The Jordanian Yitzhak Rabin Gets Married
Image by George Stroud
By Naomi Zeveloff December 27, 2016
A man known as the Jordanian Yitzhak Rabin got married in Eilat on Dec. 22.
Twenty-year-old Yitzhak Rabin Ramsy, who was born in Jordan, is named after the Israeli statesman who was assassinated in 1995. His unique story has made the Israeli and international press several times over the years.
Ramsy’s parents were inspired by the original Yitzhak Rabin, who signed a peace deal with their country, and named their son in his honor after he was assassinated.
But the family was shunned for its son’s name. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli daily that covered the wedding, Ramsy’s father even lost his job.
When Ramsy was five months old, Leah Rabin, Yitzhak Rabin’s widow, facilitated the family’s safe passage to Israel. They eventually settled in Eilat, in Southern Israel.
In 2014, the Interior Ministry granted Ramsy an Israeli ID card, thus allowing him to fulfill his lifetime goal to serve in the Israeli military.
Ramsy married Odell Vaknin, whom he has known since childhood, in a Jewish wedding in Eilat.
His wedding was attended by his entire unit in the border police, as well as many Jordanian relatives.
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at zeveloff@forward.com
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