as representatives of the state in humanitarian missions overseas, are too numerous to mention, and the legacy of saving lives and helping others is also reflected in the current challenges that Israel faces, including the coronavirus, missiles from the north and south, terrorist attacks and more.
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