Bahraini activists and newspapers Saturday reacted in anger, and at the same time with pride, to statements attributed to an Israeli Minister in which he criticized the continuous blood donation campaign in Bahrain for the victims of Israeli attacks in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Al Ayyam reported Saturday that Israeli Health Minister Nissim Dahan had warned, in statements published by Israeli papers, "of the danger represented by these campaigns."
Describing the Bahraini organizers of the blood donation drives as "terrorist organizations", the Israeli Minister was quoted as saying that the goal of these drives was to assist Palestinians. He "called on the U.S. administration to closely watch Bahraini charity funds," such as Al Naim Charity Fund, the newspaper said.
"Frankly, we were surprised by his statement," Mahmood Al Nasheet, Al Naim Fund information coordinator told the Gulf News daily at the Naim health center Saturday as people were lining up to donate blood.
"However, we are proud to have been accused of helping our Palestinian brothers in their just struggle to get rid of the occupying forces. We are determined to continue supporting them in every possible way."
He claimed that in his opinion, the Israelis would not permit the donated blood to go into the occupied territories. "We have received calls from several Arab organizations from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Jordan offering to coordinate efforts to help us secure a way to deliver the blood," Al Nasheet said.
If that proves difficult, he expressed, people in Bahrain will be called upon to donate money in order to enable the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to buy blood sachets. "We have already contacted the PRCS and they told us they are out of blood sachets," said Al Nasheet.
Al Ayyam said, "it is not strange for a Zionist minister to attack Bahrainis because of their support for their Palestinian brethren".
The Bahraini people "will not be deterred by statements made by a minister in a government which continues the savage policies of persecution, starvation and all out blockade against the Palestinians", it added.
The Imam Hussein Campaign for Blood Donation, organized by the Naim Charity Fund, started Saturday and will end Sunday. A medical team led by the director of the Health Ministry's Central Blood Bank (CBB) is assisting the campaign, which is expected to draw hundreds of people, according to Gulf News.
"The response is overwhelming. People are coming in great numbers, even more than we have ever expected," Al Nasheet said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
