A phone conversation has been made between a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter and Hong Shurany, a Vietnamese woman settling down in Israel, focusing on the situation of the Vietnamese community in Israel amidst a bloody conflict between the country and the Palestinian group Hamas.

The talk took place on Tuesday evening (Vietnam time) and was interrupted a few times due to the sound of explosions from the fighting between Israel and Hamas, the force controlling the Gaza Strip that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians.

The armed conflict broke out on October 7, when Hamas launched a new military campaign called 'Al-Aqsa Flood' against Israel.

More than 1,500 people have been killed and thousands of others from both sides have been injured in the Hamas attacks and Israel's counterattacks.

Hong married a Jewish man and has settled down in Israel for 21 years. They are now living in the Israeli city of Netanya, about 200 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. 

This Vietnamese-Israeli woman is currently a member of the Vietnamese Community Liaison Committee in Israel.

Through some posts on her Facebook page, Hong said her mood was not good due to worries about the conflict, as her son and four other relatives are serving in the Israeli army. 

Hong, however, maintained an optimistic spirit to provide Tuoi Tre with the most updated information about the current situation of the Vietnamese community in Israel.

The entire community as well as Israeli residents in Netanya were surprised and confused when Hamas forces suddenly launched their fierce attacks last Saturday, only one day after nearly 100 Vietnamese expatriates in Israel gathered to celebrate the birthday of a Vietnamese member in the community, Hong said.

The Israeli government quickly controlled the situation and the people’s mood stabilized soon, she added.

Currently, the Vietnamese community in Israel includes about 500 people living in many cities and regularly keeping in touch via WhatsApp or Facebook. 

The Vietnamese people in Israel have always complied with the host country’s laws, tried to motivate and support each other, and encountered no economic difficulties, Hong stated.

Most of the Vietnamese citizens there have been in safe conditions, except for about 10 Vietnamese students who are in hotspots of the conflict like Sredot, a city near the Gaza.

Hong said she was cooperating with the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel to ask Israeli military or security forces to take them out of the dangerous areas.

As Netanya is now less dangerous than other places, Hong and her Jewish husband are ready to welcome any Vietnamese to come and stay with them, the woman said.   

“At this time, whether our home is small or large and how much food we have, we are willing to help others to get through this difficult period,” Hong told Tuoi Tre.

As an active member of the Vietnamese community, Hong is still in close contact with the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel to promptly obtain information about people in need of support. 

As far as Tuoi Tre has known, the community has begun to make a list of people who potentially seek help and will send it to the embassy in Israel when necessary.

To date, no Vietnamese citizens have expressed their desire to leave Israel, but the embassy has prepared plans to evacuate them from dangerous areas to safe places.    

“Many people have asked why I have not returned to Vietnam. Israel has become my second homeland, so no matter what happens, I will hold on to it until the tough time passes,” she confided. 

“Over the past several days, I have been sending my wishes of a peaceful day to the Vietnamese community in Israel."

She said Vietnamese people are always united with Israelis to overcome difficulties in everyday life as well as during this stressful period.

The planned program to celebrate the Vietnamese Women's Day (October 20) among the Vietnamese community will have to be postponed, Hong said, believing that the community will resume their daily activities in the near future.

She also extended her thanks to Vietnamese in the homeland as well as overseas Vietnamese in other countries for their sentiments and concerns toward the Vietnamese community in Israel.

“Such feelings will help us get over this distress,” Hong told Tuoi Tre.  

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