Azerbaijani soldier Arif Hajiyev, who was wounded during 44-days Patriotic War and was operated by Israeli doctor Yishay Falick who returned his eyesight in a complex cornea transplant, fulfilled his dream of visiting Israel and meeting with the doctor and the Israeli cornea donor’s family.

The trip was organized by Nurit Greenger, President, US-AZ Cultural Foundation, and Eti El-Kiss, CEO, Double Trouble Production. The trip has received a huge support from the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AZAL, the Israel Embassy in Azerbaijan, Ambassador George Deek, and various organizations and individuals in the USA.

Doctor Yishay Falick, an ophthalmic surgeon, expert in the field of corneal transplantation and construction of the ocular surface with stem cells, who operated on Arif’s eye met Arif and checked his eye’s condition once again. Dr. Falick thanked President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for their care of veterans of the 2nd Karabakh War. He noted the “YASAT” pivotal role in treatment and recovery of hundreds wounded soldiers of Azerbaijan.

During the trip, Arif also met the cornea donor‘s family and thanked them for contributing a cornea which returned his ability to see in the wounded eye again. Arif also met with Mr. Moshe Fadlon, the Mayor of the City of Herzliya, where Arif’s cornea donor’s family resides. At the Mayor’s office, Arif received the key to the city of Herzliya.

In his visit to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Arif briefly met several ministers in the halls of the building: Minister Yoav Galant, Knesset Chair Yariv Levin and Knesset member Boaz Bismuth.

Nurit Greenger, the President of US-AZ Cultural Foundation, noted that it’s their first initiative and more to come: “I met Arif while visiting Azerbaijan after the 2nd Karabakh war and still remember his courageous face when I asked him if he would go fighting again in Karabakh and he said yes, smiling. Then the idea of the trip to Israel emerged. We have some other interesting ideas and plan to fulfil them and broadcast in the US media market in 2023.”

Nurit Greenger, journalist and the president of US-AZ Cultural Foundation and Eti El-Kiss, CEO, Double Trouble Production are working on post-production editing of Arif’s visit to Israel film which will be ready in April 2023 and will include scenes of their trip to both Azerbaijan and Israel.

US-AZ Cultural Foundation (www.us-az-culturalfoundation.com) has been established in USA in 2022 and its goal is to serve as a contributing to boost and increase relations between Azerbaijan and the United States, in particular, as well as the West, in general, via culture, dialogue, media, entertainment, film & documentary.