Read this and ponder it on the eve of our Day of Atonement, the day where we think about who we are, what we’ve done, and how we can improve ourselves for the next year.
A 12-year-old Iranian boy suffering from brain cancer is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Friday for emergency surgery.
The boy, who already underwent surgery in Tehran, was later admitted to a Turkish hospital, but his Ankara physicians soon discovered their facility lacked the technological and medical expertise needed to properly treat him.
[…] The complex feat required a personal ex-gratia authorization from Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit, since the boy is Iranian and citizens of an enemy state are banned from entering Israel.
Sheetrit granted the request and forwarded it for the immediate review of the Shin Bet, ordering expedited proceeding be taken due to the boy’s grave medical condition. The Shin Bet granted the request, saying the boy and his parents could stay in Israel – for two weeks at this point.
“We are the light upon the nations, and when a child’s life is at stake religion and origin play no part,” said Minister Sheetrit. “If we can help, we are more than willing to do so.
We do it because we have to. We were tasked with this job thousands of years ago.
This is the kind of Jew I strive to be. I fall short a lot of the time, but I’ll keep working at it.
And this is just one of the many reasons why I consider Israel to be a great country.
Thanks for that story, Meryl.
But the key question is, will Iran allow the boy and his family back into the country after he has been ‘tainted’ by their stay in Isreal.