Baumol's mother seeking eyewitness testimony to her son's capture

Carl
Israel Matzav
20 December '10


31 years ago, Zechariah Baumel sat in the row in front of me in yeshiva. Two years later, in 1982, Baumel was sent to Lebanon by the IDF. He has not returned since. He and three of his comrades were captured by the Syrians in the largest tank battle in Israel's history, the battle of Sultan Yaqub. Last year, Baumel's father died without knowing his son's fate. Now, his mother has filed an action under the British Freedom of Information Act to gain access to a report by the British ambassador to Syria. It seems that the ambassador was present when Baumol was paraded through the streets of Damascus after his capture. Mrs. Baumel wants to see the report he filed regarding what he saw.

IDF soldiers Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz and Tzvi Feldman – all in their 20s at the time -- went missing near the Lebanese village of Sultan Yaqub in the final battle of the first Lebanon War on June 11, 1982.

All three are still listed as missing in action (MIA). However, it subsequently came to light that the British Ambassador to Syria at the time, Ivor Lucas, may have witnessed their capture by Syrian soldiers. Lucas, who filed a report to London on the day of the battle, may also have seen the Syrian troops parade their Israeli captives and their tank through the streets of Damascus.

Baumel’s mother has tried for two years to obtain the Lucas report, only to be stymied by the UK’s Foreign Office, which responded, “We are conscious that the release of sensitive information would cause harm to our relationship with Syria.”

(Read full "Baumol's mother seeking eyewitness testimony to her son's capture")

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