Body of Israeli soldier who went missing in 1982 repatriated after 37 years
President Reuven Rivlin said First Sergeant Zachary Baumel's body being returned was “moving and painful”
The body of an Israeli soldier captured during the First Lebanon War has finally been returned to Israel 37 years after he went missing in action, in an operation believed to have been supported by Russia.
First Sergeant Zachary Baumel, an IDF tank commander who was born in Brooklyn, was captured during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub on 11 June 1982, in fighting between Syria and Israel.
Four other Israeli soldiers were captured that day and 20 were killed. Until Baumel’s return on Wednesday, he was one of three still missing in action.
President Reuven Rivlin said the soldier’s return was “moving and painful,” adding that “37 unbearable years of painful waiting, of questions and doubts have come to an end thanks to the determined and ceaseless work of the IDF and Israel’s intelligence community.”
IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the body had been returned to Israel on an El Al flight via an anonymous third country earlier this week and had now been “identified and verified” as that of Baumel. The soldier’s family has been informed.
After 37 years, Sgt. 1st Class Zachary Baumel has returned home to Israel. pic.twitter.com/9Mroebhz41
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 3, 2019
Rivlin said: “On this difficult, moving and sad day, our thoughts are with the Baumel family, crying and hurting with them as they bring their son Zachary to eternal rest in our country, our land.
“We will not cease until all our soldiers have returned home – First Sergeant Yehuda Katz, First Sergeant Zvika Feldman and all those missing in action and whose place of burial is not known. Our commitment to our soldiers has always been, and will always be, a shining light. We go to battle together, and together we return from it.”
Although Israeli officials refused to confirm Russia role, Russian defense ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in September that Moscow was working with its Syrian allies to help locate fallen Israeli soldiers.
The First Lebanon War was launched by Israel’s Ariel Sharon to push back against elements of the Palestine Liberation Organisation operating in the country’s south. By 1985 it had claimed over 600 Israeli lives. US Army analysts described it as “a costly failure”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
