Kidnapped Israelis deserve justice: The law mandates visits to the victims by a neutral body

By Gil Troy

National Post, Aug 14, 2001, A12

For 10 months now, Mr. and Mrs. Haim Avraham have been living a nightmare. On Oct. 7, 2000, Hezbollah terrorists kidnapped their son and two other Israeli soldiers. Benyamin Avraham, along with Adi Avitan, 22, and Omer Souad, 27, were patrolling on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border when they were ambushed. Traces of blood were found inside their vehicle, but there has been no credible word on their condition since. Hezbollah has claimed "credit" for the kidnapping, along with the capture a week later of another Israeli citizen, 54-year-old Elchanan Tannenbaum.

I met the Avrahams recently in Jerusalem. They are a typically middle-class couple imprisoned in purgatory. Doubt compounds the agony of separation. Anyone who wishes to understand why Israelis feel so embittered these days, so abandoned, and why they doubt the value of international observers, should examine the anomalies of this case, which, alas, add up to a sadly familiar Israeli tale.

For starters, look at the state of the border itself. For years, the international community demanded that Israel withdraw from its security zone in Southern Lebanon. When Israel withdrew, the United Nations confirmed Israel had made a complete withdrawal from Lebanon. Peace was supposed to follow as a result. The kidnapping mocks that hope.

Moreover, the kidnapping occurred in full view of a United Nations observation post. The senior Mr. Avraham, who lost a brother in the Yom Kippur War, has visited the site. He photographed the lookout to illustrate how close the observers were -- and how betrayed he and the families feel by an organization whose inaction shakes one's confidence in the ability of "peacekeepers" to keep the peace.

Just recently, United Nations officials confirmed an Indian UN soldier had videotaped vehicles that were used in the kidnapping and found in a neighbouring village 18 hours later. For months, the UN lied about the existence of the videotape and other evidence in its possession that could shed some light on the hostages' medical state. And even after the UN apologized, UN bureaucrats originally only wanted to show the tape once to Israeli military officials. Such shenanigans further undermine the UN's credibility.

Finally, international law is clear on the subject. Not only is the kidnapping itself illegal -- but the law and basic human decency mandate visits to the victims by a neutral body. Ten months later, no Israeli knows the extent of the soldiers' wounds or, frankly, who remains alive. Mrs. Avraham, a nurse, sighs, "I just wish I could have been there with my boy, to tend his wounds, I just wish I could take care of him now."

Mr. Avraham, a labour organizer, and his wife, live with the uncertainty every day. They have spearheaded an international campaign with the other families to get Hezbollah to respect international law. The campaign is a citizen's initiative, independent of the Israeli government. The families have bankrolled it themselves, and the Avrahams, for one, have mortgaged their home and taken out heavy loans. The distance from the Israeli government allows them to focus on the key issue -- the humanitarian one.

Aid organizations have thrown up their hands and asked: "What can we do? Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, it's beyond our reach." This answer opens a window on Israel's current frustrations. Terrorist outlaws of Hezbollah and Hamas operate with impunity, while official entities such as the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority wash their hands of responsibility. In Southern Lebanon, the Lebanese government has abdicated authority to Hezbollah, and even the UN treats Hezbollah as king of the rocky hills there, unless it is politically inconvenient to do so. Similarly, the Palestinian Authority deploys terrorists as part of its strategy, then ducks for cover. When Israel tries to hold anyone accountable in this deadly game of shadow boxing, the international community condemns it for overreacting, or picking on the wrong target.

Meanwhile, the fate of the hostages remains a mystery, and the pain and anger intensify. Many diplomats, from Kofi Annan to Colin Powell, have met with the families. When John Manley was in Jerusalem in June, Mr. Manley also met and offered his sympathies. So far, all the meetings have produced little.

Here is a marvelous opportunity for all those committed to international justice to demonstrate that "all" includes some Israelis sometimes. Here is a critical test of Canada's commitment to humanitarianism. And here is a dramatic rallying point for all good people throughout the world to enforce international standards.

The demand should be clear. If Hezbollah is not willing to release these hostages, at the very least the Red Cross or some other neutral body should be allowed to send representatives to meet with these unfortunates, to end the uncertainty that is torturing the Avrahams, Avitans, Souads, and Tannenbaums.