Why did two Israelis pose as Arab sheiks in Dubai?
United Hatzalah president plays dress up in the Arab Emirates in exchange for two new motor ambulances for the emergency services organization.
By TAMARA ZIEVEUpdated: JULY 16, 2015 03:41
Police in Dubai were probably surprised to spot two “sheiks” speaking Hebrew on a busy city street this week.They were witnessing the carrying out of a United Hatzalah donor’s dare to Eli Beer, the emergency services organization’s president. The latter accepted the challenge to walk the streets of Dubai dressed as an Arab sheik in return for two motorcycle ambulances valued at more than a quarter of a million shekels. Beer, joined by Hatzalah’s operations manager Dubi Maisel, documented the deed with pictures and a video, which he cut short when he saw police approaching.The dare wasn’t quite as random as it sounds. Beer was in Dubai to meet representatives of international volunteer organizations as Hatzalah seeks to expands its operations outside of Israel. It plans to help establish identical organizations in Dubai, India and Bangladesh.During his visit, Beer met with Shaffi Mather, founder of the Indian Ziqitza ambulance company. An agreement was reached between the Israeli and Indian organizations, which would see the establishment of Hatzalah “sister organizations” in Southeast Asia. Ziqitza is the largest organization of its kind in India, boasting 1,600 ambulances and a large branch in Dubai.Beer returned to Israel in good spirits, saying: “I believe that together we will save the lives of many people in additional places in the world.”