Benjamin Netanyahu visited Croatian crews which are helping Israel fight wildfires.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a military base in Hatzor where he met with Croatian crews of two firefighting airplanes, led by their commander Davor Turković. The crews and the planes are in Israel at an invitation of Israeli authorities to help fight wildfires which are raging in the country, reports Index.hr on November 26, 2016.
It was obvious that this was not just an ordinary visit for Benjamin Netanyahu, although he of course talked with firefighting teams from other countries as well. As soon as he came, he immediately talked with the commander of Croatian fire squadron, Colonel Turković.
Turković explained the approach to piloting techniques and firefighting which is being used by Croatian crews, which have extensive experience with fighting wildfires on Croatian coast. He then invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to enter one of the airplanes and sit in the captain’s chair. Netanyahu was visibly interested for this type of aircraft and even asked Turkovi about their price.
Two Croatian firefighting crew arrived in Israel on Thursday to take part in a large international efforts. The two aircraft with 14 crew members and technical staff are led by captains, Colonels Davor Turković and Goran Vlahović and Majors Tomislav Slavica and Željko Žugaj.
“Fires around Haifa and Mount of Jerusalem break out one after the other, and the conditions for firefighting are extremely difficult, and therefore our quick reaction and the ability to work from dawn to dusk have sparked enthusiasm and gratitude among the people of Israel and their government”, said Colonel Turković.
During the visit, Netanyahu expressed his gratitude to Croatia for its prompt response to the call for help, the rapid arrival of Croatian airplanes, and the speedy inclusion in firefighting efforts.
