MDA UK head goes on ‘life changing’ trip to Israel

“They were on the phone with Amit as she tried to fight to save people. They told us she was telling them: ‘It is getting worse. The terrorists are getting closer.’ She told us how she just said to Amit over the phone: ‘I am here. I am with you.’”

Burger added: “What MDA staff saw up close and dealt with on 7/10 is nothing like I have heard before. Hearing the stories of various MDA lifesavers who came under fire changes you forever.”

Daniel Burger, head of MDA UK (right) during a visit to Israel (Photo: MDA UK)[Missing Credit]

“We have always run these kinds of trips, but nothing prepares you for this. We got a real impression of the sense of duty that people in Israel have, especially MDA volunteers. They ran into the line of fire to help.”

He said the group were also stunned by the way dispatchers sent medical teams to treat victims and the perpetrators of October 7. “Just hearing about the way they didn’t distinguish during the attack is something else.”

The group also met the hostage families and heard “harrowing” stories about loved ones being kidnapped. Burger said: “The mental health toll on people in Israel can’t be underestimated.”

The trip also included meetings with First Lady of Israel, Michal Herzog, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum and the acting Deputy British Ambassador to Israel Helen Fazey. They also met Agent G, the director of psychology for Mossad, who is the lead hostage negotiator.