הדיפלומט שהחזיר את ארונה של ורד אביישר שנהרגה בהתהפכות ג’יפ ברכב האנאפורנה חזר ברגל למקום התאונה יום לאחר שהובאה למנוחות והקים אנדרטה מאולתרת לזכרה
מאת איתמר אייכנר
בתמונות איסמעיל חאלדי במקום התאונה מקים אנדרטה מאולתרת לזכרה של ורד אביישר – ללא קרדיט
איתמר אייכנר
Ishmael Khaldi – The diplomatic gesture in memory of Vered
After taking care of the body of the late Vered Aviyashar, Israel’s representative in Nepal, Ishmael Khaldi, set out on a journey to commemorate her where she was killed in a fatal accident. The improvised monument he now erected commemorates her with flowers, a flag, and a memorial plaque
Itamar Eichner
This week, in an extraordinary move, the Israeli representative in Nepal decided in a personal gesture to embark on a 12.5 kilometer trek in the memory of the late Vered Aviyashar – an Israeli backpacker who was killed a week and a half ago when a jeep overturned on the Annapurna ridge [west of the Himalayas]. 8 other Israelis were injured.
Ishmael Khaldi, who serves as Israel’s acting ambassador to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, received the announcement a day after he arrived in Nepal to reinforce the Israeli representation there. Khaldi, who is also the first Bedouin diplomat in the Foreign Ministry, handled the arrangements for Aviyashar’s coffin flying to Israel. Aviyashar, 26, of Kibbutz Ein Hanatziv, was buried in her kibbutz.
Khaldi had been in touch with Aviyashar’s family since the disaster became known, and at the same time, he helped the wounded who had been hospitalized in a local hospital. The day after Aviyashar was laid to rest in Israel, Khaldi decided to travel to the area of the accident.
He drove along the route where Vered traveled with her friends: 41 kilometers, then walked 12.5 kilometers to the scene of the accident called “Tal”. At the scene, the overturned jeep is still in place. The local police chief and his team waited for Khaldi and described the incident. Khaldi thanked them for their assistance on behalf of the Israeli Embassy and the State of Israel.
Khaldi decided to erect an improvised monument in memory of Vered that included rocks, trees, flowerpots, Israeli flags and sign with her name. Khaldi hopes that the site will serve in her memory as a landmark for tourists and Israelis traveling in the area. He also offered to promote an aid project that would include the establishment of an emergency medical kit and the training of local staff, who would be stationed there and would assist those injured in accidents in that remote area.
Khaldi said that Vered’s story touched him. “She was a happy young woman who wanted to see the world, and her story not only moved me, but also reflects the story of many Israelis who come to Nepal, and I felt a duty as a representative of the state and as a person to come here.” I wanted to bring with me some of the wounded who still stayed in Nepal, as I thought it would encourage them and help them get out of the trauma, and I hope it will help them heal.”
Originally in Hebrew at https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5029526,00.html
