"The sword is worse than death, famine is harder than the sword,
captivity is worst of all..." (Babylonian Talmud,
Tractate Bava Batra 8b)
Since the founding of the State of Israel in
1948, over four hundred Israeli soldiers have been declared "Missing in
Action" (MIA). Only six of these cases, are officially listed as
"soldiers missing but presumed to be alive." Three of the soldiers
-- Zachary Baumel (an American citizen), Tzvi Feldman and Yehuda Katz -- were
captured in 1982. The fourth -- Ron Arad -- was captured in 1986. Over the
years there has been a steady flow of information indicating that at least
some of these MIAs may be alive and are being held under Syrian and
Iranian control. Despite the diplomatic and military efforts of over seven
successive Israeli governments, almost no progress has been made in
determining the fate of the missing men.
A fifth name has also been added to the list of the
missing. On August 17, 1997, Guy Hever went missing from his army base in the Golan. He was reportedly last seen near the Syrian border.
The issue is of extraordinary import in Israel, where
almost every household has a loved one serving in the armed forces.
Although the United States and other countries have suffered and struggled
with their own MIA problems, Israelis, due to religious, historical, and
cultural factors, have a particular sensitivity to the issue. In Israel's
military tradition, significant risks have been taken even for the return
of bodies. And so, the issue continues to make headlines in Israel, and
even Israeli schoolchildren know the names and personal histories of the
missing men.
The International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers
(ICMIS) has worked tirelessly both in Israel and abroad, on behalf of the
MIAs and their families. The Coalition is a non-profit and non-partisan
body, dedicated to keeping this humanitarian cause on the international
agenda. Gallup polls have demonstrated that ICMIS represents the broadest
consensus in Israeli society in demanding that the MIA issue be resolved
first in any peace negotiations with Israel's Arab neighbors. Over the
last seven years Israel has released thousands of Palestinian prisoners
held in Israeli jails -- the time has now come for all of Israel's captive
sons to return home.
