Israel still searching for Nationals in NZ
The Israeli Government remains highly concerned as to the whereabouts of its citizens as yet unaccounted for in New Zealand following this week’s catastrophic earthquake in Christchurch.
Ambassador Shemi Tzur told J-Wire this morning: “I don’t want to put numbers to the list. It is possible that many of those unaccounted for are travelling elsewhere in New Zealand and we are still trying to locate them one by one.”
24-yr-old Ofir Mizrachi is reported to have been killed when masonry fell on the car in which he was travelling with three other Israelis. But his name is yet to be officially released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Ambassador Tzur said that New Zealand Prime Minister John Key had made a statement in which he said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had passed on to him personally condolences from the people of Israel.
In the meantime, Consul Teddy Poplinger remains in Christchurch working with authorities to track down the whereabouts of missing Israelis. News reports from Israel put the number between 20 and thirty but Ambassador Tzur could not confirm this.
