By KATIERA WINFREY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
A Fishers man is caught in the chaos, trying to get out of Palestine and make it back home, but the border into Egypt is closed. His wife says he was visiting family when the war broke out.
The Abdelsalams live in Fishers and have been married for more than 40 years, but Ramadan Abdelsalam is stuck in Palestine because he hasn’t been able to cross the border. His wife Susan says with bombs dropping daily, she’s hopeful the American government will do something to force a border opening and help bring him back home.
Susan Abdelsalam’s phone doesn’t leave her side just in case her husband Ramadan calls.
“It just breaks my heart to see this, and it’s just not a Palestinian struggle. I know there’s a lot of Israelis really struggling also,” Susan Abdelsalam said.
Between water and electricity outages, these calls are priceless – even if the reception holds on for minutes or just seconds, just long enough to hear he’s okay or let her know about the non-stop echoing of bombs.
“It’s very distressing, and it stresses me out,” Susan said. “You don’t know from one day to the next, if it’s going to be the last time, I get to talk to him, and it’s just breaking my heart.”
Ramadan left Palestine back in the 70s and has lived in the States since then. At the end of September, he made the trip back. Ramadan initially planned to return to Indiana in early November, but then war broke out, and he was advised to head to the Egyptian border to try to get out.
“It’s devastating, that’s what it is,” Susan said. “It’s devastating because I actually saw him on the BBC news a few nights, a few days ago when they said the border was supposed to be open. He was there standing by the gates, and of course it never opened, but I did get to see him.”
Ramadan and hundreds of others have been unsuccessful in making it across as the border is closed. Susan says while Egypt has control, she’d like to see the American government step in and get it opened.
“The innocent victims, caught up in this war, pray for their freedom, and pray for them to get through this war,” Susan said.
Abdelsalam says any support from the American government will not only help her husband, but hundreds of other Americans hoping to make it back home.