Foreign help arrives to help Israel fight fire

[TonyToniTone]

AP said:

"The size of the fire is huge, the wind is very strong and there is a problem accessing the mountains and valleys," said Yoram Levi, a spokesman for Israel's fire and rescue service. "We don't have big aircraft that can carry a large amount of water. It is not enough for a large-scale fire."

The shortfall prompted an unprecedented wave of international assistance. The Jewish state is better known for sending its own rescue teams and medical personnel to other countries to help in their disaster-relief efforts.

Some 100 firefighters from Bulgaria arrived as well as fire extinguishing planes and crews from Greece and Britain, Israeli officials said. More aid was on its way from the United States, Russia, Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan, Spain, Azerbaijan, Romania and Turkey — which put aside tensions over Israel's deadly raid on a Turkish Gaza-bound flotilla in May to lend a hand.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Radio that all international aid was expected to arrive by Friday afternoon and he expressed hope the fire could be suppressed by Saturday night.

Good too see a story of co-operation just a shame it's under such bad circumstances.

[Victor McDade]

Hopefully some good will come out from this tragic situation.

What a way to die

[anonymous-user]

It is actually... very nice indeed...

I like it when countries can put their political greiviences aside when it comes to humanitarian efforts / natural disasters.

[BruceV8]

Especially interesting - and encouraging - to see some countries with mainly muslim populations coming to Israel's aid. Its easy to think of the enmity that exists in the middle east, but this shows that it isn't all-consuming for everyone.