April 22 marked the end of the anniversary of Israel’s modern rebirth, often called Israeli Independence Day. One Israeli paramedic who lives in Nazareth is proud to see the national holiday as representing the diverse religious and cultural landscape, as well as the compassion and courage, of the nation that is both ancient and new.
Arab-Christian Yasmeen Mazzawi spoke to PJ Media at Christmas time 2025 about the beauty of the holiday traditions in her hometown of Nazareth. Now, for Yom Ha’atzmaut or Israeli Independence Day, the nation’s emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) has highlighted her work as a volunteer paramedic in a press release that PJ Media received.
Yasmeen lit a torch at Israel's 72nd Independence Day Ceremony in 2020, and she is still in love with the beauty and unity of her nation. “Growing up in Nazareth as an Arab-Christian, I joined Magen David Adom as a teenager and it opened my eyes to what it means to work across communities,” she said.
Enthusiastically, she explained, “Magen David Adom is a great example of the beauty of Israel. Throughout my service over the last decade, I have met Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, people from every background, and I learned that beyond everything else, we are all human beings trying to save lives. Arabs and Jews work side by side in the same ambulances, in the same calls, under the same pressure, and what connects us is values, not labels.”
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Israel is unique in the Middle East for giving equal rights to citizens of all religious beliefs. It is striking to see the difference just between the plight of Christians in Palestinian Authority-controlled territories versus how Muslims, Christians, and Jews live in Israeli-controlled territories.
Magen David Adom Director General Eli Bin also commented on the holiday. “On Yom Ha’atzmaut, we are reminded that Israel’s strength lies not only in its ability to defend itself, but in its commitment to care for every life,” he said. “Our volunteers embody that commitment every day, a diverse society coming together with a shared sense of responsibility and purpose.”
Aryeh Myers, who is a paramedic and international relations lead at MDA, previously told me, “Despite the fact that Israel is the Jewish state, you have to realize there's a very significant minority in this country. About 20% of the population is not Jewish. We're talking about Muslims and Druze and Christians.” He emphasized Israel is “the only country in the Middle East where the Christian population is still growing, is still able to … practice their religion freely.”
Myers also talked about not only treating Israelis of all backgrounds, but also treating Palestinians when the occasion arises, sometimes even jihadis. “We don't walk into someone's house and ask them what religion they are before we start treating them. We treat them because they are a person who needs to be treated, and irrespective of their politics,” Myers stated. “It's been very, very difficult for us to face [the] situations where terrorists themselves have needed treatment, and they've received that treatment.”
But this week, Israel is celebrating. And MDA has reason to be very proud of what it has accomplished this year. From the press release:
During Operation Roaring Lion, Magen David Adom raised its alert level to the highest possible status, placing approximately 38,000 volunteers and staff on full readiness. At peak deployment, Magen David Adom operated around 2,000 ambulances and intensive care units, 800 emergency medicycles, and 700 rapid response vehicles. Teams were deployed nationwide, often arriving first on scene and providing immediate medical care under emergency conditions, treating 2,477 casualties.
Am Yisrael Chai. May God bless our Israeli brothers.
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