FRANCE: Israeli soldier Tom Weinberg who escaped Hezbollah kidnapping in June 2006 believes his missing colleagues are still alive

Record ID: 396511

  • Title: FRANCE: Israeli soldier Tom Weinberg who escaped Hezbollah kidnapping in June 2006 believes his missing colleagues are still alive
  • Date: 11th July 2007
  • Summary: (EU) PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 10 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NOAM SHALIT, FATHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE GILAD SHALIT, MIKI GOLDWASSER, MOTHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE EHUD GOLDWASSER AND TOMER WEINBERG, ESCAPED SOLDIER, WALKING INTO MEDIA CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF WEINBERG (2 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF NOAM SHALIT, MIKI GOLDWASSER AND TOMER WEINBERG SITTING WITH OTHER DELEGATES
  • Embargoed: 26th July 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA3DR214IE1YZ0APGP92SC8CIVU
  • Story Text: Tomer Weinberg, an Israeli soldier who escaped a Hezbollah ambush at the start of last year's war in Lebanon, is convinced two Israeli soldiers taken hostage at the same time are alive.
    Tomer Weinberg narrowly escaped kidnap by Hezbollah, and while fellow soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were taken hostage during the same ambush, he believes they are still alive.
    Weinberg, Goldwasser and Regev were patrolling Israel's border with Lebanon on July 12, 2006, when they were ambushed by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Goldwasser and Regev were kidnapped, but Weinberg managed to escape, albeit with serious injuries.
    Weinberg was speaking to the media on Tuesday (July 10) for the first time since his escape. With him were Ehud Goldwasser's mother, Miki Goldwasser, and Noam Shalit, the father of Gilad Shalit, another Israeli hostage taken by Hamas in June 25, 2006.
    During their visit to France the families met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Sarkozy made a personal commitment to obtain the hostage's release.
    "I can only make requests. I cannot demand the French government to do such and such differently," said Miki Goldwasser, referring to the influence France can have on the Hezbollah delegation that will be in Paris on Saturday (July 14) to discuss Lebanese governance.
    Nothing has been heard from Regev and Goldwasser since they were captured.
    "I want them to bring me a sign of life from my son," Miki Goldwasser continued.
    "I want to hear his voice, I want to see a photo of him, I want the Red Cross to visit him in exactly the same way that the Red Cross visits every prisoner that's in Israel. That is all I want."
    Weinberg said he was speaking out now because he wants his colleagues home.
    "I feel a big obligation to help my friends now and to make their voices heard," Weinberg explained.
    Weinberg survived serious injuries after receiving medical attention at least an hour and a half after escaping.
    "I believe whole-heartedly that Udi and Eldad are still alive," he said.
    "Hezbollah did not intend to kill the people sitting in our Hummer. Hezbollah intended to injure and kidnap. It is still not entirely clear to me how I was not taken, but this is not the point. The point is that we are convinced that if Udi and Eldad received minimal medical attention, then they are alive today and in Lebanon".
    The families of the kidnapped soldiers have been travelling the world and visiting heads of state in order to raise awareness of their plight.
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