Israeli Doctors Treat Iraqi Patients

[question everything]

Source: AP

Israeli Doctors Treat Iraqi Patients

By JAMAL HALABY

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Israeli doctors screened 40 Iraqi children suffering from heart disease Tuesday — a rare case of direct cooperation between the Jewish state and the Arab country. The doctors said they hoped their work would help improve relations between the two Mideast nations and ease tensions between Israel and the rest of the Arab world.

(snip)

The Iraqi children and their parents gathered at an outpatient clinic in the Red Crescent Hospital in the Jordanian capital, Amman. Most of the families were Sunni Muslims of Kurdish origin who live in northern Iraq. Also among them were three Sunni families who live in Baghdad. Inside the clinic, some children were lying in beds, hooked to heart monitoring machines as doctors examined them. Children played with toys in a reception area and cut paper Valentine hearts.

One child screened Tuesday was 4-year-old Mustafa, who Houri said was diagnosed with crossed arteries and would need two surgeries in Israel soon to unfold them before they harden. Mustafa's mother, a Kurdish woman who identified herself only as Suzanne because she feared reprisals from militants in Iraq, said traveling to Israel made her "anxious. Not because I'm going to a country considered an enemy of Iraq, but because I'm afraid of retribution by Iraqi militants, by the terrorists back home."

(snip)

Abu Ahmed, 36, a taxi driver from the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, said his 12-year-old daughter, Basita, underwent a successful surgery in Israel last year. "The Israeli doctors, bless their hearts, stitched a notch in her heart," he said. "They told me today that she recovered completely, and I'm grateful to them and their country for helping us out." "They (Israelis) are not our enemies," he said. "They helped me a lot and didn't make me feel like they were enemies. Many Muslims have a wrong idea about Israelis."



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBtKihbPsuQi8GnxdSR49tS02fpQD8S5T8UO3

[rpannier]

1. One step at a time

Unfortunately, there are people out there who would target this guy to shut him up, or because they see him as a traitor in the great war against Israel. They would rather he let his girl die then allow her to be saved by a 'Jewish Doctor.'

I'm glad the surgery was successful.

[Chulanowa]

2. And there's plenty on the Israeli side who would do the same

That's the problem with hardheaded racist assholes. There seems to be a few in every group making it crap for everyone else.

Good news for the kids, though. And hopefully it does thaw things a bit.

[question everything]

3. There have been many similar stories

with Palestinian patients, children and adults. The medical personnel would say that they treat the sick people coming through the doors - regardless of their background. And, yes, on occasions they would include would be suicide bombers.