Israeli Tourist Killed in Vietnam Motorcycle Crash

A 23-year-old Israeli man, David Ben Lulu from Jerusalem, died in a motorcycle accident in Vietnam last Friday. The incident occurred while he was riding a motorcycle in the Southeast Asian country.

Following the accident, ZAKA (Disaster Victim Identification) and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated efforts to repatriate his body for burial in Israel. Due to the complexity of the case, which involved the deceased holding both Israeli and French citizenship, ZAKA's international unit and the Foreign Ministry engaged with relevant French and Vietnamese authorities.

As part of these efforts, an appeal was made to the French Foreign Ministry, leading to the special opening of the French Consulate in Hanoi on Sunday. The consulate, which was scheduled to be closed, reopened specifically to expedite the handling of the case and complete the necessary documentation for the body's transfer.

ZAKA's international unit is also coordinating with the family and local officials to ensure the deceased is treated with dignity and to finalize procedures for his transport to Hanoi and subsequent flight to Israel. Serge Ben Haim, ZAKA France commander, stated that efforts are ongoing with French, Vietnamese, and Israeli authorities, and he personally visited the French Foreign Ministry to ensure the Hanoi team received the necessary instructions. He noted that the body is located hundreds of kilometers from Hanoi, and they are working to arrange its transfer and return to Israel as quickly as possible.

Chaim Weingarten, ZAKA's deputy operations director, described the case as complex, requiring coordination across multiple countries. He expressed hope that all necessary actions will be completed swiftly to bring David for burial in Israel.