Speaking at the Jerusalem Post Miami Summit, Gilad Erdan, global president of Magen David Adom, addressed regional developments involving Iran while underscoring Israel’s preparedness on the civilian front and MDA’s role in safeguarding lives under any scenario.
Erdan, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations and to the United States, framed Iran as the central destabilizing force in the region, pointing to what he described as a clear double standard in the international response to human rights abuses.
“Thousands of Iranians are being massacred by their own regime, and we don’t hear anything,” Erdan said. “We don’t see condemnations at the UN, and we don’t see any urgent discussions taking place in the Security Council.”
He said the international silence on Iran underscores why Israel has invested in strong, independent emergency infrastructure, with Magen David Adom serving as a cornerstone of civilian preparedness.
Drawing on his experience at the UN, Erdan criticized the effectiveness of international institutions and said recent actions by the United States reflect a growing recognition that deterrence, rather than declarations, shapes outcomes.
“President Trump understood that he cannot rely on international law and cannot rely on international organizations,” Erdan said, citing examples of authoritarian regimes holding leadership roles within UN bodies. “So he understood that in order to protect the future of the free world, we should use our power to create deterrence.”
Erdan described current developments involving Iran as a historic inflection point, pointing to widespread protests inside the country and calling on US President Donald Trump to seize what he described as a rare opportunity.
“This is history in the making,” Erdan said. “This is a rare window of opportunity for him to make history, to free the Iranian people from the oppression of their regime and crush the number one state sponsor of terrorism.”
Such a shift, he added, would “definitely change the future of Israel and the Middle East.”
Against that geopolitical backdrop, Erdan stressed that Magen David Adom operates in a constant state of readiness, ensuring Israel’s civilian emergency response remains fully prepared under any circumstances. “Since Magen David Adom is Israel’s only national emergency medical service, we stand prepared at all times,” Erdan said.
He pointed to MDA’s performance during Operation Rising Lion, the recent twelve-day confrontation involving Iran, as an example of how preparation and coordination save lives. Because MDA is integrated with Israel’s emergency and security systems, teams can deploy even before missiles land.
“Even before a missile is being shot from Iran, we can already see where this missile is about to fall, and we are dispatching our ambulances to wait for the missile,” Erdan said.
“Therefore, we succeeded in saving many, many lives.”
Asked what makes Magen David Adom the best emergency medical organization in the world, Erdan pointed to its ability to operate every day under constant security threats while maintaining the highest medical standards. He said its close coordination with the Israel Defense Forces, including the supply of fresh blood units to the front lines, has helped save significantly more wounded soldiers.
Beyond its capabilities, Erdan emphasized the spirit that defines MDA. Its paramedics and medics, he said, continue to respond even under direct danger. Since October 7, MDA has lost dozens of paramedics who paid the ultimate price while saving others.
Moments of geopolitical consequence, Erdan said, require not only strategic leadership but dependable civilian readiness, carried out by the heroic warriors in white of MDA.
Israel’s strength, he said, lies not only in deterrence, but in its ability to protect lives under any circumstances.
“That’s why today we call Magen David Adom the backbone of Israel’s resilience,” Erdan said.
Written in collaboration with MDA.