WHERE ARE OUR ISRAELI SOLDIERS?

On June 11, 1982, a battle raged in the Bekaa Valley in northern Lebanon between an Israeli tank unit and a Syrian armored unit. Resulting from this battle, three (3) Israeli soldiers -- First Sergeant Zvi Feldman, Sergeant Zachary Baumel, and Corporal Yehuda Katz -- were reported missing-in-action and are still unaccounted for.

Ever since these three soldiers were taken, the government of Israel has spared no effort and is doing its utmost to obtain any information possible as to the fate of these missing soldiers, including utilizing the good offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international bodies.

Because most of the areas in which these soldiers disappeared were continually controlled by Syria, queries about their fate must be focused at the Syrian government.

At Israel’s request, the Syrian authorities have been approached time and time again for information about the fate of these missing soldiers. World leaders and representatives of international bodies have called on Syria’s President Assad concerning this matter. To date, President Assad has not revealed their whereabouts. All efforts to learn the fate of these young soldiers from the splinter groups in the area have not succeeded nor have they shown any readiness to cooperate.

In the fall of 1991, the Western Hostages in Lebanon were freed, yet these three soldiers are still being held hostage. Seventeen years have passed since these soldiers were taken, and seventeen pain-filled years have passed since their families have seen them or heard anything about their whereabouts.

This year, S.676, the Campbell-McCain bill in the Senate, and H.R.1175, the Lantos-Gilman bill in the House of Representatives, were introduced to help assure that this issue is uppermost on the agenda and that the United States government take notice of these government officials’ willingness to take action in an attempt to locate and secure the safety and return of these missing soldiers.