Israeli, Palestinian flags celebrated

on top of the world -- Mt. Everest

There were Israeli tears.  Then there were Palestinian tears yesterday, Thursday, 18 May 2006.

     Since April, a multi-nation team has been in Nepal ascending to treacherous Mt. Everest, Earth's highest place.
The Everest Peace Project -- http://everestpeaceproject.com/ -- includes a Palestinian, Ali Bushnaq, and two Israelis, David "Dudu" Yifrah and Micha Yaniv.

     At 7,000 meters -- 23,000 feet --  the Palestinian's heart was willing, but he was dizzy and too weak to continue safely.
Expedition leader Lance Trumbull -- EverestPeaceProject@msn.com -- wrote about Bushnaq: 
     "Unfortunately, although his mind and his heart were determined his body would not cooperate.
     "Ali has been suffering with mild pneumonia and has had some dizzy spells.
     "Part way through the beginning of the summit push Ali felt very weak and started to feel like he was going to 'black out.'"
Trumbull directed Bushnaq: "No mountain is worth ones health," and Ali wisely listened.

A touching moment.
     Israeli Micha Yaniv called back by radio, having not heard the news that Ali turned around and would not be joining them on their summit attempt.
     When the Palestinian answered the radio call Micha was shocked and when hearing the bad news, the Israeli cried over the radio.
Trumbull wrote: "It was quite moving to see how these three unlikely friends have bonded together as comrades and indeed brothers."

     Hours ago, Yifra and Yaniv became the second and third Israelis to summit Mt. Everest.
Ali Bushnaq climbed higher than an Palestinian in history -- 4 miles above the oceans.

Upon reaching the top of the world, Israeli David Yifra planted the Israeli and Palestinian flags side by side.
Bushnaq broke into tears when he heard of Yifrahs gesture.
Micha Yaniv stood on the summit of Everest, saying that at times he felt like quitting.
The Israeli, MichaYaniv, continued on so he could share his summit with Palestinian Ali Bushnaq.

(photo)

A Palestinian and two Israelis -- willing to go for the highest together.
     To show all of us what we can do in an atmosphere of teamwork and dedication.
We can go to places we'd never dreamed we could.

-L&L

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Published by YNetNews.com -- Friday, 19 May 2006
On the Web at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3252871,00.html

Israeli plants Palestinian flag on Mt. Everest
2 Israelis reach tallest point in the world as part of Everest Climb for Peace expedition;
one of them plants Israeli and Palestinian flags on summit as
gesture to fellow Palestinian mountain climber who collapsed on way to top

by Tzadok Yechezkeli

      Israeli mountain climber Dudu Yifrah of the Everest Climb for Peace expedition conquered the mountain from its Tibetan side at exactly 6:51 a.m. local time last Thursday after a grueling final climb of seven hours in -45 degrees weather.
Micha Yaniv, the second Israeli on the team, arrived two hours later.
     Upon reaching the summit, Yifrah, a 32-year-old farmer from Kfar Shamai, proceeded to plant Israeli and Palestinian flags, thus keeping his promise to fellow mountain climber Ali Bushnaq, a Palestinian water engineer who currently resides in Abu Dhabi, who collapsed on the way to the top and was forced to wait for the others at 7000 meters (23,000 feet).
Bushnaq broke into tears when he heard of Yifrahs gesture.
     Now he is my brother, he said.
Yaniv, a father of two from Beit Zayit, described each step along the final hundreds of meters as an eternity, adding that the view from the top was amazing.
     Everything looks so small from here, he told Yedioth Ahronoth from the summit.