Palestinian doctor rushes to aid crashed Israeli pilots
Palestine-Israel, Local, 7/28/1998

The two Israeli air force pilots who abandoned their 'Skyhawk' plane seconds before it crashed on Monday afternoon, landed on the western slopes of the Tarkumiya village near Hebron. Both, Israeli papers reported Tuesday, were picked up by Palestinian doctors and were treated only meters away from where three Palestinian workers were shot dead by Israeli troops several months ago.

The plane crashed next to the junction where Israeli soldiers opened fire at an Arab vehicle loaded with Palestinian workers heading back home at the end of their work day in Israel. The Israeli military claimed at the time the car drove at full speed and that the soldiers manning the roadblock were in a life-threatening situation.

"We saw smoke coming up from the plane, and two parachutists following it down," said Dr. Imad Karajia, a doctor from Tarkumiya who was a witness to the accident. "A few minutes later they landed on the ground. They landed at a distance of 150 meters from one another. He told the doctors not to be scared. He said he was there to help and rushed to his car to get some water. Karajia gave them water to drink and then poured some on head wounds sustained by one of the pilots.

Dr. Karajia even offered his cellular phone so that one of the pilots could call for help, but the latter preferred his own army-issued radio, apparently out of fear that top-secret telephone numbers might fall in the hands of the Palestinian doctor.

Tarkumiya is one of the largest towns in the Hebron area on the hills westward. It is located in Area B under the Oslo Accords where the Palestinian government has civil authority and Israel maintains control of security. Some of the residents said they were relieved to see the Israeli jet fighter crashing a bit outside of their town.

"Had it crashed over our town, surely dozens would have either been killed or wounded. It looks like God was with us this time," said an old man in the town who praised the doctor for extending help to the two pilots. "We treated them well, and we hope that their health condition is good," Karajia said.

Previous Stories:
  Bomber wasn't a bomber   (7/21/1998)
  Boy shot by Israeli troops is still in hospital   (7/15/1998)
  Palestinian injured in East Jerusalem blast outside PLO headquarters   (7/13/1998)

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