RAMLE, Israel – At a time when Israel continues to face both terrorism and the losses of war, Christians and Jews are joining hands in an extraordinary show of solidarity. It’s a story of shared grief, unity, and life-saving hope.
In Israel, Magen David Adom provides emergency response, from car accidents to terror attacks.
Anne Ayalon, President of the Christian Friends of Magen David Adom (CFMDA), told CBN News, “Magen David Adom, of course, is the life-saving first aid medical response teams all around Israel. It’s 911 and the Red Cross combined. But Christian Friends brings an added dimension – it brings the love of God into our hearts as we are helping save lives.”
Ayalon believes Christian Friends of Magen David Adom has one mission: to support Israel’s first responders while strengthening the bond between Christians and Jews.
“God has really given me the honor and the blessing to help facilitate the love between the Christian and the Jew by building bridges of understanding, of love, of mutual respect.”
Two recent dedications through CFMDA, a medicycle and a rapid-response vehicle, carry stories of heartbreak, courage, and unity.
Lavi Kreissman is a surviving platoon member in the Israel Defense Forces. “I lost my platoon – 14 guys. My brothers,” she said. Their memory lives on, and this means their memory continues to do good in this world.”
The families of those 14 fallen soldiers dedicated the rapid-response vehicle in honor of their loved ones who fell in battle. They were killed by Hamas terrorists inside Gaza. Kreissman was not with his team that day.
“It was my day to be three days at home, and I get the call. If I would be there, I wouldn’t be here because everybody was killed,” he explained.
Kreissman remembers their unique character.
“We were really as I said, a very eclectic bunch, super loud, super lively. That’s who we were, and although we were very, very different, we really loved each other like brothers,” he recalled.
Kreissman insists that in a world often confused about justice and terror, faithful support is a lifeline.
“When it looks like a big part of the world, maybe a majority of the world, sides with terrorists, to have support outside – it means a lot,” he observed.
Kreissman believes his fallen brothers would want to share two messages: to do the right thing, no matter what the world says, and to eliminate the threat of Hamas to secure Israel’s southern border so that their lives will not be in vain.
“Do the right thing, no matter what – even if the whole world says otherwise. Be unified. Stand for what’s right,” he told us.
Ayalon remembered, “It was very meaningful for us to put each soldier’s name on the vehicle. Many families were in tears, seeing their son’s name on something that will continue to save lives. Their sons will continue to live on here in Israel.”
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The medicycle came from an American Christian donor, Doris Mintz. She dedicated it to the memory of Lucy Dee and her daughters, Maia and Rina, the family of Rabbi Leo Dee, who were murdered by terrorists while driving to a family gathering in Samaria.
“It was a dream come true for me when I read the story about Rabbi Dee. My heart was just broken for that, and I wanted to do something for him, so that he felt that his family was going to live on and his family also had an opportunity to save other lives.”
For Mintz and her team, the medicycle gift is more than a donation; it’s a calling.
“Just looking around and seeing the people who were witnessing this, that it was such a motivating factor to all those people to want to even do more than they were already doing. And it just helped my team realize that what we were doing was walking in the will of the Father,” she declared.
For Mintz, standing with Israel is backed by the Bible.
“When you read, and it says to bless Israel, those scriptures mean a lot to me,” she explained. “I grew up knowing that Israel, biblically, was very, very important. And if we can do anything to help protect the people, to comfort the people, that’s our impetus.”
Mintz added, “We want to be united with Israel. We want to support Israel. We want to stand with Israel, and we just love the people of Israel and the God of Israel.”
Her ministry gathers clothing, shoes, and other essentials for shipping to Israel each month.
“We’re dedicated to helping anyone in need and spreading the word about the uniqueness and importance of Israel,” she noted.
While honoring lives lost, the two dedications also focus on saving lives in the future. The gifts also send a greater message, according to Ayalon.
She believes “It lets Israelis feel that we are not alone. And to give Christians a meaningful, purposeful way to bless Israel. That is to donate, contribute to an ambulance, or a vehicle, or to give blood, or to pray over our young men and women here. So, that we are coming together to save lives.”
