The Israeli ambassador to the Philippines has pledged continued support for Filipino families affected by the ongoing Middle East conflict, singling out the case of a caregiver who died while shielding her elderly employer during an Iranian missile strike.
Ambassador Dana Kursh, speaking at the launch of the Isha Women’s Center at Rizal Medical Center on Tuesday, said six Filipinos based in Israel have been killed since the conflict began on October 7, 2023. She said her government treats those victims the same as Israeli nationals.
“Mary Ann de Vera is part and parcel of Israel, and her family are part and parcel of Israel, not just of the Philippines. She is an OFW that selflessly sacrificed her own security to the elderly that she was taking care of, and was hit by Iranian missiles, and unfortunately lost her life. Once that is happening, the Israeli government is automatically deciding that the family will be considered casualty of war or casualty of terrorist attacks,” Kursh said in a GMA News Online report.
Kursh had personally traveled to Pangasinan to deliver assistance to de Vera’s family. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously identified de Vera as a caregiver who was killed while guiding her employer toward a bomb shelter when the airstrike hit.
The ambassador said the same financial and humanitarian support extended to de Vera’s relatives will be given to the families of the other five Filipino fatalities.
Kursh also acknowledged the work of the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in managing the repatriation of Filipinos who want to return home, according to GMA News Online.
“I think I would like to salute the Filipino government from the President and, of course, two entities that are working night and day and day and night to save lives of all OFWs in the Middle East… They are trying to bring back home the people who want to repatriate. I’m proudly saying that from Israel, just a few want to repatriate because they feel safe enough in Israel because they feel that they are part and parcel of Israel as well,” she said.
Kursh framed the Israel-Philippines relationship as one built on shared endurance, expressing hope that the two countries’ cooperation would eventually shift away from crisis response.
“The partnership between Israel and the Philippines is based on resilience… We will endure together this phase of pain, of the tragedy of losing life, and God willing, we’ll be able to dedicate and focus on health issues and on how do we better the life of humankind at large and women health in the future and not dealing with war, unfortunately,” the envoy said.
