On Monday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, inaugurated United Hatzalah’s new National Emergency Preparedness Logistics Center, which is expected to significantly enhance the organization’s logistics capabilities and serve thousands of field medical responders. During the visit, the Prime Minister and his wife received a comprehensive briefing on the activities of approximately 8,000 male and female volunteers nationwide. They were presented with documentation of volunteer medical response operations during Operation Rising Lion. The Prime Minister and his wife commended the dedicated volunteers who save lives daily. The Prime Minister and his wife were accompanied by Health Minister Uriel Buso, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, United Hatzalah’s management, branch heads and their deputies, and medical volunteers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I decided to name this operation ‘Rising Lion,’ based on the verse ‘Like a lion the nation shall rise, like a lion it shall lift itself up.’ Do you know why? Because this is our nation, and you come from the nation, and you operate for the nation. There are none like you. You see it—from all sectors of Israeli society, from all communities, and with complete dedication. These ambulances are instruments; these Ambucycles are instruments. What we have here are people—women and men with tremendous spirit, with genuine willingness to throw yourselves into the fire and into the ruins, to extract and rescue. I want to tell you on behalf of all the people of Israel, the State of Israel, and all Israeli citizens—I tell you on behalf of many, many around the world—you deserve all the honor, and you deserve all the assistance.” United Hatzalah President and Founder Eli Beer said: “United Hatzalah volunteers represent the entire spectrum of Israeli society and operate with dedication around the clock for the noble value of saving human lives, working to arrive within 90 seconds of receiving a medical emergency call—with professionalism, courage, and heroism under fire. I am deeply moved by the tremendous appreciation of the Prime Minister and his wife, who work tirelessly for the safety and security of the people of Israel and have supported United Hatzalah’s sacred medical response work for many years. Together, we will continue to assist every citizen requiring medical care and always respond wherever needed.” Photo Credit: Maayan Tuaf/GPO