Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., July 19, 2008 Tamuz 16, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:30 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Abducted IDF soldiers Eldad Regev (left) and Ehud Goldwasser. (Archives)
Last update - 09:15 08/01/2008
Israel botched chance to free abducted soldiers at start of war
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Prisoners, Hezbollah, Olmert 

Israel missed a reasonable opportunity for a cease-fire with Hezbollah during the first week of the Second Lebanon War, which could have included transferring kidnapped Israeli reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev to the Lebanese government, according to senior Israeli and United Nations officials who were involved in the indirect talks.

The deal offered to Israel between July 16 and 18, 2006, would have at least enabled Israel to ascertain the soldiers' condition, which remains unknown.

According to the mediators, the Israeli leadership played a key role in botching that opportunity, which led to an escalation of the war with Hezbollah.
Advertisement
Olmert's associates deny there was a realistic deal, and that the UN diplomats conceded that they could not guarantee Hezbollah would deliver the soldiers to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

"We asked them to go check on that point," one said, adding that they did not believe Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah would agree to the deal, since it would mean admitting failure, and he was not yet that worried about Hezbollah's survival.

The full story appears in the book "Spider Webs - The Story of the Second Lebanon War," being published this week in Hebrew by Yedioth Ahronoth.

UN diplomats claim that at the time, Hezbollah did not rule out transfering Goldwasser and Regev to Siniora. Israel Defense Forces officers now confirm that the possibility had been up for discussion, and that Hezbollah might have agreed to it. However, when the UN envoys tried to advance the proposal, it was made clear to them in Jerusalem that the hostages were no longer top priority.

The UN secretary general at the time, Kofi Annan, decided to send mediators to the Middle East on July 13, the day after the soldiers's abduction. The delegation was headed by Annan's political adviser, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar, and included the special envoy on implementing Security Council Resolution 1559, Norway's Terje Roed Larsen, and the special representative on the Middle East and under-secretary general, Alvaro de Soto of Peru.

The delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday, July 15. "The three wise men," as they were dubbed at UN headquarters, met with their group of aides in a hall at the Arab League building, at the same time that the league was holding a meeting of Arab foreign ministers. While the UN team worked on a cease-fire proposal to be presented to Israel and Lebanon, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia put in separate appearances.

"Every entrance of theirs into the hall was accompanied by a barrage of curses against Hezbollah, which caused some people in the room to blush," said one diplomat who was present.

Forfeiting Shaba

The idea to transfer the hostages to the Lebanese government had already come up in Cairo.

"The thinking was that once the pair were Siniora's responsibility, Israel could stop the fighting because the objective cited for going to battle, returning the hostages, would begin to be implemented," the diplomat added. "We though the next stage after transfering the soldiers to Siniora would be continued negotiations over releasing the three Lebanese prisoners jailed in Israel. But we knew it would be very difficult to limit our offer to prisoners and hostages' issue.

"The crisis ought to have been used to create a reality that would prevent another flare-up. The means, from our standpoint, was ending Hezbollah's rule south of the Litani and deploying the Lebanese army in the south. However, we realized we would have to present the Lebanese something that would also interest Hezbollah. A ladder of sorts, such as an Israeli concession on Shaba Farms."

The delegation drafted a non-paper, or unofficial document, outlining the desired solution to the crisis along those lines. A few hours later, on Sunday morning, the diplomats left Cairo for Cyprus, where a British helicopter flew them to Beirut. Siniora and his advisers told the delegation they would accept the non-paper only if it included a more binding clause regarding Shaba. They raised the possibility of Israel expressing its willingness to place Shaba under UN custody.

"The Lebanese agreed in principle to the Israeli soldiers' being transfered to their care," one diplomat said. "But ultimately, they emphasized, the decision was not theirs to make, but was at the discretion of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah."

The diplomats' next stop was the office of Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Beri, who heads the Shi'ite Amal movement and mediated on Nasrallah's behalf.

To their surprise, Beri did not reject outright the proposal to transfer the Israeli hostages to Siniora, but said he must check with Hezbollah first.

During the ensuing hours, the delegation received further encouragement: UN envoy to Lebanon Geir Pedersen had met with Hezbollah leaders, and reported that the organization would agree to the emerging deal, including transfering the hostages to Siniora.

Pedersen stressed that Hezbollah wanted an immediate cease-fire, and that at a later stage, they would ask that in return for the soldiers' transfer to Israel, Israel release only the three Lebanese prisoners and not include Palestinian prisoners in the deal.

