Search for missing soldier Guy Hever resumes
More than 13 years after disappearance of soldier Guy Hever, IDF forces, Born to Freedom foundation volunteers resume search. Hever's mother calls for additional international intervention: 'State needs to pressure various global elements to work to find Guy'
The soldier's mother, Rina, claims that the State isn't taking any action over the matter and has little hope for the new search efforts: "I don't think they'll find him at the location where they are conducting the search, but I'm happy that they are carrying out searches, it will only boost our claims that Guy isn't in Israel."
Guy Hever disappeared on August 17, 1997, after completing his basic training at the IDF Golan base. Before the search was resumed, the IDF notified the Hever family of attempts to locate his body.
It appears the resumed efforts are routine and not instigated by new information. An IDF spokesman stated that "within the framework of the ongoing search efforts for missing soldier Guy Hever, it was decided that a scan would be carried out by soldiers from the Golan Division's artillery group throughout the Golan region".
A military source told Ynet that since Hever's disappearance, searches are carried out from time to time in various areas in the Golan as part of ongoing efforts to find the missing soldier.
"It doesn't seem like the search will bring any results but I'm happy to see that Guy is remembered and that steps are still being taken in order to find him. It's just a shame that efforts aren't being made on a state level. The State needs to pressure various elements around the world to work to find Guy's whereabouts.
Failed efforts
"The head of the Presidents Conference, Malcolm Hoenlein just arrived in Israel, he spoke in Jerusalem and didn't even mention Guy. I met him in the past in the US and he assured me that he would take action to find Guy in Damascus. He just came from Damascus, but he didn't mention it in his speech and I know he didn't discuss the issue in Damascus."
The soldier's mother also said that she tried to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her visit in Israel last week but was unsuccessful in her attempts: "The search in the Golan Heights is the easy part. The tough part is getting efforts at an international level going. Nothing seems to be moving forward."
CEO of Born to Freedom, Major General (Res.) Eyal Ben Reuven noted that Tuesday's search is just another effort in a long list of diverse activities taking place in order to locate missing IDF soldiers.
"The defense establishment is exhausting all efforts to find any piece of information, however small which might help bring the missing soldiers home to their families. It is our duty – commanders, soldiers, and civilians - to do anything we can in order to bring our soldiers home."
Hagai Einav contributed to the report
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