One of the communities in Israel often ignored during reports on the conflicts happening in the region are the Christians.

Yasmeen Mazzawi is an Arab Christian from Nazareth who serves as a volunteer paramedic with Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David), which is the Israeli member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

While still in high school, Mazzawi visited Auschwitz, which helped her decide to join Magen David Adom.

“I worked with Jewish people, and they were talking during Holocaust Memorial Day about things I did not understand. How could I work with people, and I do not know their history? This history is important to spread to my community. To bridge the gap between us, and help people talk together, what better way than to start with myself and this journey,” she recently said.

As a citizen of Israel, she was impacted by the events of October 7, 2023, and as a volunteer paramedic with Magen David Adom she has rushed to the scene of terrorist attacks.

“It is scary to go to these places, but I turn to my faith for strength,” said Mazzawi, who is Catholic.

“Sometimes the situation is quite chaotic, and I definitely face fears, but I keep focus on how best to serve the injured and frightened around me. Keeping my attention on how to serve helps me through,” she said.

She later spoke to Crux about her experience, and her relationship with between Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze, and Bahai – religious and secular – in Israel.

Crux: Why did you decide Auschwitz and how did it affect you?

Mazzawi: As a family we grew up with friends and Jewish families who their parents and grandparents were first and second generation of Holocaust survivors. My parents always told me and my siblings that we are the ambassadors of change! And that we are born to make a stamp on this world… and this sentence went with me all the way.

Magen David Adom is Israel’s national emergency services and blood services organization.

I started volunteering at Magen David Adom when I was 15, and at this wonderful organization I found the values I grew up on at home! Magen David Adom became my second home, I met people from diverse backgrounds, and realized that there is a deep connection, and what connects us are the strong values of love, and acceptance without waiting for any return!

My teammates became my brothers and sisters, Jews and Arabs simultaneously, we all work for one and only one goal of saving lives. We save lives of people without knowing WHO they are, every single minute and everywhere across the country.

Magen David Adom is diverse, and as I worked with colleagues from diverse backgrounds that strengthened the need for me to know the other closer, not only to hear about them, stories, holidays or stereotypes. I wanted to break this window made out of glass… to hear each other, talk to one another. I decided to go to Auschwitz with the Magen David Adom delegation of youth volunteers to learn more and spread the awareness and bridge the gap between communities so history will not repeat itself.

You are a Christian Arab citizen in Israel – many would say you are a minority of a minority – how does it affect your life, and what do you think people outside of Israel should know that they probably don’t know about Arab Israelis?

Absolutely – being a Christian Arab citizen in Israel does place me in what many call a “minority within a minority.” It’s a unique identity that shapes my perspective daily. While it can be complex, it also allows me to live at the intersection of cultures, faiths, and narratives — and that, to me, is a strength.

Many people outside of Israel don’t realize how deeply most Arab citizens, including Christian Arabs like myself, wish to feel fully integrated into Israeli society — not just in words, but in real, everyday life. A great example of that is Magen David Adom (MDA), where I serve as a paramedic. At Magen David Adom, we are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze — and we work side by side with one mission: saving lives. There is no room for division when someone’s life is at stake. In those critical moments, we are simply humans caring for humans. That unity reflects the kind of society so many of us hope to see — one where shared purpose overcomes separation.

Through experiences like these, I’ve learned that identity doesn’t have to divide us — it can expand our empathy and sense of responsibility. My faith and my work have taught me to be a light where it’s needed most, and to believe that even in complexity, hope and healing are possible.

How did the October 7 attacks affect Israel’s Arab citizens?

October 7 shook us all deeply. For me, it deepened my commitment to serve through Magen David Adom and to show the world that we as Jews and Arabs do work together, we are united.

While the media often focuses on political divisions, what many people outside the country don’t realize is that Arab communities were also deeply affected — emotionally, socially, and even physically. Arab citizens mourned the loss of life like everyone else, and many stepped up to help in any way they could.

In the community, it brought more unity, prayer, and a strong desire to be a light in difficult times. I believe healing will come through compassion, faith, and small acts of hope every day. And that really reminds me that “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me”, from Psalm 23:4.

Can you tell us a little about what a day is like during your volunteer work with Magen David Adom?

Every shift with Magen David Adom is different — and that’s what makes it both humbling and intense. I can start my day responding to a minor injury or someone fainting, and within an hour be rushing to a scene of a car accident or a cardiac arrest. The pace is fast, the stakes are high, and the emotional weight can be heavy — especially when responding to children, elderly patients, or trauma calls near conflict areas.

But what stays with me most isn’t just the emergencies — it’s the teamwork. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze — we’re all in the same ambulance, making split-second decisions together. There’s no time for politics or divisions when someone’s life is on the line. We rely on each other. We learn from each other. And that unity, that shared mission, gives me hope.

Even when the sirens fade and the adrenaline settles, I carry the moments — a hand I held, a life we saved, or even just a small comfort we offered someone in their most vulnerable moment. It’s a privilege to be part of that.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome