Rav Meir Dovid Shmueli, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Chazon Dovid and a prominent maggid shiur at the Moussaieff Shul, publicly apologized Sunday evening for comments he made about Arab medical personnel in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas massacre, saying the remarks did not reflect his Torah values or personal beliefs.

The unusual reconciliation meeting took place at the Sukkat HaShalom center in Abu Ghosh and was attended by Arab physicians and other healthcare professionals.

The gathering was organized by attorneys Amit Hadad and Eli Perry, together with former Shomron Regional Council chairman Bentzi Lieberman. Hosting the event were former Abu Ghosh council head Issa Jaber and Abdul Abd Rahman, a local resident and court interpreter.

Addressing those in attendance, Rav Shmueli said, “The things I said after October 7 were a serious mistake spoken out of shock and overwhelming pain. They simply should never have been said, and they are completely contrary to my Torah and my values.”

“I came here tonight, to Abu Ghosh, to look the Arab medical teams in the eye and ask for forgiveness. Every sector has wonderful people, and Arab doctors devote themselves every day to saving lives, just like Jewish doctors. They are an example of humanity. The full responsibility is mine. My guiding principle is unity and peace, and where there is peace, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is present.”

Attorney Amit Hadad said the initiative grew out of conversations he had with Abdul Abd Rahman.

“When we met in Abu Ghosh and spoke, the subject of Rav Shmueli’s remarks came up,” Hadad said. “It troubled me because I knew they did not reflect who he really is. Abdul immediately suggested hosting the rav here at Sukkat HaShalom to create the necessary dialogue.”

He added, “The public and emotional challenge of standing up, retracting painful statements, and expressing public remorse is enormous, and that reflects this rav‘s greatness. When we suggested that he come, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. He was happy to come, look people in the eye, and say, ‘I made a mistake.’ We are all descendants of Avraham, and we all want to do good. That is the power of this evening.”

Former Abu Ghosh council head Issa Jaber accepted the apology, saying, “What unites us is greater than what divides us, and when a great person asks for forgiveness, it is a great thing.” He also noted that approximately 40 percent of Israel’s physicians are Arabs.

Dr. Muayad Qawasmeh, an East Yerushalayim physician who works at the Magen David Adom blood bank, also spoke about his experiences during the war.

“After the war began, we collected blood donations, including in East Jerusalem,” he said. “We collected 4,000 units of blood from Jews, Arabs, and Druze. We gave that blood to everyone who needed it, without regard to religion, race, gender, or whether the patient was Jewish or Arab.”

{Matzav.com}