Arab paramedic recalls horrific scenes at Jerusalem synagogue attack

An Arab-Israeli paramedic who was first on the scene at last Friday’s terrorist attack outside a Jerusalem synagogue has told Jewish News of the horror he witnessed as he attempted to save lives.

Fadi Dekidek, 38, was a first responder in the neighbourhood of Neve Ya’akov after a 21-year-old Palestinian shot and killed seven Jews outside the shul.

He said: “I arrived at the scene shortly after the attack [at 8.15pm]. Every 20 metres or so I saw a body on the ground. I gave life-saving medical treatment to one of the first victims I saw, then continued with the others.” Dekidek said.

Dekidek, who has worked for Magen David Adom (MDA) for over 20 years, added: “I don’t remember seeing such a serious terrorist attack with so many victims. It was incredibly hard to witness.”

“I had to check all the people, including all the fatalities, and oversee the scene. I entered the [Ateret Avraham] synagogue, in order to check that there was nobody left inside. There was nobody injured inside the building. All the victims were outside.”

As some of the victims lay lifeless on the ground, Dekidek helped bring the ones who were still alive safely into the ambulance and straight to the nearby hospitals, Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hadassah on Mount Scopus.

Dekidek is a resident of the nearby Palestinian neighbourhood of Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem. The situation in East Jerusalem “is really not easy. It’s very tense,” he said. “We at MDA are on high alert and ready for any scenario”

But still, most Palestinians in East Jerusalem “just want to live in peace and quiet and raise their kids in the best way possible,” he said. “I hope we are going to see better days than what we’ve seen in the past week.”

The seven victims were identified over the weekend. They include a Ukrainian woman and a teenage boy.

First to be named were Eli and Natali Mizrahi, a couple who were killed by the 21-year-old Palestinian terrorist as they ran to the crime scene to try to help some of the victims.

Eli, 48, and Natali, 45, had been married for two years and were residents of Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighbourhood, where the attack took place.

Dekidek, who has worked for Magen David Adom (MDA) for over 20 years, added: “I don’t remember seeing such a serious terrorist attack with so many victims. It was incredibly hard to witness.

Eli’s father, Shimon, said: “We were in the middle of our meal, and there were several shots and my son jumped up. We yelled at him, ‘Don’t go anywhere.’” The couple were buried near the city of Beit Shemesh at the Derech Hachaim cemetery.

Rafael Ben Eliyahu, 56, was the third victim to be identified. Eliyahu, also a resident of the area, leaves three children and a wife. His son revealed at the funeral that Eliyahu’s wife had given birth to a child not long after he was killed.

Kobi Ben Eliyahu said: “You and mom were supposed to come to the bris, but ultimately you were not able to hold (your grandson). Instead, I’m bringing you to the cemetery. You left a giant hole in our hearts.”

The youngest victim, 14-year-old Asher Natan, was laid to rest on Sunday on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Asher’s father, Aharon, said at the funeral: “I always wanted so much for things to be good for you. Now you’re in a good place for eternity. Asher didn’t die, he only parted from his body. His soul is eternal. The unity here is a giant embrace for us.”

Another victim was a Ukrainian woman identified as Irina Korolova, who according to Israeli media was a caretaker.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter after news of her death had broken: “We share [Israel’s] pain after the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem.”

Also among the victims was 68-year-old Shaul Hai, who was a sexton at a synagogue in the Pisgat Ze’ev neighbourhood, not far from the scene of the attack.

Haaretz Daily quoted a friend of Hai saying his wife had died a year and a half ago and that “despite the tribulations that he underwent in his life, he was always nice to everyone and respected everyone. He was a special person.”

Ilya Sosansky, 26, was the last victim to be identified. His family told Channel 12 it was “unimaginable” he was no longer alive.