On Monday, July 17, the UN delegation went back to Siniora and Beri.

"We received confirmation from Siniora that he would accept our offer, and it was agreed that we would not demand from Israel binding language on Shaba, but would request to work on finding a solution," one diplomat said.

The meeting with Beri was more complicated. He had spoken with Hezbollah leaders, and was now treading cautiously.

"He refrained from responding to the offer to transfer the soldiers to Siniora," one diplomat said. "Beri said he was not prepared to commit so long as we had not heard from Israel how it stands regarding the agreement. We agreed that immediately after visiting Jerusalem, we would return to Beirut to continue the talks, if we get an Israeli consent to the principles of the deal in the works."

Livni nearly jumped out of her seat

The delegation felt optimistic as it headed to Israel.

"We had succeeded in reaching a document that was acceptable to Siniora, that was not rejected by Hezbollah, and had a pretty good chance of being accepted in Israel," one member said.

On the morning of Tuesday, July 18, the delegation met with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to present the deal in detail.

"When Livni heard the word 'Shaba,' she nearly jumped out of her seat," one diplomat recalled. "She argued that 'if history books say that Hezbollah attacked Israel, kidnapped soldiers and in return got Shaba, the entire Israeli deterrence is lost for good.' Livni refused even to discuss the matter, claiming that the negotiations over the agreement would wind up focusing on Shaba."

In view of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's refusal to meet with the delegation, "the three wise men" were supposed to meet only with his chief of staff, Yoram Turbowicz, and political adviser Shalom Turjeman. But shortly after the diplomats arrived at Turbowicz's office, Olmert joined them.

According to one person who was present, "Olmert said he didn't like the idea. He added: 'We have no problem with Siniora. We think he's good news overall. The kidnapped soldiers would likely even be treated well by him. But we don't want Siniora, once he has the soldiers, to become a target from our standpoint.'"

Delegation members said that everyone they spoke to in Israel made it clear that the Lebanon offensive would not be suspended.

"In Israel, unlike Lebanon, they were not willing to hear about cooperating with us on the agreement," a senior diplomat said. "It was made clear to us on several occasions that the issue is not freeing the soldiers, but changing the political arena. Olmert made it clear he had no intention of negotiating over any issue related to the war, and the same goes for the rest of the Israeli representatives we met. They were confident of their victory."

The diplomats insist they received no Israeli okay for sending out additional feelers to Hezbollah.

"We were supposed to return straight to Beirut, but when we understood that Olmert's office was rejecting any negotiation over an immediate political settlement that included a cease-fire, we canceled the trip," one said.

"At the height of the pressure, Nasrallah agreed to transfer the kidnapped soldiers to Siniora, but the mechanism for arranging this was not found," one officer said.

Said a UN official, "We saw that Hezbollah was interested in a cease-fire, but the attitude we encountered in Jerusalem was: 'Forget it. We're going to win.' It was a once-only chance to end the war, under better terms for Israel." Senior IDF officers have provided support for the UN's version, stating that at every situation assessment between July 16 and 18, they said Hezbollah was ready for a cease-fire.

