In an extremely emotional ceremony held in Ramat Gan last week, International Aid organization ZAKA, inaugurated one of their signature Rapid Response motorcycles in memory of slain IDF soldier Amit Ben Yigal, a month following his murder.
21-yr-old Amit, who was promoted posthumously to First Sergeant, was killed in May when a stone slab was dropped onto his head during a night-time arrest operation in an Arab village in Samaria.
The fully-equipped motorcycle, which will be used to ease access for first responders, was donated by ZAKA backers worldwide. This included donors from the U.S, Australia, Europe and the UK. The motorcycle will go to the organization’s Jerusalem unit.
The ceremony, which was also live-streamed, was attended by Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Elisha Peleg, MK Tzahi Hanegbi, ZAKA Chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav and Amit’s parents Baruch and Nava Ben Yigal. Ben Yigal’s family members and ZAKA volunteers were also in attendance.
ZAKA Chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, spoke at the ceremony saying “Amit was an only child not only to his parents but to the entire nation of Israel. We all felt an immediate connection to you. When I came to offer my condolences to you during the shiva, I saw so many people from all over the country, everyone felt as one family and everyone wanted to honour his memory. I felt that we too in ZAKA need to honour his memory. Amit always made sure he’d help others. Therefore we bought this motorcycle, equipped with the most advanced life-saving medical equipment, in his memory and to commemorate Amit.”
Minister Tzahi Hanegbi praised Amit as a “powerful figure, a hero and a leader. Always encouraging and motivating his fellow combat soldiers, he was an exemplary soldier. All the people of Israel owe him our gratitude” he said.
Baruch Ben Yigal, Amit’s father, responded to the gesture saying: “This is a very special moment for me. Jerusalem is not any city, this is “the” city. Amit was very connected to Jerusalem, he volunteered here and now this motorcycle, in his memory, will operate in the capital. I congratulate and thank ZAKA for this wonderful initiative. I hope that this motorcycle will only be used for births and not for tragedies.”
But despite the special ceremony, ZAKA’s campaign to raise the required $36,000 for the fully-equipped motorcycle is still short of its target. What’s important to understand is that these motorcycles are designed to weave through traffic where ambulances can’t. That’s why these bikes have a reputation of saving lives and will likely save more lives in the future.
And you can have a role in this life-saving innovation by making a donation to ZAKA today.Help ZAKA hit their target by getting this bike up and running so that it can rescue Jerusalemites from harm – just like Amit did as an IDF soldier.
