Magen David Adom Dedicates 14 New Ambulances Donated by US Evangelical Christian Humanitarian-Aid Organization
Samaritan's Purse, led by Rev. Franklin Graham, provides crucial support to MDA with a fleet of new ambulances
Fourteen brand-new ambulances lined the parking lot of the National Library of Israel on a rainy Tuesday in Jerusalem. Such a donation would be a grand gesture at any time, but the pressing need for these vehicles—and the timeliness of their arrival—has become more evident after October 7, when 14 Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulances were destroyed in the Hamas terrorist attacks on southern Israel.
Reverend Franklin Graham, president of the American Evangelical humanitarian-aid organization Samaritan’s Purse, which donated the ambulances, flew in to the Jewish state to mark the event.
“I’ve had the opportunity to see for myself how the men and women of MDA are risking their lives for others when I visited several of the communities in Israel that were brutally attacked,” said Graham.
At Samaritan’s Purse, we need to have the necessary equipment to do our work around the world, and MDA has to have the right equipment to do its work to save lives here in Israel.
“At Samaritan’s Purse, we need to have the necessary equipment to do our work around the world, and MDA has to have the right equipment to do its work to save lives here in Israel. This is why we want to give MDA this gift to save lives,” Graham added. “It is an honor to dedicate these ambulances today, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to help MDA continue its heroic and exceptional work.”
The ceremony also commemorated those MDA workers and volunteers who were killed in the line of duty on or since Oct. 7. According to MDA Director General Eli Bin, who spoke at the commemoration ceremony, Magen David Adom has lost 20 MDA volunteers and workers who died treating patients and trying to save lives, either on Oct. 7 or while subsequently serving as IDF medics in Gaza.
One by one, the inscriptions on the ambulances were unveiled, as family and friends got the chance to see and touch their loved one’s memorial ambulance for the first time. According to Graham, each family of a fallen medic for whom an ambulance was named would be able to put something from their loved one, either a name tag or uniform badge inside the ambulance. “Not only will their name be on the [outside of] ambulance, but something personal will be in the ambulance as well,” Graham told journalists after the ceremony.
These ambulances are not just vehicles, but a symbol of life, courage, and hope
“These ambulances are not just vehicles, but a symbol of life, courage, and hope,” said Ofir Levy, while honoring the memory of his 19-year-old daughter, Lior, who was killed by Hamas on Oct. 7 while volunteering with MDA to try and save lives that day. “She started volunteering with MDA at the age of 14 and it soon became an inseparable part of her life,” he said, visibly holding back tears.
“Every time an ambulance goes on a mission, it will be like Lior and her friends are still helping and saving lives,” he added.
Each of the donated ambulances will be stationed near where the fallen MDA medic and namesake worked when they were alive and working with Magen David Adom, according to Catherine Reed, CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom, MDA’s US-based marketing and development arm.
At a time when the Israeli people—and Jews around the world—are feeling alone, this donation is so meaningful
“At a time when the Israeli people—and Jews around the world—are feeling alone, this donation is so meaningful,” added Reed. “It’s a testament to the fact that amid all the protests and the increase in anti-Semitism, the people of Israel and the worldwide Jewish community have friends they can count on.”
At the ceremony, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion specifically thanked the Reverand Frankin, saying, “Mr. Franklin, I can tell you that there are disasters in the world, but what happened here on Oct 7 wasn’t just a disaster, it was pure evil, a massacre. The organization that you donated the ambulances to was, from the first shot, already out there in the field.”
“There’s no doubt that you are donating to an organization that needs it—and still needs more ambulances. Currently, we have 1,700 ambulances, and every single ambulance saves dozens of lives a day,” Lion added.
In addition to the 14 ambulances dedicated today, Samaritan’s Purse is donating seven armored ambulances to MDA, which are still in production and will be dedicated sometime this spring.
“When I heard that there were 14 ambulances that were destroyed, I immediately said that we would replace every single one of them. And then when I came [to Israel] and saw there were armored ambulances, but they were old, and I wasn’t even sure they’d be able to get to a crisis, I said, let’s replace those, too,” Graham said. “Those will be here in June. It takes a little while to build them,” he added.
MDA Director General Bin thanked the members of Samaritan’s Purse as well as President Graham “for their generous donation of ambulances, which will help save many lives across the State of Israel during routine and emergency times. We thank them for their further donations toward the sacred cause of saving lives.”
This isn’t the first time that Samaritan’s Purse has donated ambulances to MDA. Graham said that eight years ago, his organization, together with his father’s association, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, donated two ambulances. The reverend and his organization’s commitment toward Israel doesn’t stop at ambulances.
After hearing about the Hamas massacre, a team from Samaritan’s Purse arrived in Israel on Oct. 10 to see how they could help Israelis. According to Graham, the team began by distributing food vouchers and food boxes to displaced citizens and working with mayors on various projects. The team also brought in and donated 1,000 trauma kits, which Graham described as “a mini-ambulance in a backpack.”
During Hannukah, they also airlifted 24,000 shoeboxes of gifts for children, which mayors of various cities helped distribute. “And for a brief moment, the children could be children,” Graham said. “Some of the teachers said that this was the first time they’d seen the children smile since September.”
Graham said that the funds for the ambulances came from “Christian people who love Israel.” He also said that he and his organization “honor those who have lost their lives, and we pray that these ambulances will bring comfort to the people of Israel,” he added.
