Captured+Israeli+soldier+born+in+SA,+Paula+Slier,+The+Star

The Star, Johannesburg, August 18, 2006 //Edition 2//
=Israeli soldier whose capture sparked war born in SA=


 * //Family of captured man desperately hoping for his return - if he is still alive//**


 * Paula Slier**

Ehud Goldwasser, the Israeli soldier whose capture by Hezbollah guerrillas on July 12 led to a brutal war which has left hundreds dead, was born and bred in Durban.

Goldwasser (31) was captured, along with colleague Eldad Regev (26), in a cross-border raid by Hezbollah, leading to a 34-day war which has seen 117 Israeli soldiers and 39 civilians killed in Hezbollah rocket attacks, with more than 5 000 injured.

The casualty figure on the Lebanese side is far greater, with estimates of the civilian death toll in Lebanon ranging from 500 to more than 1 000, with the Israeli bombardment leaving a path of destruction in southern Lebanon that is unmatched.

Shlomo Goldwasser, Ehud's father, lives in Durban with his wife Malka, while Ehud spent his formative years in Durban where he had his barmitzvah (Jewish ritual practice) at the United Hebrew Congregation.

Shlomo Goldwasser, a former ship's captain who is now a maritime shipping consultant, was in Namibia, preparing to return home, when he heard on CNN that Israeli soldiers had been kidnapped.

He was unable to reach his son by cellphone and heard from the family in Israel that Ehud had been captured.

He has since returned temporarily to Israel, but has given few interviews.

"There is no school in the world that taught us what to do when your son is kidnapped," he said recently while in the United States, where he has been lobbying leading politicians highlighting his son's plight. "All we can do is tell our story to everyone in the world."

The young men's predicament has, at times, been drowned out by talk of political issues such as the disarmament of Hezbollah and the mandate of the United Nations peacekeepers, but the Goldwasser family are desperately hoping Ehud is still alive.

His mother Malka has appealed for "at least a sign ... any sign that he is alive. I can't live like this anymore. I'm a mother and I don't want war. I am certain there are lots of Lebanese who think the same."

In 2000, Hezbollah kidnapped three Israeli soldiers and eventually killed them. Still, while there hasn't been any sign of life from Goldwasser and Regev since they were taken captive, most Israelis believe Hezbollah would not kill them as this would diminish their bargaining value.

An outdoor enthusiast, Ehud has been married for just 10 months. He and his wife, Karnit, are environmental engineers working on second degrees.

Ehud finished his army service several years ago and was on the last day of an annual, obligatory month-long tour of duty near the Lebanese-Israeli border when he and Regev were ambushed by Hezbollah fighters who had crossed into Israeli territory.

Regev is a university student who works for Israel's telecommunications company.

Ehud's wife has also been to England and the United States to bring attention to her husband's plight, supporting Israel's offensive in Lebanon while pleading for her husband's return.

Israeli military officials said this week that Israel has 13 Hezbollah prisoners and the bodies of dozens of guerrillas that it could offer in exchange for the two captive soldiers.

Publicly, Israel has insisted that Hezbollah unconditionally release the captured soldiers.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has appointed Ofer Dekel, formerly the deputy head of Israel's Shin Bet security service, to oversee efforts to bring back Goldwasser and Regev, if they are still alive.

As the war's death toll mounts, the Israelis have expressed their anger, with many calling for Olmert's resignation.

The latest Israeli poll showed 70% of respondents were against a diplomatic settlement that did not guarantee the soldiers' release.

A third of Israelis believe the ceasefire was a defeat for Israel; half believe it was the best Israel could have hoped for under the circumstances.

One of the cardinal rules of Israeli society is that every soldier must return home. - Independent Foreign Service


 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3398797**

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