October 7 survivor Remo Salman El-Hozayel meets hero Bondi cop Amy Scott
Two police officers from opposite sides of the world — both hailed heroes for their actions in protecting people from horrific crimes — met in Bondi this week.
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Hero cop — meet hero cop.
An extraordinary chance meeting this week in Sydney saw a visiting Israeli police officer — acclaimed for an unbelievable rescue mission of at least 200 concertgoers at the October 7 Nova massacre — meet our very own homegrown Bondi Westfield stabbing hero cop Inspector Amy Scott.
The meeting, at Waverley Police Station, was just one of a series of community meetings organised for Remo Salman El-Hozayel, 37, a Muslim police officer with Arab Bedouin and Swiss heritage, during a short visit to Australia.
Along with fellow concertgoer survivor Mazal Tazazo, Mr El-Hozayel is here to tell his incredible tale of driving back and forth 30 times during the height of the horrific murder spree, rescuing terrified young people.
He also wants to “open doors” — document the reality of how modern and tolerant Israel is, with its own population of 2.5 million Muslims.
But while meeting community groups in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Mr El-Hozayel was taken to the local police station — and ended up meeting Inspector Scott, who shot dead crazed knifeman Joel Cauchi in April, saving an unknown number of innocent shoppers.
“It was an emotional moment for us because she has a family and I have a family,” he said.
“And we were both in a harmful situation. And we did our job.
“I was excited to hear her story, how she managed to reach and put down that one, the devil. It’s amazing.
“It’s our code. Police code. Protect and serve. No matter what the issue, even if it’s very hard — we can handle it.
“She said she’s proud of what I have done. But I also told her, I’m proud of what you have done.”
On that fateful day Mr El-Hozayel had only been on duty as a security guard for eight minutes when the firing started. His own car was blown up by a grenade.
Luckily he found an empty car with a key in it and full tank and then began driving people to a nearby greenhouse used as a safe zone.
There were just 35 cops with pistols defending 4000 concert goers against 350 Hamas terrorists, who were armed with grenades, rockets and assault rifles.
Despite at one point his wife pleading with him to come home — he’s a father of three — he kept going.
“My mission was to rescue as many as I can,” he said.
Each trip saw between eight and 10 concert goers jammed in, some forced to go in the boot, while he sped to a nearby greenhouse in a safe area, then returned for more. He was shot at, but miraculously was not hit — nor was the car.
Earlier, he had played dead in a field, and survived an onslaught of bullets.
Then he went back to his regular job as an investigating policeman the next day.
“My mission now is to tell my survival story, what I saw with my eyes,” he said.
His message to anti-Israel protesters in Australia is to look at the reality of modern Israel — how Christians, Jews and Muslims live peacefully together “in the same job, having fun together”.
“If they don’t believe, they can come to Israel (and see) where it’s all nice.”
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