Palestinian threatened for rescuing Jewish children gets a happy ending
Israelis have come to the aid of a Palestinian man who three years ago helped a Jewish family that were victims of a terror attack.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) employee, whose named has been withheld for his safety, rescued the children of Rabbi Michael “Miki” Mark who was killed in a drive-by shooting in front of two of his children three years ago. Mark was the director-general of a yeshiva in the West Bank. His children and wife were in the car and injured as well.
At the time he was interviewed by an Israeli news station and talked about how he helped the children get out of the car. However, when Palestinians figured out who he was, the PA fired him, and he started receiving death threats.
Israelis pled with the government to get him an Israeli work permit, but while he was given permission to reside in Israel temporarily he never received a work permit.
“With no means of supporting his wife and baby financially, or of protecting them from the wrath of their hostile neighbors, ‘A’ has been camping out for the past two-and-a-half years in a tent on Tel Aviv’s Manta Ray Beach – with no money other than the pittance he earns from doing odd day jobs when he’s able to find them,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
Just recently an Israeli reporter caught up with the man and his story went viral in Israel.
“Every time someone [in the PA] considered hiring me, he asked around the village and was told that I’m a collaborator [with Israel], because I helped [Jewish] people,” he told the Channel 12 reporter. “They boycott you [to the point that they] don’t even say hello. In one case, someone came to my house, shot at me and threw a Molotov cocktail. The Palestinian Authority broke into my home and scared my family. If I return, I know that I will be executed.”
Following the broadcast, Israelis across the country donated tens of thousands of shekels, clothes and toys to the man. In a follow-up piece, the reporter said that the Ministry of Interior has begun the permanent residence process and the man’s wife and son moved in with him into a new apartment.
The PA also released a statement to Channel 12 insisting that the man is welcome to return home any time, although as he mentioned, he fears being executed if he showed up there.
(Photo: Rabbi Michael Mark, who was killed in terror attack. His family was assisted by Palestinian, who is now being persecuted for helping Jews.)
