Every Arab loves a Jewish doctor

From the Arabic website alBawaba comes the curious story of Professor Moshe Mani of Tel Hashomer hospital, a Jerusalem-born Israeli with roots in Baghdad, who since 1978 has posed as a Palestinian in a jellabiya and treated Arab leaders. His true identity was known only to Adnan Khashoggi, the Saudi businessman, who ferried him around the Middle East in his private jet."There is nothing an Arab likes more," says Khashoggi," than a Jewish doctor".

"In a private air field in the Saudi capital, the limousines would await his arrival. None of his special Saudi patients knew that he was actually Israeli. Moshe Mani, born in Jerusalem, the son of a well-off family that included distinguished Rabbis and lawyers, with roots in Baghdad and Georgia, had undertaken a new identity during his secret journeys. With the help of a British passport that was issued in Rome – he had “turned into” a Palestine-born son of an Iranian mother and Italian mother. His new name was Manual Mani.

"When I had entered the Saudi experience (Prof Mani said), I informed the relevant people (in Israel), and an order from the prime-minister’s office came out to Tel HaShomer not to ask me any questions regarding my long absences. They (the hospital officials) were also ordered to save my position and salary, also if I were absent for long periods of time, and not to intervene (in my affairs)”.

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