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MIA Letter Program

Section #1

• June 11, 1982- Battle in Bekaa Valley in Northern Lebanon between Israeli tank unit and Syrian armored unit. Five Israeli soldiers were reported missing in action.

• Several years later, two of the MIA’s were returned to Israel in prisoner exchanges with Syria and Achmed Jibril’s PFLP-GC (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command)

• Three soldiers are still unaccounted for. They are Sergeant Zachary Baumel (American citizen), First Sergeant Tzvi Feldman, and Corporal Yehuda Katz. Out of the over 400 Israeli MIA’s, these men are three of five considered to be alive.

Zachary Baumel Tzvi Feldman Yehuda Katz

Born: November 17, 1960 Born: December 29, 1956 Born: July 18, 1959

Hometown: Jerusalem Hometown: Tel Aviv Hometown: Ramat Gan

Captured: June 11, 1982 Captured: June 11, 1982 Captured: June 11, 1982

Held since age: 21 Held since age: 25 Held since age: 22

Citizenship: American & Israeli Citizenship: Israeli Citizenship: Israeli

• Several hours after the battle, Dean Brelis, a reporter for Time Magazine, reported that "something interesting could be seen in Damascus" -- three Israeli soldiers were being publicly paraded in a procession of captured tanks through the streets of Damascus.

• Brelis:"The Israeli crew looked exhausted, downcast, typically combat fatigued. When the crowd surged around them, taunting, they looked frightened... It was a public parade, as it were right through the center of Damascus, and once it passed I never saw the tank or the Israelis again."(Dean Brelis quoted in a letter by John F. Scott, First Secretary, U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, June 16, 1983) Correspondents from AP, La Stampa and the Syrian media confirmed the report.

• Since the battle, there have been many conflicting reports regarding the whereabouts and condition of the missing men. Over the years, Palestinian and Syrian officials have made many references to information in their possession regarding the MIAs, but have been unwilling to cooperate in efforts to return the missing soldiers to their families.

Section #2

• October 16, 1986- Captain Ron Arad, a navigator of an Israel Air Force Phantom parachuted to

safety from a stricken aircraft. He landed in Southern Lebanon and was immediately captured by the Iranian Amal militia.

Ron Arad

Born: May 5, 1958

Hometown: Hod Hasharon

Captured: October 16, 1986

Held since age: 28

Citizenship: Israeli

• In 1987, Arad’s family received several letters and a photo of Arad confirming that the missing navigator was alive and in Amal’s hands. The ensuing negotiations between Israel and Amal broke off after Arad was "sold" to Iranian backed forces in Lebanon by Amal official Mustfa Dirani.

• At the time of his capture Arad was the only Israeli MIA who is married. His daughter Yuval was

an infant at the time of his capture.

Section #3

• On August 17, 1997, Guy Hever, a soldier in the Israeli Army was last seen at his army base on

the Southern Golan Heights. He was dressed in army fatigues and was carrying his weapon, key chain and international military identification papers. He was reportedly last seen standing at the Katzabiya junction, just a kilometer away from the Syrian border. The area was searched thoroughly but no trace of him was found.

Guy Hever

Born: May 30, 1977

Hometown: Kochav Yair

Missing Since: August 17, 1997

Missing since age: 20

Citizenship: Israeli

• Today, almost 7 years later, there are still no leads as to the circumstances of his disappearance as well as to his whereabouts.

Section #4 – United States Efforts

"A Bill to Locate and Secure the Release of Zachary Baumel, an American Citizen and Other Israelis Missing in Action"

The presidential signing followed two years of lobbying by representatives of the International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers. The bill stipulates that the State Department raise the issue on "an urgent basis" with the relevant Arab governments in the region, and links U.S. economic assistance to those governments to their cooperation in helping to locate the missing soldiers.

• Although Israel has made many attempts to “free her boys” hardly any progress has been made in finding the MIAs’ whereabouts, never mind freeing them.

• International cooperation with Israel would greatly benefit the MIA cause. Countries with military, commercial, or diplomatic relations with Syria, Lebanon, or the Palestinian Authority could make a huge difference.

• Pidyon Shvuyim, or redeeming the captive, is a strong Jewish value and has been throughout Jewish history. Redeeming the captive has been the obligation of Jewish communities living in hostile environments for ages.

• “Cry with full throat; without restraint! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn!...Unlock the fetters of wickedness. Untie the cords of the yoke. Let the oppressed go free. Break off every yoke.”-Isaiah 58:1,6

President George W. Bush His Excellency Kofi Anan

The White House United Nations Secretariat

1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. New York, NY 10017

Washington, D.C. 20500

Section #5 - Sample Letter

His Excellency Kofi Annan
Secretary General
United Nations
New York, NY 10017

Date

Dear Secretary General Annan,

While efforts are underway to fight terror and secure peace around the world, a related issue warrants your immediate attention. There are now 8 Israeli soldiers and one civilian missing in Syria and Lebanon. They are believed to be captives of terrorist groups under direct Syrian and Iranian control.

On June 11, 1982 three Israeli soldiers: Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz and Tzvi Feldman were captured alive by Syrian forces in a battle at Sultan Yaqub. Israeli navigator Major Ron Arad was captured on October 16, 1986, after ejection from his aircraft over Lebanon. Recent reports indicated that an Iranian-backed group in Lebanon was holding Arad. On August 17, 1997, Israeli soldier Guy Hever disappeared on the way home from his army base. An eye-witness account said that he was last seen in army fatigues, heading for the Syrian border.

On October 7, 2000, following Israeli compliance with Security Council Resolution 425 and in direct violation of international law, Hizbullah attacked and abducted three more Israeli soldiers: Sergeant Adi Avitan, Staff Sergeant Binyamin Avraham and Staff Sergeant Omer Souad. These soldiers were on a routine patrol within the recognized boundaries of the State of Israel when they were abducted. On October 16th Hizbullah announced that it had abducted and was holding Israeli citizen Elhanan Tannenbaum.

The United States has called on Syria and Lebanon to assist in the timely release of these Israelis. The Israeli government has appealed to the UN Secretary General to assist on their behalf. The International Red Cross has also attempted to intervene to arrange for a visit with kidnapped Israelis.

All of these Israelis were last held in territories controlled by Syria, and Syria must be held accountable for the fate of these prisoners. Thus far, Syria has not complied with requests from the United States, the Red Cross nor any international body regarding the status of the soldiers.

With the assistance of the international community, Israel has attempted to bring its men home to their loved ones for the past 20 years. Despite these efforts, their whereabouts and conditions are not known, they are not free, and the agony of their families continues every day.

I earnestly request that you do all within your means to resolve this urgent human rights issue. The plight of those held captive is a crucial, and I hope that you will find a way to quickly ameliorate their situation.

Sources: www.mia.org.il

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