MDA head pays moving visit to terror mourners

Magen David Adom (MDA) general director Eli Bein paid a moving condolence visit on Tuesday to the Litman family in Kiryat Arba after Rabbi Ya'akov Litman and his son Netanel were gunned down by Arab terrorists last Friday.

"You're now part of the MDA family," Being promised the mourning family members, adding, "we will come to the wedding with full buses." His comment is in reference to the rabbi's daughter Sarah-Tehiya Litman, who was to be married on Tuesday.

The bereaved daughter/sister will instead hold the wedding next Thursday, in an event in Jerusalem that she has invited the wider public to attend.

The father and son were on the way to a Shabbat Hatan – the Sabbath celebration for the groom before a wedding – when an Arab terrorist waylaid the car, murdering the two and wounding another son, Dvir.

Bein noted that he was impressed by the composure Dvir showed in calling the MDA emergency hotline immediately after the murderous attack, saying, "when I heard the recording I thought that he was at least 20, and now I see that he's a boy."

"From the recording I learned that he's a hero. To be there and to contact MDA and do it with reason when next to you are the most difficult things in the world, it astounded me." Turning to the bereaved mother, he said, "evidently that's the outcome of what you and your husband z''l brought."

During the visit, Bein gave the grieving family the new MDA uniform that Netanel had ordered just a week before the murder. The young terror victim volunteered in the emergency medical organization.

Ambulance in Netanel's memory

The family was particularly moved as the MDA head spoke about a resident of Los Angeles who asked to donate an ambulance in memory of Netanel.

"The ambulance will bear Netanel's name, and when it arrives in Israel we will dedicate it with great joy and glory," said Bein, at which point the mother had trouble hiding her emotional tears.

Speaking about the upcoming wedding, he said: "We heard that you decided to hold the wedding and we will bring hundreds of volunteers there, so get a lot of food and drink ready because we are coming to bring joy to the bride and groom and we won't let you ever be sad, because you are part of the MDA family."

Bein spoke about Netanel's part in treating the wounded at an attack at Hevron's Cave of Machpelah two weeks ago on Friday, when an Arab terrorist shot and wounded two Jews.

"Netanel was among the first to arrive at the place and he stopped the bleeding of one of the youths with his bare hands, he saved the guy's life."

The grieving family members told Bein that Netanel didn't tell them at all about what he did out of his great modesty, and because medical confidentiality was such a high value for him.

Eli Bein with Litman family Eliran Aharon