Mark Kirk: “I rise today to call on the immediate release of three Israeli soldiers and one Israeli citizen who have been held…”

“I rise today to call on the immediate release of three Israeli soldiers and one Israeli citizen who have been held hostage by Hezbollah in Lebanon for the last eight months. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for sponsoring this resolution and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for bringing it to the floor today. On October 7, 2000, Hezbollah terrorists crossed the Lebanese border into Israel, ambushed an IDF patrol unit, and abducted Adi Avitan, Binyamin Avraham, and Omar Souad. Only a week later, Elchanan Tannenbaum, an Israeli civilian, was abducted while on a business trip to Switzerland. Despite constant international pressure, Hezbollah has not yet shown any signs of releasing these four hostages. Hezbollah continues to deny any requests to meet with these four men. The kidnaping of these three soldiers and one citizen is yet another intolerable element of the ongoing struggle in the Middle East. Iran and Hezbollah's blatant violation of established international norms must be confronted. Syria, Lebanon, and Iran all voted in favor of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the United Nations General Assembly, yet Hezbollah has continued to deny the International Committee of the Red Cross access to these prisoners. Having worked against Hezbollah in Bosnia, I am aware of the danger they pose to Israelis and America abroad.”