o a OPINION A Long Road Home N , / (-) the American Zionist Movement pub- ere is the most unlikely sign lished a special Passover Hagaddah sup- posted along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. plement adding these four sons — Arad, Baumel, Feldman and Katz — to the It doesn't guide the motorist traditional readings on the Passover to drive at any certain speed or in any theme of freedom. This year, Hadassah particular direction. In fact, it has noth- invites families everywhere to include ing to do with driving or direction at all. these questions at their An ingenious advocacy tool, it Passover seders: Why are these simply reads: "Ron Arad — sons different from all other IDF," asking us to remember sons? These four sons were an Israeli who has been missing taken prisoner in Lebanon in action (MIA) since 1986. while bravely fighting for the Such public awareness about safety and security of the State the loss of one individual's per- of Israel and her people. sonal freedom is especially rele- Why are these prisoners vant during this season. Each MARL ENE E. different from other prisoners? year as Passover nears and we PO ST Israel's missing soldiers have discuss those who are still in Spec ial to been denied the basic human chains around the world, I The Jew ish News rights guaranteed by interna- always recall the 1991 tional law. They have never announcement that "the last been treated as prisoners of war, but Western hostage in Lebanon" was freed. rather as hostages. While the public celebrated Terry Ander- Why are these hostages different son's release after six years in captivity, I from all other hostages? sat sadly remembering all the loved ones b • These sons of Israel continue to be held hostage of the four Israelis who became MIAs in years after international efforts secured Lebanon before and after Anderson and the release of all other Western still have not come home. hostages being held in Lebanon. We Miriam and Yona Baumel have not know nothing of the conditions under seen their son Zachary in nearly 17 which they are being held, nor do we years. know that they are still alive. A born and bred American raised in Why do we raise the issue of the Brooklyn, Zachary Baumel became a Israeli soldiers missing in action on soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. He Passover? Passover is the festival of was captured in Lebanon three years freedom. We cannot sit comfortably, before Anderson. Baumel and his enjoy a pleasant holiday meal and let Israeli comrades, Tzvi Feldman and the spirit of celebration allow us to Yehuda Katz, disappeared during a forget that there are those who are less 1982 tank battle with a Syrian army fortunate. If there is even one Jew who unit in Syrian-controlled Lebanon. is being denied freedom, we must raise Four years later, Israeli Air Force Navi- our voices on his/her behalf. gator Capt. Ron Arad was captured by Though Judaism upholds a com- Amal, a Shiite militia group in mandment of "ransoming captives" — Lebanon, when his plane was downed. paying for captives to restore a corn- It's believed all four were taken hostage. munity to wholeness — without More than 16 years after the first information, Israel cannot do so. soldier was captured, the whereabouts, Mark "Moshe" Hardie, a 27-year- health and status of these Israeli ser- old lawyer, launched the California vicemen still remain shrouded in mys- roadside campaign to remember Ron tery. While the missing soldiers suffer, Arad. Hardie says that Ron's freedom their loved ones also are tortured as is our freedom. the years drag on without closure. The story of the captives, one of This year on Passover, as we once whom holds American citizenship, is again bring the Exodus story of libera- about more than just Mideast politick- tion to life, our mission is two-fold: ing. Such denial of freedom and we must remember the Israeli MIAs humanity is a story of moral outrage. among our brothers and sisters across As the complex challenges in the the world who still linger in captivity; Mideast continue to demand atten- and we must advocate loudly and per- tion, we must not forget the human sistently on their behalf until this trag- stories behind the political ones. ic chapter comes to a satisfactory end. One mother's story is every moth- To help keep their plight in the fore, er's story. And each son, each brother, each husband has the right, like Terry Marlene E. 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