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August 12,
2003
Orthodox Union Applauds Congressional Letter Urging
Help
for Israeli MIA Elchanan Tannenbaum
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of
America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish synagogue organization,
today applauded Representatives Tom Lantos (D-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ),
Gary Ackerman (D-NY), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) for writing to
President Bush concerning Elchanan Tannenbaum, an Israeli MIA who is being
held by Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Representatives urged the President to
raise this matter immediately with the government of Syria, which is a
cosponsor of Hezbollah, the terrorist group that continues to threaten
Israel’s northern border. Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah had
recently announced that 57-year-old Elchanan Tannenbaum was alive and then
followed this announcement by stating that he could no longer confirm that
Mr. Tannenbaum was indeed still alive. His family and friends are
increasingly alarmed, since he suffers from several potentially
life-threatening health problems that require ongoing sophisticated
medical care.
According to international law, Syria, as a foremost sponsor of Hezbollah
and other terrorist organizations, is responsible for Mr. Tannenbaum as
well as for missing Israeli soldiers
Zachary Baumel, Yehuda
Katz, Tzvi Feldman, Ron Arad, Adi Avitan, Binyamin Avraham and Omar Souad.
The kidnapping and the holding of these MIAs continue to undermine any
hope of Middle East peace. Secretary Powell raised this issue with
President Assad on his recent trip to Damascus, and it is important that
the President immediately continue to engage the Syrian government on this
urgent human rights cause. Syria must be pressured to ensure the
well-being and safety of Mr. Tannenbaum and the other MIAs and release
them from captivity immediately. Syria, which seeks to prevent American
sanctions for its role in supporting global terror, must be made to
understand in the clearest possible terms that, as the dominant power in
Lebanon, it will be held responsible for any harm that may befall Elchanan
Tannenbaum or any of the other Israeli MIAs during their captivity.
This is an urgent humanitarian issue and every day that goes by further
increases the chances that the condition of Elchanan Tannenbaum and the
other missing Israeli soldiers will deteriorate further and only compound
the anguish of their families. For the sake of humanity and decency, the
Administration must heed the call of Congress to intervene and insist that
Syria release these captives now.
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