As the conflict in Israel continues to break out, many people are fleeing or being evacuated from the country. This includes Taiwanese tourists, some of whom have posted stories claiming they received little assistance from the government.
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Pictures from the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv reveal how the violence in Israel leaves passengers scrambling to get flights out of the country. Taiwanese tourists report frantically trying to switch to earlier flights as the violence began, fearing rocket attacks could strike the airport.
Some even say they have received no help from the Taiwan representative office in Israel. One tourist posted an angry testimonial on Facebook, saying that they felt abandoned when they were told by office staff they must book the new tickets themselves because this requires personal information such as ID and credit card numbers.
But the Foreign Ministry is pushing back against such complaints. Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) says that staff at the representative office were also fearing for their lives amid the sound of air raid sirens and falling rockets. He says they worked hard to assist Taiwanese group and solo travelers even as they themselves were evacuating.
Liu went on to say that some stories online simply do not line up with the facts. He says that foreign office staff have now and always will assist Taiwanese abroad during crises and that the ministry will continue to defend the reputations of its staff.