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Last update - 23:20 10/10/2008
Israel grants rare entry to cancer-stricken Iranian boy
By The Associated Press
Tags: Iran, cancer, Israel news

A 12-year-old cancer-stricken Iranian boy arrived at an Israeli hospital on Friday for emergency treatment on his brain tumor.

The boy - who was identified only as Roy, to protect his privacy - was wheeled on a stretcher into the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, after treatments in Iran and Turkey failed. His face was puffy, apparently due to the drugs administered to ease his pain.

Israel granted the child a special permit to enter the country and he arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on Friday. The rare arrangement was mediated by an Israeli businessman of Iranian origin. The boy was accompanied to the hospital by his father and veiled mother, who were also granted special entry permits into Israel.
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Iran and Israel are bitter enemies and have no formal relations. Iran's president has denied the Holocaust and repeatedly called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

Sheba CEO Zeev Rotstein said it wasn't the first time Israeli doctors have treated children from adversarial states.

"We hope that with the love and affection we give these kids we are paving the way for at least some understanding between people," he said. "We can't change the politics. We are not politicians. We do this because we feel it is our job."

Israel is home to world-class hospitals and state-of-the-art medical technology.

Dr. Amos Toren, head of Sheba's Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department, said his initial diagnosis was that the boy's year- old growth was the most aggressive tumor that exists among brain tumors.

"He is conscious and he can smile but it is hard," he said. "We will give him the most modern treatment possible and maybe we will be able to help him."

Rotstein said the child had been operated on before and may need another procedure in Israel.

"There are very limited things you can do," he said. "But if this kid has any chance, it is here."

He said the hospital kept the identities of patients from countries hostile to Israel secret, so that they would not face danger upon their return home. Iran and several other Middle East countries oppose any type of normalization with Israel.

Rotstein said he hoped treatments, like those of Roy, would help break down some of those barriers.

"As far as we are concerned, we are not involved in politics," he said. "He is from a country that doesn't really like our existence here, but I think part of our job is to prove to countries like Iran that we are here to help the regular people."

