Family of Israeli patient insults Arab paramedic on duty

Relatives of an Israeli patient from Beit Fagan, west of Jerusalem, lashed insults and verbally abused a Palestinian paramedic when he was trying to resuscitate the patient who was suffering from a heart attack.

Fadi Badarna, who holds an Israeli ID card, works for the Red Star of David ambulance service and in the intensive care unit of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.

He told Ma'an he was trying to resuscitate a patient who had lost consciousness when the man's relatives surrounded him and told him "You are a dirty Arab, and you are not authorized to make decisions."

"When I finished with first aid and decided to transfer the patient to hospital, I told the family that only one can go with him in the ambulance, and they repeated the same abuses. They also uttered bad words about my mother,” He said.

"I did not take interest in their insults, and I continued doing my duty as a paramedic. The administration of the Red Star of David supported me and strongly condemned the family's conduct."

Badarna said it was not the first time he heard racist comments from Israelis. He said two months ago, security guards at Hadassah Hospital insisted on physically searching him as he transferred a patient, but he refused.

"They wanted to search me because I am Arab, despite the fact that I work for an Israeli service."

I did not take interest in their insults, and I continued doing my duty as a paramedic

Fadi Badarna