Israel’s Overseas Ministry confirmed on Tuesday night that an Israeli citizen was kidnapped whereas visiting Ethiopia.
‘’Final night time we obtained a report about an Israeli nationwide kidnapped in Ethiopia within the Gondar area,” the international ministry mentioned in a press release. With out figuring out his identify, the ministry added that the “consular division is involved along with his members of the family, and in addition acts vis-a-vis the Interpol. Israel’s consul in Ethiopia is involved with native safety authorities to be able to deliver his launch quickly and in good well being.”
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that the individual kidnapped is of Ethiopian origin. The 79-year-old Israeli was kidnapped throughout a visit to Ethiopia a couple of days in the past within the Gondar area, positioned in Amhara. He had despatched a voice message to his members of the family pleading “Assist me, I am in the midst of the jungle, it is pouring rain,” KAN reported.
He then despatched one other message saying “I ought to have come on Sunday and I am going to most likely keep right here. Such a destiny shouldn’t even bestowed on one’s enemies.” An image of him handcuffed was hooked up to the message.
Based on KAN, the person was most likely robbed and the incident is probably going of felony and never political nature. It’s unclear what was the kidnapped individual doing in Gondar, the capital of the Amhara area. A lot of the Ethiopian Jews who had immigrated to Israel prior to now three a long time got here from Gondar. The sufferer might have been visiting relations, although only a few Jews nonetheless dwell there.
The kidnapping of the Israeli man in Ethiopia comes one week solely after a press release launched by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace, revealing that Israeli-Russian Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov has been kidnapped finish of March in Iraq. Since that assertion, Israeli authorities had volunteered no different particulars, neither on her actual whereabouts nor on the contacts performed for her launch.
