Standing ovation for injured IDF captain as MDA raise £2.1m

An Israeli veteran received a standing ovation after speaking of the “bond” between the Israel Defence Forces and the country’s medical emergency service at Monday’s Magen David Adom UK fundraising dinner.

Pointing to his prosthetic arm, Captain Ziv Shilon, 28, (right) recalled the moment he was hit by a bomb while patrolling the Gaza border in 2012.

“I felt an enormous explosion that pushed me back,” he said. “It felt like my entire body was on fire.” His right arm had been blown off and his left-hand was missing.

He was taken to the Soroka hospital, where he received 3.2 gallons of blood. “Magen David Adom literally saved my life,” he said, noting that MDA was the only supplier of blood to the army.

The father-of-one said the relationship between the IDF and MDA was unbreakable.

David Curtis, MDA UK’s chairman, stressed MDA’s work outside Israel, pointing to its part in international disaster relief, including the Mexico earthquakes.

The event, attended by 400 people and chaired by Gyles Brandreth, raised a record £2.1 million.