24 Years After a Terror Attack, an Israeli Donates a Kidney to the Brother of the Man Who Saved His Life

A kidney transplant performed at Beilinson Hospital has led to an extraordinary story in which fate appears to have reunited two lives forever linked by terrorism. Twenty-four years after surviving a deadly terrorist attack, an Israeli man donated one of his kidneys—to the brother of the man who had saved his life.

The story dates back to 2002, at the height of the Second Intifada. A terrorist infiltrated the pre-military yeshiva in Atzmona, in the former Gush Katif bloc in the Gaza Strip. The attack claimed the lives of five students and left many others seriously injured. The massacre was brought to an end by Eyal Tam, commander of the community's emergency response team, who neutralized the terrorist and saved numerous lives, including that of Yonatan Rom, then a teacher at the academy.

Nearly a quarter of a century later, Yonatan Rom decided to become an altruistic kidney donor. Although his kidney was not compatible with the patient originally intended to receive it, he chose to continue through Israel's kidney exchange program, allowing his donation to be matched with another patient he had never met.

A few days before the surgery at Beilinson Hospital, Rom met the recipient, Reuven Tam, for the first time. During their conversation, both men were astonished to discover that Reuven was the brother of Eyal Tam—the very man who had stopped the 2002 terrorist attack and saved Yonatan's life.

The transplant was successfully completed, giving Reuven Tam a new chance at life.

For the medical team, the remarkable chain of events is unlike anything they had ever witnessed.

"The altruistic kidney donors truly represent the highest form of generosity," said Dr. Eviatar Nesher, head of the Transplant Department at Beilinson Hospital. "About half of all kidney transplants performed in Israel take place here, and every transplant has its own unique story. But this one is truly exceptional. Among all the donors and all the patients waiting for a kidney, these were the two people who ended up meeting."

Anat Briger, the hospital's transplant coordinator, described the emotional moment when the connection became clear.

Beyond its extraordinary coincidence, the story highlights the vital role of organ donation in Israel and the country's kidney exchange program, which enables dozens of patients with kidney failure to receive life-saving transplants each year thanks to the generosity of living donors.

Caroline Haïat