Israel has decided to confer honorary citizenship on Soumya Santhosh, the Indian caregiver killed in the Hamas terror strike in Israel. Israeli deputy envoy Rony Yedidia Clein told reporters in New Delhi that Israeli people believe that she is an honorary citizen and they see her as one of their own, as per a report in the Times of India.
The family of the lady has welcomed the Israeli government’s decision. “We consider it as a great honor to my wife. We have also received information from the embassy officials that our son Adone will be taken care of,” said her husband Santhosh.
According to officials, honorary citizenship is a status conferred by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be incredibly admirable or worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not imply any change in citizenship or nationality.
Soumya, a caregiver from Idduki in Kerala, was killed in a rocket attack at Ashkelon in Israel on 11th May, along with the old lady she looked after.
