The Israeli youth who had been missing for 2 years was found in a psychiatric hospital in Jordan and returned home

ujkelet.live

The 27-year-old Israeli Salom Rotban, who had been missing for two years, was found in a Jordanian psychiatric hospital and brought home to Israel on Thursday, with the help of President Yichák Herzog and the Jordanian consulate.

“I can’t put into words the joy we are experiencing,” Salom’s brother told Channel 12.

Rotban was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress after a missile struck near his home in Kirjat Malachi during Operation Cloud Pillar in 2012, killing three of his friends. After that, his mental state deteriorated and he often disappeared. Three months after his last disappearance, his family appealed for the public’s help in finding him and claimed that the police were making no efforts to trace him.

Twenty-five days ago, residents of Jordan accidentally found Rotban walking on a road near the capital, Amman. He was taken to a mental institution, where an Arab-Israeli medical student in Taibe discovered he was Israeli and managed to contact his family.

“I had an exam, so I arrived at the hospital very early, the head of department suddenly asked if I knew Hebrew, I answered yes,” Mohammed Kamal Altakat recalled what happened, according to Kan public broadcaster. “They quickly brought a man, he didn’t speak, they said he didn’t have a passport or identification document. At first he didn’t answer, so I wrote everything down in a notebook, then he started to answer in writing, he remembered for his mother. I called his mother, who burst into tears. I reassured her that everything was fine.”

His family tried unsuccessfully to bring him home to Israel, with a volunteer organization helping to find missing persons, which organized a delegation of family members and people with trial experience familiar with similar cases, but they still had trouble getting help from the authorities. The Jordanian security service showed great interest in the case, and Rotban’s release was delayed.

In the middle of the night on Wednesday, the organization made an urgent request to President Herzog’s team to intervene personally, given his good relations with the Jordanian royal house, and with the goal of releasing the young man to Israel before Shavuot. The President’s team worked together with the Jordanian Royal Palace team, who immediately came to the aid of the humanitarian case in question, which led to the acceleration of events.

With the help of President Herzog, Israeli Consul Gali Yichák to Jordan, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, State Department Director General Ronen Levy, and Anat Avitar, head of the Department of State’s Israelis Abroad Division, Rotban was released and returned to Israel through the Allenby Crossing on Thursday afternoon to meet an excited crowd. with his family.

“Immense joy,” Sálom’s brother shared the family’s feelings. “I want to say a big thank you to Mohammed Kamal Altakat, a nurse at the Jordanian hospital, who showed ingenuity and managed to find my brother and connect him with our family. Thanks to the State Department and Secretary of State Eli Cohen. To Director General Ronan Levy, Amman Consul and Assistant Gali Jichák, who worked 24 hours a day, non-stop, with endless attention. They made sure we didn’t come home without my brother. And to all of Israel, for their concern, prayers and support”.