Jew Maimed in Brussels Bombing Plans Move to Israel

A Belgian Jew who lost his leg in the Islamic State bombing in Brussels has declared his intention to immigrate to Israel.

Walter Benjamin told Israeli media that he plans to move to Israel when he recovers from his wounds.

“I probably will pack my things, get on a plane and start looking for a small apartment in Israel,” he said, saying that he wants to be near his daughter, who lives there. “That’s the most important thing in life for me.”

Benjamin was walking through the airport to check in for a flight to Israel, where he planned to spend Purim with his daughter, when he heard a noise he thought was firecrackers.

Moments later, the second of two explosions at the airport blew off part of his leg. He was shielded from more extensive injuries from the shrapnel by the large suitcase he was holding, he told reporters.

Benjamin recalled seeing a dead person next to him after the blast and realizing he had lost part of his right leg.

“I thought I was going to die,” Benjamin said.

A Belgian soldier helped stop the bleeding and evacuate him for medical treatment. He is recovering in hospital.