Ron Arad's comrades hold J'lem protest
Comrades of missing Israeli navigator hold demonstration outside Prime Minister's Office to protest lack of progress in efforts to determine his fate
Days before the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of navigator Ron Arad, his comrades held a protest outside the Prime Minister's Office to condemn the lack of information on the fate of the missing airman.
Friends who attended Arad's Israel Air Force pilot course wore shirts reading '20 years, 10 governments, one Ron Arad.'
Protesters call on gov't to spare no effort to determine Arad's fate (Photo: Haim Tzach)
Res. Maj.-Gen. Uzi Dayan took part in the demonstration.
"Our commitment to return Ron Arad home, to his family and friends, is unlimited," Ronen Mirav, Arad's colleague told Ynet.
"We will continue to wait for Ron and it is forbidden for us to give up. We passed a message to the government asking that they don't ignore Ron in any future arrangement regarding our missing and kidnapped. We saw how Ron was ignored in the agreement to release (Hanan) Tenenbaum."
About the political efforts to locate Arad: "We received no answer from Olmert, although we understood from the Knesset speaker that he is expected to dedicate part of his speech to Arad and the remaining prisoners during the opening of the Knesset Winter session tomorrow (Monday). We want to tell him it is forbidden to tire up and to stop at the peak of the mountain, as we need to bring Ron home. That's how we were raised and taught. Ron was sent by the Israel government, and ten governments came and went and Ron is not back."
Dayan told Ynet: "I came here out of sympathy with and support for Ron. We need to get a sign of life from kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. There is a common fate that binds these soldiers. It scares me to think that helplessness in dealing with Ron's case would repeat itself with these soldiers."
