The families of the kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldiers met with Reverend Jesse Jackson Wednesday at the Ben Gurion Airport and heard from him information he obtained from sources in Lebanon, that Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were alive.
Jackson said he could not go into details of the conversations, but that he heard optimism on the condition of the soldiers being held captive. The families of the soldiers sought more solid and based information.
Jesse Jackson with representatives of captives' families (Photo: Niv Calderon)
Jackson also said he met with Syrian President Basher Assad for two hours, and discussed humanitarian needs in Lebanon.
Karnit Goldwasser, wife of Ehud, who is working to release her husband and the two other kidnapped soldiers, said: "We are still being fed rumors. I would be glad to hear from Revered Jackson that he saw them, but he didn't see them. Someone told him. It's good, but not enough. We are asking for help."
Jackson later met with Vice Premier Shimon Peres in Tel Aviv. Asked whether he would visit Tehran in the future, Jackson said he would do it "when the time is right."
Peres praised Jackson for the efforts he was putting into the issue.
Attila Somfalvi contributed to the report
First published: 19:18, 08.30.6