In a gesture of solidarity, a delegation of senior public officials and community leaders, led by Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, visited Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) to meet with Syrian Druze patients evacuated from Syria for medical care in Israel.
(L–R) Dr. Omri Emodi, members of the delegation, Dr. Michal Mekel, and Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif (far right). Photography: Rambam HCC
Earlier this week, Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, accompanied by Yasser Ghadban, Head of the Kisra-Sumei Local Council Authorities; Dr. Osama Sheikh, an anesthesiologist at the Galilee Medical Center; Khaled Shanan, a superintendent in the Military Police; and two aides, Amir Tarif and Sheikh Ghazi Zaban, visited patients at Rambam. The patients had been brought to Rambam for life-saving medical care during the Syrian Druze conflict that began in July 2025.
The visit began with a meeting with Rambam’s Director General, Dr. Michal Mekel, focusing on Israel’s humanitarian response to the crisis. Their discussion highlighted the swift mobilization of local medical teams and civil society who ensured that the injured received the highest level of care.
Dr. Omri Emodi, Director of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, accompanied the delegation for a visit with a patient who had sustained a severe gunshot wound to the face, with his family at his bedside. Dr. Emodi explained the complexity of the surgical intervention and noted the vital support provided by members of Israel’s Druze community, who stepped in to assist families during their time in Israel.
During the visit, Sheikh Tarif spoke about the challenges and uncertainty facing Syria’s Druze community amid the ongoing conflict.
The delegation then visited several hospital departments including The Meri and Sol J. Barer Pediatrics B Department, the Wagner Green Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care, as well as the Department of Urology. They offered words of encouragement to patients, families, and staff. They also expressed deep appreciation to the medical teams for their unwavering dedication to saving lives, regardless of origin or circumstance.
The visit served as a poignant reminder that even amid conflict and crisis, compassion and solidarity can transcend borders and communities.
