Israel.- A group of 11 Dominicans who traveled to Israel from New York for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Turkey have found themselves stranded in Israel due to the ongoing conflict in the region. The group includes four individuals with American residences, which has complicated their situation as they have sought assistance from both the Dominican consulate in Israel and the US embassy.
While the seven Dominicans with US citizenship have options to return to New York, they have chosen to stay in Israel to support the four who are still waiting for help. The stranded individuals range in age from 65 to 80 years old.
Nancy Cotén, one of the stranded Dominicans, explained that they have been actively searching for ways to leave Israel, including applying for visas to Greece and looking for available flights to countries where they can travel without a visa. Congressman Adriano Espaillat’s office has been assisting them in their efforts.
The group had arrived in Israel on October 7 for their pilgrimage, unaware of the conflict that would erupt. They were initially informed that everything was calm, but the situation escalated suddenly, leading to the cancellation of their scheduled flight to Turkey.
Nancy Cotén expressed her concern for her mother, who is hypertensive, diabetic, and has a heart condition, making her vulnerable in the current situation. The group has described their journey as exhausting and stressful, especially for the older adults with health conditions among them.
Congressman Espaillat has been coordinating their departure and exploring various options, including crossing the Jordanian border. They are also looking for flights to Dubai as an alternative in case they cannot obtain visas to Greece. In the meantime, the group will have to spend another night at the airport in Israel.