Israeli MIA prisoner exchanges

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Over the last 30 years, Israel has released about 7,000 prisoners to secure freedom for 19 Israelis and to retrieve the bodies of eight others. A number of diplomatic efforts have been made to secure the release of Israeli IDF personnel following their capture by enemy forces.

In 1985, Israel released 1,150 prisoners in exchange for three Israeli soldiers captured in Lebanon. Then-Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin defended the deal. "When no military option exists," he said, "there is no choice but to enter negotiations and pay a price." [1]

In June 1998 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) brokered an exchange of prisoners and prisoners and remains among Israel, Lebanon, Hezballah, and the South Lebanese Army (SLA). In exchange for the remains of an Israeli sergeant who was killed in a military operation in Lebanon in September 1997, Israel and the SLA released 65 prisoners, and returned the remains of 40 Hezballah guerrillas.[2]

The most recent came in October 2000 on Shebaa Farms, when Hezbollah captured three IDF soldiers who were killed either during the operation or in its immediate aftermath. Hezbollah sought to obtain the release of 14 Lebanese prisoners in exchange, together with Palestinian prisoners.[3] A prisoner swap was carried out on 29 January 2004: in exchange for Israeli businessman and former army colonel Elchanan Tenenbaum abducted in 2000 in Kuwait, and the remains of the three IDF soldiers mentioned above Israel released 30 Lebanese and 400 Palestinian prisoners, handed over the remains of 59 Lebanese militants and civilians, and maps showing Israeli mines in South Lebanon.[4]

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[edit] Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz, Zvi Feldman

On June 11, 1982, an Israeli tank was captured by Syrian army forces during the battle of Sultan Yakoub. The three captured soldiers are Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz and Tzvi Feldman. No military action took place as a result of their capture although diplomatic efforts to secure the release of these individuals took place and were unsuccessful.[5]

[edit] Ron Arad

Following the capture of Lieutenant Colonel Ron Arad by the Lebanese Shi'ite militia Amal in 1986 efforts were made to negotiate his release in 1987. These negotiations failed and lead to the abduction of Sheik Abdul-Karim Obeid, a member of Hezbollah, and Mustafa Dirani with the express aim of a prisoner exchange for Arad. Dirani was suspected of having "sold" Arad to Iran. Some presume that Iran eventually killed him.[6]

[edit] Joseph Fink & Rahamim Alsheich

Captured during an ambush on 17 February 1986 the bodies of IDF Joseph Fink and Rahamim Alsheich were returned to Israel on 1 July 1996. In exchange, Israel returned the remains of 123 prisoners to Hezbollah. Hezbollah released 19 South Lebanese Army (SLA) soldiers and in exchange the commander of the SLA released 20 prisoners from the Al-Hiam prison facility and 25 additional detainees as a gesture of goodwill.

[edit] Guy Hever

Guy Hever went missing from his base in the Southern Golan Heights on August 17, 1997. Although no group has admitted his capture, his family has been involved in previous discussions with the German and Israeli Government's in other hostage negotiations.

[edit] Elchanan Tenenbaum, Adi Avitan, Benyamin Avraham & Omar Sawaid

Sheik Abdul-Karim Obeid and Mustafa Dirani were eventually used to secure the release of Israeli businessman Elchanan Tenenbaum along with the bodies of IDF soldiers Sgt. Adi Avitan, Staff Sgt. Benyamin Avraham and Staff Sgt. Omar Sawaid. The three IDF soldiers were captured by Hezbollah during an attack in October 2000 on Shebaa Farms. They were killed either during the attack or in its immediate aftermath.

Hezbollah instigated negotiations over the release of 14 Lebanese prisoners, together with a number of Palestinian prisoners.[3] A prisoner exchange took place on 29 January 2004:

  • 30 Lebanese and Arab prisoners,
  • the remains of 59 Lebanese militants and civilians,
  • 400 Palestinian prisoners, and
  • maps showing Israeli mines in South Lebanon were exchanged for Tenenbaum, a businessman captured in 2000 on a business trip to Kuwait and held in Lebanon by Hezbollah, along with the remains of the three dead soldiers.[4]

As part of this prisoner exchange information on the fate of Ron Arad was to be given over in exchange for Lebanese prisoner Samir Kuntar. The Israeli Government announced that Kuntar would be released when Hezbollah provided "concrete proof as to Ron Arad's fate".[7] As part of the document summarising the Framework for the exchange missing soldier Guy Hever was also mentioned, but information on his whereabouts was not a condition of the deal.[8]


[edit] Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev

Israel is currently negotiating prisoner exchanges with Hamas and Hezbollah for the release of the three soldiers. While Hamas' leader Khaled Meshaal has confirmed that Gilad is alive. Hezbollah has not revealed whether Ehud and Eldad are alive.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Exchange of prisoners might defuse crisis", Miami Herald, 2006-07-14. 
  2. ^ "U.S. Department of State Report on Human Rights Practices for 1998 - Lebanon", Jewish Virtual Library, 2007. 
  3. ^ a b "Factfile: Hezbollah", Aljazeera, 2006-07-12. 
  4. ^ a b "Israel, Hezbollah swap prisoners", CNN, 2004-01-29. 
  5. ^ As Zachary Baumel held American citizenship legislation was passed in an attempt to secure his release. However all three men are still missing and since no proof of life has ever been released, all three men are presumed to be dead. It is unknown whether the three men were captured alive or whether their corpses were taken. [1]
  6. ^ Ron Arad - Israeli MIA [2]
  7. ^ Government statement on prisoner exchange, Jerusalem, January 24, 2004 [3]
  8. ^ Cabinet Decision: Framework Principles for the Agreement to Release Israeli Prisoners and Hostages Held in Lebanon, 9 Nov 2003 [4]

[edit] External links

  • Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cites reasons for the 2004 exchange [5]
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