Dr. Dan Schwartzfuchs, the religious doctor who treated Qaid Farhan Al-Qadit, the hostage who was rescued from Hamas captivity in Gaza, commented on Wednesday morning on his photo, with him standing next to Farhan,that went viral.
Schwartzfuchs, Deputy Director of Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, told Kan Moreshet about the moment of the Farhan’s arrival: "It was exciting. It took us back to the first days, when we received the first hostages who came here."
A picture of the doctor wearing a yarmulkah (head covering), next to the Bedouin patient, went viral. "This picture is not of me. It is a picture that reflects Israeli society. This is a microcosm of Israeli society. This is what it looks like. This happens every day in the Israeli health system, all around the country.”
He added: "I am a religious person and I regard myself as an integral member of Israeli society. This photograph is a reflection of our reality. This is how it looks every day and every hour in Soroka. I think the war bonded us even more. We are a multicultural society and most of us would prefer it to stay that way.”
The photo was published, among others, by Amjad Taha, an expert in strategic political affairs, who was moved to see a photo of Farhan next to a Jewish religious doctor. He shared the photo with hundreds of thousands of his followers on X in admiration. "First in the Middle East, this is a moment for all to celebrate. Congratulations to Israel and to humanity," he began the tweet, referring to the rescue in Gaza.
He added that, “This picture powerfully illustrates the reality: the so-called "apartheid" Jewish state, where a Jewish doctor is treating a Muslim Arab who was held hostage by Hamas-ISIS Islamist terrorists in Gaza. Israel, this "apartheid" state, dispatched 18 Jewish soldiers to rescue the Muslim Arab Bedouin and reunite him with his seven children.”
Taha concluded: “If you live in New York, Paris, or London, you might be confused because your media won’t show you this reality of the Middle East. Instead, go protest against McDonald’s burgers and Starbucks chai lattes.”
