Israel Matzav

Interview with father of IDF soldier who has been MIA for 26 years

Zacharya Baumel was one of five soldiers captured by elements of the PLO and Syrian forces in Southern Lebanon in June of 1982. Two soldiers were subsequently released in a prisoner exchange with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's General Command, while Zecharya, Staff Sgt. Zvi Feldman and Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz have been missing ever since. According to the Foreign Ministry, there have been indications that one or more of the soldiers are still alive and under Syrian control.

Yona Baumel, father of missing Staff Sgt. Zecharya Baumel, spoke to Arutz Sheva about the latest ransom agreement Israel reached with Lebanon's Hezbullah terrorist organization. Unlike more recent kidnapping victims, Baumel feels his family has been abandoned.

Yona Baumel told Arutz Sheva that Israel's current inactivity in relation to finding and returning his son, Feldman and Katz from their captivity is due to the length of time that has passed since the events. "The people in the army dealing with it must have been 10 years old when it happened," he said, "and it's left pretty much to the parents to fend for themselves in looking for information."

Let's go to the videotape.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:35 PM