Ex-general: MIAs dead

Former head of military personnel says Sultan Yaakub soldiers fell in battle, Ron Arad killed in 'tragic accident'; says 'not nice' to notify families after 22 years
By Ynetnews

According to former head of military personnel, General (Res.) Gil Regev, none of Israel’s remaining MIA’s are still alive.

MIA Ron Arad with daughter Yuval, 1986

 

In a Shabbat interview with Yedioth Aharonoth, Regev accused the country of failing to try to get the soldiers’ bodies back, and said the army has refused to give formal notice to the families “because it is uncomfortable” to do so.

 

“According to my professional judgment and the information I have at my discretion, I would have to say that none of our missing soldiers are still alive.”

 

No proof

 

Regev said his view is the dominant one amongst army professionals, but said the army lacks proof.

 

“In some cases there are some facts at hand, in others all we can do is estimate. But we can’t prove anything.”

 

Regev explained why the IDF has not changed its official line regarding the missing soldiers: “it’s very hard to reverse the things you tell a broken family at the beginning of the story if you have no definite proof, especially after so many years.

 

Some died in battle

 

Speaking about Sultan Yaakub, during the 1982 Lebanon War, Regev said at the time, “all concerned parties, both governmental and military, concluded immediately that they fell in battle.”

 

But he said the families turned to the Supreme Court to prevent the army from declaring the soldiers dead.

 

“We spent two years of hard work with out best investigators until we finally came to this conclusion, and there is no question it is correct.

 

Ron Arad

 

Regev differentiated between the Sultan Yaakub MIAs and Ron Arad, the airforce navigator last seen ejecting from his place over south Lebanon in 1986.

 

“Arad was apparently killed in a tragic accident,” said Regev, but said his captors did not intend to kill him. He added that the “Born Free” organization has offered a monetary reward to those with information about Arad. “It’s the last thing we can do,” he said.

 

Regev admits the IDF was less than pleased about the establishment of Born Free, saying it amounted to an admission of failure on the part of army officialdom.

 

He also said there are fallen soldiers who have not been buried despite having a better chance than finding the MIAs.

 

For example, Zurik Lev, a pilot who fell in Egypt. “We know where his plane crashed, and we have the technology to seek him out easily. And he’s not the only one.”

 

But he said Prime Ministers must give the issue top priority, and be willing to forego public credit and act behind the scenes to bring about Lev’s return. “The Prime Minister must not wait for an opportunity, but create one.

 

“I’m sorry to say there is a large gap between what we are doing today, and doing our best,” he said.