IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 122
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding Israeli soldiers missing in
action and calling upon governments and authorities in the Middle East
to act to resolve these tragic cases.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 24, 1997
Mr. LANTOS submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding Israeli sol-
diers missing in action and calling upon governments
and authorities in the Middle East to act to resolve
these tragic cases.
Whereas Zachary Baumel, an American-Israeli soldier, has
been missing in action since June 1982 when he was cap-
tured by forces of the Palestinian Liberation Organiza-
tion (PLO) following a tank battle with Syrian forces at
Sultan Ya’akub in Lebanon;
Whereas Yehuda Katz, an Israeli soldier, was also captured
at Sultan Ya’akub and has been missing in action since
June, 1982;
HCON 122 IH
Whereas Zvi Feldman, an Israeli soldier, was also captured
at Sultan Ya’akub and has been missing in action since
June, 1982;
Whereas all three of these soldiers captured at Sultan
Ya’akub were last known to be in the hands of a Pal-
estinian faction splintered from the PLO and operating
in Syrian-controlled territory thus making this a matter
within the responsibility of the Government of Syria;
Whereas Ron Arad, in October 1986, was forced to bail out
of his Israeli Air Force fighter jet and was taken captive
by the Lebanese Shiite Muslim organization, Amal;
Whereas there has been virtually no contact with any of these
four soldiers since their capture, nor have any diplomatic
efforts to secure their release been successful thus far, al-
though Chairman Yasir Arafat did deliver one half of
Zachary Baumel’s dog tag to Israeli Government authori-
ties; Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) calls upon Chairman Yasir Arafat and other
officials in the Palestinian authority to use their
good offices with Syria, Lebanon, and the other gov-
ernments in the region to secure the safe return of
these four Israeli soldiers consistent with Chairman
Arafat’s obligation as specified in the May 4, 1994,
Gaza-Jericho agreement between the PLO and the
Israeli Government to cooperate with Israel in locat-
HCON 122 IH
ing and working for the return of Israeli soldiers
missing in action;
(2) urges the Government of Syria to use its
good offices with the various paramilitary groups in
Syria and in areas in which Syria has influence to
bring about a resolution of this issue and secure the
safe return of these four Israeli soldiers missing in
action;
(3) calls upon the President, the Secretary of
State and other United States Government officials
to pursue aggressively and actively the resolution of
these tragic cases with all appropriate government
officials and through all appropriate channels; and
(4) urges the President and the Secretary of
State, as they formulate United States policy toward
each government or authority in the Middle East, to
take into consideration the level of assistance pro-
vided by that government or authority in resolving
these cases and to factor that judgment into consid-
erations of United States policy toward, and aid for,
each government or authority.
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