Israel Claims Foiling Kidnap Attempts by Hizbullah
Israel”s defense establishment has received more than 50 warnings about Hizbullah”s attempt to kidnap high profile public and security officials over the past few years, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Senior security officials briefed the cabinet on the warnings during a special meeting discussing the security risks Israelis face when traveling abroad, as well as the recent travel advisories issued by the Counter Terrorism Bureau, the newspaper said Thursday.
The senior security officials reportedly said that at least 10 of the foiled plots were supposed to mimic the abduction scenario of Elhanan Tannenbaum.
Tannenbaum, an Israeli businessman and a former IDF colonel, was kidnapped by Hizbullah in 2002, after being lured out of Israel under the false pretense of a drug deal. He was released from captivity in January of 2004 as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
The Counter Terrorism Bureau has repeatedly noted that the number of threats made against Israelis, especially senior IDF officers and security officials, has spiked since the assassination of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh in a Damascus car bombing in February.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the senior security officials told the cabinet that the defense establishment has most recently helped an IDF major-general escape a Middle East country after obtaining information that his life was in danger.
"Hizbullah”s drive to abduct officers and other security personnel stationed outside Israel is skyrocketing," noted a source in the defense establishment.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged all Israelis to abide by the Counter Terrorism Bureau”s travel advisories: "The government, through its various security agencies, is doing its best to map out all of the threats and warn the public. But responsibility lies first and foremost on the travelers."