Embassy investigates missing Vietnamese student in Israel

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is working closely with local agencies to investigate the case of Vietnamese student Nguyễn Hải Bình.

A body thought to be Bình, who has been missing for the last six years, was found in the Neot HaKikar desert in the Arava region of Israel, along with identification documents and personal effects.

Ambassador Đỗ Minh Hùng told Vietnam News Agency that over the past three years, he has continued to bring up the case during his working sessions with the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel (MASHAV), and the Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training (AICAT) where Binh studied.

After receiving information from Israeli police, the embassy is working on three matters: asking for final conclusion on whether the body is Binh or not; coordinating with relevant agencies to bring Binh’s body home following the wishes of his family; and clarifying the insurance policy and compensation for the case, said Hùng.

AICAT Director Hanni Arnon said that police had yet to formally identify the body, but will contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and police in Arava to ask for a verification report to serve as the foundation for an insurance settlement.

Binh, born in 1993, went to Israel on August 2, 2016, as part of an exchange programme between the Hồ Chí Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry (HCMUAF) and the AICAT Centre in Israel.

However, 45 days after he arrived in the Middle Eastern country, Bình went missing and lost contact with his friends and family.

A forensic examination is underway before an official announcement of the cause of Bình's death is released./.