Shalom Rotban, a young man from Kiryat Malachi who went missing for two years, has returned home and spent Shavuot with his family. In an interview with News 13, the family expressed their joy at being reunited with him but also requested that the state assists in his rehabilitation process. Though he feels less in touch with himself, he understands that he has returned home.
After disappearing for two years, Rotban’s family finally found him in Jordan and celebrated Shavuot together. They learned that he had gotten lost and were overjoyed to see him back home. Rotban’s family had been searching for him since 2012 when he was caught in a rocket attack in Kiryat Malachi, which left him traumatized.
Rotban’s family never gave up hope, but his whereabouts remained unknown until recently. Jordanian residents found him and took him to a mental hospital, where he was later identified by a nursing student from Arara in the Negev who was studying in Jordan. After many attempts at persuasion, Rotban gave him his mother’s phone number, and they finally located him.
After receiving an appeal from the family, the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen got involved in the case, and President Yitzhak Herzog made an appeal on behalf of the family. They were able to bring Rotban back to Israel before the holiday, thanks to the assistance of the Israeli Defense Forces and other organizations.
Rotban’s father expressed his excitement at being reunited with his son after so long. The commander of the Israeli canine unit also praised the efforts of those who assisted with the search and expressed hope that this case would help other missing persons cases. Ultimately, Rotban’s family is happy to have him back home and hopes that he will receive the help he needs to regain his sense of self.
Shalom Rotban, the young man from Kiryat Malachi who was absent for two years, returned home and spent Shavuot with his family. In a conversation with News 13, they talk about the joy following the union with him – but also ask the state to accept the responsibility and assist in his rehabilitation process. “He feels less what is happening to him, but he understands that he has returned home”
After two years of not knowing what happened to him, Shalom Rotban’s family members, The young man from Kiryat Malachi who was located in Jordancelebrated Shavuot together with him, his brother told News 13 today: “My mother called me, and when I answered her she shouted – find Shalom in Jordan. My father was able to verify this with the doctor who found him, they made a video call with him and my father recognized him.” .
“We tried to ask him how he got to Jordan, and why he didn’t call us until now,” the brother added, “He said he just got lost. We went to Jordan, me, my older brother and my mother went to get him. He made the holiday dinner with us, we were happy, it was A great joy that cannot be described in words. He is happy, he feels less what is happening to him, but he does understand that he is back home. You can see it in his smile.”
This shocking story began in 2012, when Rotban was caught in the scene of a direct hit by a rocket on a building in Kiryat Malachi during Operation “Pillar”. Three neighbors he knew well were killed by the rocket, and since then he stopped talking and became, according to his family, a different person.
Rotban often disappeared and returned home, and then came the “Guardian of the Walls” operation. The sights and sounds returned to him, and on May 2, 2021 he left his house again – and this time he did not return. The family members did not lose hope, but the mystery has not been solved until now.
Rotban was found about three weeks ago by Jordanian residents, and they took him to a mental hospital. Kamal Div Altalkat, a resident of Arara in the Negev who is studying nursing in Jordan, came to the test at the hospital where the head of the department asked him for help in identifying the patient who no one at the hospital knew who he was. After many attempts at persuasion, Rotban gave him his mother’s cell phone number, and after Kamal sent her pictures of himself, it turned out that it was indeed him.
At this stage, the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also entered the picture, and in addition, an appeal was received to President Yitzhak Herzog, who went to the Jordanian royal palace, where they immediately granted his request and returned him to Israel before the holiday.
Eliezer, Rotban’s father, told News 13 last night: “The feelings are good, God willing, thanks to the miracle that the Holy One, blessed be He, did for us and for all the people who helped. I don’t know how it was, someone called and reported to us. I haven’t met him yet. We were always optimistic. There’s no such thing as giving up. We said that until we find him, we won’t give up. I can’t believe I’m going to meet him. I’m excited. He’s a reborn human being.”
The commander of the canine unit for Israel, Mike Ben Yaakov, said, “We salute the angels of the Israel Defense Forces and the other organizations that assisted in the searches, and in particular the negotiation team and the management team of special operations in foreign countries of the Defense Forces who came with his family and a representative of the Am Yisrael Chai Foundation to Jordan to lead the operation. And accompany Shalom until he crossed the border into Israel at these moments.”
“We confirmed what is good for our part,” added Ben Ya’akov, “only in the State of Israel is a civilian dog unit able to reach the President of the State at 1:30 in the morning to help a poor missing person. I wish that YCL would receive such help to rescue and save more missing persons from those in charge of the field of missing persons in the State of Israel. I hope that this case will affect many other missing persons cases, and that Shikal will receive the tools and recognition to reach out to many other missing people who can be located and saved. The main thing: Shalom is found after years of searching and despair, and will be able to celebrate the holiday of Matan Torah in the bosom of his family.”