Soldier's father: It was cold-blooded murder
Parents of soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah in 2000 watch film documenting abduction operation, showing captive navigator Ron Arad talking for first time. Benny Avraham's father: Hizbullah made sure to erase UN's cooperation in film, but UN's lies become clear here
The film, which will be broadcast both on the Lebanese television network LBC and on Israel's Channel 10, will also show images of captive navigator Ron Arad talking to the camera for the first time.
In the video, a promo of which was already broadcast on Channel 10, Arad is seen smoking a cigarette and stating his name and the names of his parents: "Ron Arad, Dov Arad, Batya Arad."
Haim Avraham, the father of Benny, said after watching the film: "The first impression is that this is a propaganda film sent by Hizbullah to the Israeli society through the Israeli media."
"In the film we see our children's last moment and can see at least one of the soldiers walking on his legs and another being dragged forcefully. I am certain that Hizbullah murdered our children, the ones who were alive," he added.
'UN hid information; UNIFIL are liars'
"We were aware of a great part of the information, but not about their last moments, and the State of Israel also did not know," Avraham added. "It is clear that the children were murdered cold-bloodedly. Clear and simple, our sons were murdered by Hizbullah."
"Hizbullah made sure to erase the United Nations' cooperation in the film, but the UN's lies become clear here. They filmed the kidnapping and knew what was happening all along. They knew that (UN Secretary-General) Kofi Annan was being self-righteous and suddenly became the good mediator," he charged.
Avraham went on with his harsh criticism of Annan, warning that he cannot be trusted.
"We have to watch him with a magnifying glass. A person on behalf of him – (UN envoy to the Middle East) Terje Larsen – is a liar, and Israel must settle the score with him. He had this information and he hid it from us," he said.
"This film proves that our sons carried out the mission like they were supposed to. The State of Israel, through the State Prosecutor's Office, should prepare a report today about our children's murder and about all of UNIFIL's lies. The State of Israel must not trust UNIFIL," Avraham added.
Soldiers' fathers watch film (Photo: Eli Elgarat)
Shortly before arriving at the Channel 10 studio to watch the film, Yaakov Avitan, the father of Adi, told Ynet: "After six years of endless reenactments, we are going to watch what happened to our child."
Ever since Tzipora and Yaakov Avitan found out about the tape, they have been restless. They searched for the same tape while waiting for their son's body to return.
"A UN officer had said that there was such a tape, and we began making noise across the world."
The United Nations rushed to deny the report, but later admitted that such a tape was taken. Later the families found out that there was another tape which they had not seen.
"I assume this is the tape we will see today," Avitan said.
The tape and the way it will be broadcast – on a commercial channel in Lebanon of all places – aroused harsh responses among the Avitan family members toward the UN.
"Hizbullah has its own channel. It's only natural that if the tape was in their possession it would be aired on al-Manar. It appears that someone has been trading with it and it has been in the possession of the UN, which kept silent and said nothing," Yaakov Avitan charged.
Sharon Roffe-Ofir contributed to the report
