Palestinian family donates son's organs to save Israeli children

[Womble]

This is one of the reasons why I refuse to hate all Arabs or all Palestinians:

Shot boy’s organs donated

The organs of Ahmed Ismail Khatib, 13, the Palestinian boy shot Thursday by IDF soldiers in the West Bank town of Kabatiya near Jenin, will be donated to six Israelis.

Ahmed was shot after soldiers mistook his toy gun for a real one. Still, his parents decided to donate the organs “for the sake of peace between the two people.”

Meanwhile, the boy’s father said he was invited to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who offered to apologize for the killing, Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported.

According to the Palestinian report, Ismail Khatib said that “if this would serve the Palestinian problem and advance a just peace, I will meet with Sharon and bring him a message of peace.”

Ahmed's heart has been transplanted Sunday into the body of a 12-year-old girl at the Schneider hospital in Petah Tikva. His liver was donated to a six-month old baby and a 66-year-old woman at the Beilinson hospital in town.

Ahmed's lungs will be donated to a 14-year-old Cystic Fibrosis patient, and his kidneys to a five-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl.

Chairman of the ADI foundation for the promotion of transplants and organ donation in Israel, Gad Ben-Dror informed Ahmed's parents that Adi intends to grant them NIS 10,000 for their "exceptional deed."

Grants for donors

Israel currently has no law that regulates the issue of granting money to organ donors, although a bill on the matter has been in discussion for over a year.

Members of ADI have been working to advance the bill's approval. For the tme being, the group funds grants to donors' families.

"Because of the complexity of the situation, we decided to contribute money to the Khatib family, although they did not carry our donor card. The whole of society benefits from organ donations, and we have a moral obligation to express significant gratitude, which can also take the shape of a financial contribution," Ben-Dror said.

Ben-Dror said he spoke with Ahmed's uncle, Mustafa Makhamid Sunday afternoon, to inform him of the grant.

"I thanked the family for their donation, and he said they did not do it for the money. I told him it was obvious, because they did not know of the contribution beforehand," he concluded.

Rising above their personal grief and political convictions to save six lives of people whom their society teaches them to hate... Amazing. And admirable.

I think I may try to write a letter of support and gratitude to the Khatib family, if I figure out how to make it reach them.

[sharonbn]

Its a great human story. The stuff holywood movies are created from.
Its good to know there are good people on both sides of this bloody conflict.

[ygalg1]

Did you see the news today about Palestinian children carrying toy guns and wear uniform?

[KettleWhistle]

This is one of the reasons why I refuse to hate all Arabs or all Palestinians:

Why would you hate any of them? Love your people first and foremost and above all others. What we do in this conflict ought to be done only out of love for our people and our native land, not out of hatred or fear.

[Ophra]

Good for you for posting this story Womble .... I was too scared to

Heart warming.

BTW there was something similar a few years back... a Scottish Orthodox family from Glasgow whoes son lost his life during one of the bomb attacks on a bus ... he was a medical student and carried a donor card.
His organs saved a Palestinian child and his family went to vist their village and later made a documentary on how the whole episode changed their views towards the conflict.

Makes a change from all the Muslim hate on here .

[Ophra]

Why would you hate any of them? Love your people first and foremost and above all others. What we do in this conflict ought to be done only out of love for our people and our native land, not out of hatred or fear.

Yeah yeah .... like desecrating the memorial of one of "your people" .... give me a break

[SteveK]

Good for you for posting this story Womble .... I was too scared to

Heart warming.

BTW there was something similar a few years back... a Scottish Orthodox family from Glasgow whoes son lost his life during one of the bomb attacks on a bus ... he was a medical student and carried a donor card.
His organs saved a Palestinian child and his family went to vist their village and later made a documentary on how the whole episode changed their views towards the conflict.

Makes a change from all the Muslim hate on here .

Ophra,

Do you also carry a donor card?

[Ophra]

Ophra,

Do you also carry a donor card?

Yes I do Steve ..... but it's marked " only for secular use "
(j/k)

[SteveK]

Yes I do Steve ..... but it's marked " only for secular use "
(j/k)

Ophra,

Then, you won't be able to live on in the body of a Muslim.

[KettleWhistle]

Yeah yeah .... like desecrating the memorial of one of "your people" .... give me a break

No, not one of "my people." A traitor to my people, who's no different from Nazi collaborators.

[Ophra]

Ophra,

Then, you won't be able to live on in the body of a Muslim.

There is no afterlife Steve..... but thanks for thinking about me anyhow

[Ophra]

No, not one of "my people." A traitor to my people, who's no different from Nazi collaborators.

Welp KW that counts out at least 70% of the Israeli public that you don't need to love then .... guess we can thank the Lord for small mercies

[AraV]

No, not one of "my people." A traitor to my people, who's no different from Nazi collaborators.

You are right, not an ordinary one of your people a Hero of your people.

Rabin was a noble peace maker, you are a war mongering thug.

[KettleWhistle]

Welp KW that counts out at least 70% of the Israeli public that you don't need to love then .... guess we can thank the Lord for small mercies

Dear, 70% of the Jewish people are not like the Nazi Jewish police. Rabin, Gush Shoalom, Peres, and Beilin are. And I have no reservation about spitting on the graves of any of these modern-day Nazi collaborators.

[KettleWhistle]

Rabin was a noble peace maker

Yeah, sure. He helped these friends of his (a.k.a. his peace partners) murder over a thousand Jews: http://img85.exs.cx/img85/6749/palestinians.jpg