Two organizations help 2nd Karabakh War veteran meet family of his cornea donor in Israel

The US-Azerbaijan Cultural Foundation and Double Trouble Production facilitated the trip of Arif Hajiyev, a veteran of the Second Karabakh War who was wounded in the eye, to Israel, where the doctor who operated on him and the family of the donor from whom the cornea was transplanted live, Report imports via NewsBlaze.

The idea of Arif Hajiyev's trip to Israel arose after an interview with Nurit Greenger, a journalist and President of the US-Azerbaijan Cultural Foundation, with him.

"My interview was concluded by promising Arif to compassionately meet his wish (to meet with the donor's family). Upon my return from Azerbaijan to my home in the United States, I embarked on a drive to arrange for Arif to travel to Israel and have his wish come true," Nurit Greenger noted in the article, adding that she was joined in this endeavor by Double Trouble Production CEO Eti El-Kiss.

According to her, the surgeon-ophthalmologist who operated on Arif Hajiyev's eye, an expert in corneal transplantation and formation of the eye surface stem cells Yishay Falick , the Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan George Deek, the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chabad SoLa community in Los Angeles and others also participated in sending Hajiyev to Israel.

Greenger also added that today Israel is in conflict with the Arab world, mainly with representatives of the Islamic faith, but the exception in this situation is Azerbaijan, where the majority of citizens are Muslims.

"However, and despite 30 years of close ties between Muslim majority Azerbaijan and the Jewish state, Israel, Azerbaijan has not garnered the media coverage it well deserves," she noted, adding that a wounded Azerbaijani Muslim soldier receiving cornea from a Jew in Israel demonstrates the high level of relations between the two countries.

Thus, the 4-day program in Israel gave Hajiyev the opportunity to meet with an Israeli wounded soldier, ride along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, visit the city of Akko, inhabited by a mixed Israeli-Jewish and Israeli-Arab-Muslim population, visit Jerusalem and pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Besides, Dr. Falick examined Arif's eye. And, of course, Arif met with the family of the cornea donor.

Hajiyev also met with Moshe Fadlon, the mayor of the city of Herzliya, where the cornea donor's family lives. At the mayor's office, Arif received a symbolic key to the city, which was given only to the President of Israel.

Nurit Greenger notes that over the years of visiting Azerbaijan, the generosity of the people of this country has become an important factor for her, which allowed her to feel at home there. Thus, Azerbaijan's friendly bilateral relations with Israel over the past 30 years are a reason to make efforts to promote Azerbaijan's status on the world stage.

Besides, the safe haven that the Jews found in Azerbaijan was another factor that motivated Greenger to take on this project and many others.

"For that reason, our visit to Azerbaijan, touring the land's sites and meeting with local officials, as well as ordinary people, will be made into a documentary, to promote the country," Greenger said.

She also expressed hope the docufilm will be ready for screening just in time for the opening of the Republic of Azerbaijan embassy in Israel.