It was no surprise that in the midst of a national medical emergency that Israel would choose to honor the work of Magen David Adom (MDA), the Jewish state’s primary emergency medical service.

What is surprising is that they chose a 21-year-old Christian Arab girl from Nazareth to light one of the 12 iconic torches in Jerusalem during what has become the most notable event of Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.

Israel Today presents the exclusive story of how this young Arab girl captured the imagination of the people of Israel and become representative of the Jewish Nation’s critical life-saving services as we prepare to celebrate Israel’s 72nd birthday.

Who is this girl?

Her name is Yasmin, and like all Israeli kids entering her first year of high school at 14-years-old, she had to choose where she wanted to do her national volunteer service. Israeli children, Arab and Jewish, are trained from early on to serve the Jewish nation in places like animal rescue centers, old age homes, among special needs children and...