Israeli man to recieve medal of honor for rescue of Turkish climber
ISTANBUL
AFP Photo
Israeli mountaineer Nadav Ben-Yahuda will receive Israel's Presidential Medal of Honor for his rescue of a Turkish climber after abondaning his climb to the summit of Mount Everest, 300 meters away from the peak, according to ynetnews.com.The 24-year-old climber reportedly tried to convince authorities not to award him the medal as he does not believe his actions were important enough to justify receiving the award.
"I am surprised, they called me from the president's residence and told me that [he] wants to give me the medal of honor, and I'm still trying to convince them to give it up," the Israeli climber said. "I heard about the people who have received this medal, and I don't think I am in the same caliber. Some of these people did amazing things,"
Ben-Yahuda reportedly did not regret being unable to complete his climb and become the youngest Israeli to reach Everest’s summit due to saving a Turkish climber.
"A person's life, any person's life, is more valuable than anything," he said. "I knew that I might lose my fingers, but that wasn't something I could worry about because that would be immoral."
