ALL RAND PAlit L*31" Olga Sheichat grieves during the funeral of her son Oleg Sheichat, a corporal with the Israeli army who was kidnapped. New Threat As suicide bombings abate, Israelis worry about kidnappings. GIL SEDAN Jewish Telegraphic Agency v*:auoat Jerusalem A Check out the Jewish.com Store for everything for the High Holidays! 111 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • If Only Moses Knew...' ONLINE: www.jewish.com BY PHONE: 800 875 6621 - - • Banner advertising and newsletter sponsorships • Web site hosting and design services 8/ 8 2003 18 For more information, call 248-354-6060 or e-mail us at sales@jewish.com . month into the cease-fire declared by Palestinian ter- rorist groups, the fear of suicide bombers has been replaced by fear of kidnappers. . The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) repeatedly has warned soldiers not to hitchhike, young lovers to avoid isolat- ed places and parents to think twice before letting their children out at night. As for protecting government officials, the security belt around Cabinet ministers is as tight as ever. Concern has intensified following the abduction last month of taxi driver Eliahu Gurel — who was rescued from Ramallah in an operation by Israel Defense Forces commandos— and the murder of soldier Oleg Sheichat, who was abducted in the Galilee. This week, authorities were searching for two missing teenagers: Dana Bennet, 18, a waitress from Tiberias, who disappeared on July 31, and a 19- year-old American yeshiva student studying in Jerusalem, who disap- peared Aug. 3. The security forces often have warned that terrorists might try to kid- nap Israeli soldiers and civilians in order to try to trade them as pawns for large numbers of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The warnings take on extra weight as Israel and the Palestinians tussle over the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel on Aug. 6 released 339 prison- ers, but the Palestinian Authority is demanding that Israel release thou- sands. In addition, the releases will not cover Israeli Arabs involved in terror- ism. The impasse has increased frustra- tion and rage among families of Palestinian terrorists and among Israeli Arabs, creating the motivation for kid- nappings, security officials warn. However, in the cases of Gurel and Sheichat, the kidnappers did not seri- ously try to negotiate a deal for Palestinian prisoners. Linked Cases? In the case .of Gurel, the kidnappers demanded the release of prisoners but soon reverted to demanding ransom — and eventually got nothing. In the case of Sheichat, no contact was made between kidnappers and authorities— probably because the kidnappers killed the soldier shortly after abducting him. In the cases still open, Bennet disap- peared on a Thursday night shortly after leaving a cab that drove her home from the restaurant where she works.