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      1.   I wonder if this is reported in the Iranian press? 21:15  |  Adam in Texas 10/10/08
      2.   truly amazing or is there more to this story 21:17  |  Curious 10/10/08
      3.   News that makes one proud to be an Israeli 21:45  |  Gil 10/10/08
      4.   Israel -a light unto nations 22:06  |  don 10/10/08
      5.   Piety that his name is anonymous 22:09  |  HS 10/10/08
      6.   # 3. Curious. Not that amazing, just not often in the press. 22:09  |  Stephen. 10/10/08
      7.   This story should be published in the media abroad 22:16  |  Benjamina 10/10/08
      8.   One of the reasons why Israel is Loved by so many 22:21  |  Gina 10/10/08
      9.   No barriers will be broken 22:29  |  judith 10/10/08
      10.   another lay 22:36  |  farrokh 10/10/08
      11.   Natallie Durson, where are you? 22:41  |  Jerusalem Jew 10/10/08
      12.   Always the same 22:43  |  Armand 10/10/08
      13.   iranian biy 23:00  |  dariush 10/10/08
      14.   Israel 23:08  |  Persian Kitty 10/10/08
      15.   Curious 23:22  |  Persian Kitty 10/10/08
      16.   HS # 5 Prayer 23:33  |  Bill H. 10/10/08
      17.   to #7. Benjamina 23:38  |  BigBird 10/10/08
      18.   farrokh from tampa 23:41  |  David Israel 10/10/08
      19.   Well done, Israel !!! 00:24  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/10/08
      20.   For Farrokh #10 / Iranian Boy 00:24  |  dariush 11/10/08
      21.   Farrokh 00:37  |  truly yours 11/10/08
      22.   Israel has treated HUNDREDS in the last 3 years alone 00:37  |  Zvi 11/10/08
      23.   #17 Bigbird 00:52  |  HS 11/10/08
      24.   Adam in Houston - PressTV 01:04  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/10/08
      25.   In exchange, we can send Ben Jabo Ben Tize to an iranian hospital 01:36  |  Aounist 11/10/08
      26.   Hoping for a full recovery! 01:54  |  Free Gilad Shalit 11/10/08
      27.   #2 curious 02:16  |  another curious soul 11/10/08
      28.   Not to be depressing or anything but... 02:21  |  Aphemia 11/10/08
      29.   Iran 1000000++ Israel 1 02:56  |  Iranian 11/10/08
      30.   Israel and its great humanitarian care even of their sworn enemy 03:12  |  glenna 11/10/08
      31.   A PERFECT COUNTRY OF ISRAEL 03:21  |  indrajaya 11/10/08
      32.   Offer Free Treatment To Sick Iranian Citizens? 03:32  |  NoToStupidRules 11/10/08
      33.   I ask we all might say ... 03:45  |  Morris Valentine 11/10/08
      34.   Well done, swiss d !!! 03:49  |  CK Tan 11/10/08
      35.   #26 iranian OBSCURES 1000000++ with 1 04:10  |  CK Tan 11/10/08
      36.   #11 04:24  |  Sank 11/10/08
      37.   Not so, Iranian 04:32  |  Slibovitz 11/10/08
      38.   HS #5 04:49  |  Bonnie 11/10/08
      39.   Indrajaya #31 04:51  |  Bonnie 11/10/08
      40.   Kol Hakavod!!!! 05:08  |  Iranian jew 11/10/08
      41.   #35 05:23  |  BigBird 11/10/08
      42.   #10 Farrokh 07:17  |  Daniela 11/10/08
      43.   for # 35 07:20  |  dariush 11/10/08
      44.   #iranian 07:27  |  Daniela 11/10/08
      45.   Aonist still the hatred? Not very attractive 07:42  |  x-ray 11/10/08
      46.   What !! not even a whisper 07:42  |  MJ 11/10/08
      47.   #9, judith 08:02  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/10/08
      48.   Political grandstanding 08:03  |  Natallie Durson 11/10/08
      49.   ISRAELI PEOPLE 08:41  |  Mehran from Iran 11/10/08
      50.   Heartless Durson 08:43  |  Doctor 11/10/08
      51.   Big Bird - It is a gilded cage 08:54  |  Slibovitz 11/10/08
      52.   #48 Nathalie Durson 09:03  |  Daniela 11/10/08
      53.   Natallie, not cured of antisemitism 09:18  |  Israeli citizen 11/10/08
      54.   to 29 09:23  |  Dariush 11/10/08
      55.   Actually, Israeli hospitals keep admitting Arabs from the Gaza 09:28  |  Avni 11/10/08
      56.   Natallie Durson Had to come and sing a wrong note, a cacophony... 09:35  |  S 11/10/08
      57.   #.48 Natallie Durson. 09:39  |  Stephen. 11/10/08
      58.   a beautiful gesture by israel! 09:47  |  eric 11/10/08
      59.   # 1 to adam in texas re: reporting 09:48  |  eric 11/10/08
      60.   We can only wish full recover to this boy 10:10  |  maurice 11/10/08
      61.   Aounist 10:10  |  truly yours 11/10/08
      62.   Natallie Durson 10:14  |  truly yours 11/10/08
      63.   Sorry:13201 applications, 8796 admitted from Gaza in 2008 10:15  |  Arthur 11/10/08
      64.   Go Luck to "Roy" 10:58  |  Scott G 11/10/08
      65.   Thank you for helping an Iranian boy:) 10:59  |  elinor from Iran 11/10/08
      66.   may hashem help this afflicted boy 11:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/10/08
      67.   BEST Wishes to "Roy" for a speedy and full recovery 11:33  |  PETER SM 11/10/08
      68.   Nathalie Durson # 48. 11:45  |  David Nigel Braham 11/10/08
      69.   Mother of an Israeli handicapped boy had laid dead for days 11:51  |  Absolute Sweden 11/10/08
      70.   DURSON.They chose Israel because it HAS the facilities.Upsets you 12:06  |  PETER SM 11/10/08
      71.   ANOTHER curious soul.A simple question & bypass your conspiracies 12:13