National television broadcast scenes of a sharp dispute that broke out yesterday morning between Health Minister Nissim Dahan (Shas) and Maaleh I\'ron Mayor Muhammad Jabarin. It occurred at the site of the deadly terrorist attack that killed seven Jewish bus passengers, where local Israeli-Arab residents seemed to be rather happy about the tragic results of the attack. Minister Dahan explained to Arutz-7 what happened there:
\"I arrived on the scene of the attack and received a briefing from the commander of the rescue forces. He told me that only Magen David Adom personnel and some passersby took part, but that the local [Arab] residents did not help. This did not particularly upset me, since I know that not everyone knows first-aid - although in my experience, I\'ve seen that everyone tries to give a hand and chip in. But then he added that the Arabs were standing alongside the road and laughing at the rescue workers… Then I saw the mayor being interviewed and yelling that he wants peace and the IDF officers should stop their incitement. This was already too much. I invited him to come across the street with me and see for himself what his own citizens were doing, and give *them* a message of peace, instead of yelling on the national media against an IDF officer... But he refused to come and give the simple message that even though they are Arabs, \'you\'re also law-abiding Israeli citizens; let\'s all say together, no more bloodshed\' - but he refused to come...\"
Arutz-7: \"Minister Dahan, you still manage to go to every attack?\"
Dahan: \"Certainly, that\'s my job. Do you know how much important information we learn from each incident - regarding how long it takes to evacuate the wounded, which ambulances came, how long it took them to arrive, etc. I make a full investigation each time, and it helps us improve each time. Then I go to the hospitals, and ask similar questions... We see that as a result of these investigations the health system\'s performance in tragic incidents of this nature is very efficient…\"
Minister Dahan agrees with the MDA emergency medical organization\'s demands for more funds, \"but I told them that now, in the middle of the war, is not the time to raise these issues. When the war ends, then we\'ll solve these problems.\" \"How *do* you see this war ending?\" he was asked, and responded, \"If it was up to me, I\'d end this war tomorrow.\" How? \"- By showing more aggressiveness and less mercy. It\'s true that a fundamental Jewish trait is that we are \'merciful ones, children of merciful ones,\' but we have to fight this war the way wars are fought. We always try to treat the other side humanely, but the fact is that they are wild animals.\"
\"I arrived on the scene of the attack and received a briefing from the commander of the rescue forces. He told me that only Magen David Adom personnel and some passersby took part, but that the local [Arab] residents did not help. This did not particularly upset me, since I know that not everyone knows first-aid - although in my experience, I\'ve seen that everyone tries to give a hand and chip in. But then he added that the Arabs were standing alongside the road and laughing at the rescue workers… Then I saw the mayor being interviewed and yelling that he wants peace and the IDF officers should stop their incitement. This was already too much. I invited him to come across the street with me and see for himself what his own citizens were doing, and give *them* a message of peace, instead of yelling on the national media against an IDF officer... But he refused to come and give the simple message that even though they are Arabs, \'you\'re also law-abiding Israeli citizens; let\'s all say together, no more bloodshed\' - but he refused to come...\"
Arutz-7: \"Minister Dahan, you still manage to go to every attack?\"
Dahan: \"Certainly, that\'s my job. Do you know how much important information we learn from each incident - regarding how long it takes to evacuate the wounded, which ambulances came, how long it took them to arrive, etc. I make a full investigation each time, and it helps us improve each time. Then I go to the hospitals, and ask similar questions... We see that as a result of these investigations the health system\'s performance in tragic incidents of this nature is very efficient…\"
Minister Dahan agrees with the MDA emergency medical organization\'s demands for more funds, \"but I told them that now, in the middle of the war, is not the time to raise these issues. When the war ends, then we\'ll solve these problems.\" \"How *do* you see this war ending?\" he was asked, and responded, \"If it was up to me, I\'d end this war tomorrow.\" How? \"- By showing more aggressiveness and less mercy. It\'s true that a fundamental Jewish trait is that we are \'merciful ones, children of merciful ones,\' but we have to fight this war the way wars are fought. We always try to treat the other side humanely, but the fact is that they are wild animals.\"