On Tuesday afternoon, the European Union’s Ambassador to Israel H.E Dimiter Tzantchev visited United Hatzalah’s headquarters in Jerusalem. The Ambassador and his staff were accompanied on a tour of the headquarters by United Hatzalah’s CEO Eli Pollack and Vice President of Operations Dov Maisel.
EU Ambassador to Israel Dimiter Tzantchev (3rd from left) together with United Hatzalah VP Dov Maisel (4th from left) and volunteer EMTs
Ambassador Tzantchev received an overview of United Hatzalah’s lifesaving activities and met with volunteer EMTs from across the spectrum of Israel’s populace including, Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Maisel emphasized that the EMS organization’s community-based approach saves more lives by allowing patients to be treated by nearby first responders, and builds bridges between different sectors of Israeli society.
Maisel showed the Ambassador the organization’s Dispatch and Command Center and how the organization utilizes cutting-edge technology that allows United Hatzalah’s 6,200 volunteers across the country to be dispatched efficiently and provide emergency medical services to people in need of help with an average response time of less than 3 minutes.
EU Ambassador to Israel Dimiter Tzantchev visiting the Command and Dispatch Center with United Hatzalah VP Dov Maisel
The visit ended with Ambassador Tzantchev lighting Hanukkah candles on a massive hanukkiah (Hanukkah candelabrum) outside the entrance to the headquarters.
The Ambassador thanked the organization’s leaders and volunteers, saying: “You treat patients regardless of their race, religion, origin or ethnicity. And I would like to commend you for that, because in these turbulent times we need more unity, more humanity, more kindness. We need more life and less death, more light and less darkness. Your organization, which saves multiple entire worlds every day, definitely adds light to this planet.”
EU Ambassador to Israel Dimiter Tzantchev (right) lighting the hanukkiah together with United Hatzalah CEO Eli Pollak (center) and VP Dov Maisel
Maisel thanked Ambassador Tzantchev for his visit and said: “Your visit is important to us because we believe United Hatzalah is an example of the good that there is in Israeli society and it’s important to show this sometimes unknown side of Israeli society to our European friends. It’s also important because of our vision to share and export our model throughout the world. Thank you for honoring us with your visit.”
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