Suwad family blasts UN for cooperating in kidnapping
By Eli Ashkenazi, Haaretz Correspondent
An iman (R), raising his hands in prayer next to the father of Omar Suwad, after the soldier's remains arrived Thursday at Ben-Gurion Airport. (AP)
The Suwad family Monday lashed out at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for its conduct during and after the kidnapping of the three Israeli soldiers three years ago, accusing it of cooperating with Hezbollah in the kidnapping.
Hezbollah returned the body of the Suwads' son Omar last Thursday along with the bodies of two other Israeli soldiers.
"UNIFIL did not answer how the soldiers were killed. They stood only 150 meters away from where it happened and so cooperated with the kidnappers. Later they failed to hand over a tape documenting the incident," a family member told President Moshe Katsav, who came to console the Suwads in their Salameh home.
The bereaved mother, H'dra Suwad, told the president she had given the most precious thing she had and he did not come home alive. "Every day in the past few years seemed like a year to me. I thank the government for not sparing efforts to bring the sons home," she said.
Katsav told the family that he raised the issue of the kidnapped soldiers in every country. "I said it was inhuman. The Hezbollah were intransigent and unwilling to give information."
Omar Suwad's twin brother Amar said "the president did not leave us for one second. His heart is with us. He felt as if this was his problem too, supported and strengthened us. We thank him wholeheartedly."