Related articles:
  • Sneh: Israel not aware of Hezbollah claims to hold soldiers' remains
  • Nasrallah set to go on TV to discuss kidnapped IDF soldiers
  • The Hezbollah swap / Nothing more on Arad; now, on to other captives
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Farewell ambassador
    Even the Arab envoys came to say goodbyeto Israel's UN ambassador Dan Gillerman.
    A tale of two mothers
    Israeli documentary 'To Die in Jerusalem' earns three Emmy nominations.
      1.   Silly Article 04:16  |  Nephtaly 08/01/08
      2.   Old news 04:25  |  Pablo B 08/01/08
      3.   Israel was right to reject the offer 04:31  |  Gili 08/01/08
      4.   How Sad_ They Should Have Gotten Their Release and Then hammered 04:36  |  Eli 08/01/08
      5.   TRANSLATION FROM THE HEBREW 04:37  |  Larry 08/01/08
      6.   HAARETZ AND ITS HEADLINES; BOTCHED CHANCE EQUALS SURRENDER 04:43  |  Jorge 08/01/08
      7.   UN Officials 05:14  |  Straight Talk 08/01/08
      8.   Israel F`s up most of it`s chances at peace & resolution 05:28  |  POP 08/01/08
      9.   is this Yedioth Ahronoth story part of the Winograd Report ? 05:29  |  avigdor 08/01/08
      10.   I can ALMOST feel sorry for Hezbollah 05:32  |  What makes sense 08/01/08
      11.   Excellent #1 just beautiful 05:56  |  noname 08/01/08
      12.   the rationale for starting the war 06:07  |  rm 08/01/08
      13.   I support #1 06:25  |  Vittorio 08/01/08
      14.   A chance; For a price 06:37  |  B 08/01/08
      15.   Lebanon botched a chance to become a real country 07:09  |  Dan 08/01/08
      16.   quoting "Yedioth Ahronoth", word for word, like some 2nd tier 07:16  |  avigdor 08/01/08
      17.   Yeah Right! Hizbollah Was Going To Give Them Up 07:29  |  Dick Hertz 08/01/08
      18.   "Every Entrance of Theirs Into the Hall Was Accompanied By 07:36  |  Taleb Eben Husain 08/01/08
      19.   Sounds Like BS 07:37  |  Tod Zuckerman 08/01/08
      20.   Welcome to the Ha`aretz Propaganda Sheet 07:53  |  Yitzhak Sokoloff 08/01/08
      21.   Idiots 08:27  |  sam 08/01/08
      22.   #8 poop 08:31  |  danny 08/01/08
      23.   #10 what nonsense 08:58  |  maoriboy 08/01/08
      24.   #5, Larry is correct 09:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/01/08
      25.   HEZBOLLAH NEVER AGREED OR COMPROMISED, BUT PLAYED WITH NO REJECT 09:03  |  Alain 08/01/08
      26.   Better this way: the world more scared, and Israel not the cop 09:05  |  Alain 08/01/08
      27.   Israel doesn`t give a rat`s *ss about its servicemen. 09:19  |  Dutch Dirk 08/01/08
      28.   Yitzhak Sokoloff No. 20 On Haaretz Propoganda 09:27  |  Neil 08/01/08
      29.   Lesson: Leftists Regret Not Making Things Even Worse 09:29  |  Efox 08/01/08
      30.   This was a dirty blackmail by Hezbollah to try to save face 09:34  |  Marwan مروان خوري 08/01/08
      31.   Olmert/Perez only wanted to `teach them a lesson` . 10:04  |  Chalanau, Tova 08/01/08
      32.   Missed the target. 10:12  |  Fahmi Natour 08/01/08
      33.   Israel sacrificed two brave soldiers to kill 1000 Arabs - sick! 10:13  |  1 state scitscat 08/01/08
      34.   27- If Hezb treats these 2, as IDF treats Pals, its a war crime! 10:17  |  1 state scitscat 08/01/08
      35.   #10 What makes sence - you are correct 10:18  |  Adrian de Klerk 08/01/08
      36.   The simple truth: Israel has a wanker for a Prime Minister 10:28  |  Clickfool 08/01/08
      37.   Dutch dreck I hope you don`t sleep at night for hate of Israel 10:37  |  Iz Ray Leigh 08/01/08
      38.   So, from a win win to a lose ala Olmert. 11:28  |  Hubal 08/01/08
      39.   ZIONISTS ALREAY PLANNED FOR WAR BEFORE SOLDIERS ABDUCTION 11:35  |  TrippleJump 08/01/08
      40.   ALL IN ALL, ISRAEL F@#ED UP 11:39  |  VIPER 08/01/08
      41.   Hizbollah had a deal on the table from the beginning 12:01  |  Natallie Durson 08/01/08
      42.   So, from a win win to a lose ala Olmert. 12:46  |  Hubal 08/01/08
      43.   #39Quadruple-DUMB-Your country also has war plans. SO WHAT??? 13:26  |  Smarter Thanyou 08/01/08
      44.   Olmert is no Sharon 13:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 08/01/08
      45.   Olmert is no Sharon 13:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 08/01/08
      46.   Not a big deal 16:13  |  Tosefta 08/01/08
      47.   #35 Moral support from Adrian de Klerk. 17:10  |  maoriboy 08/01/08
      48.   tosefta on olmert`s performance 17:18  |  tiberblood 08/01/08
      49.   The two soldiers were just chips in a poker game Israel lost 17:46  |  Ben Alofs 08/01/08
      50.   ben alofs hates israel more then anyone else 17:59  |  maastricht 08/01/08
      51.   ben alofs "israel`s primary reason for te 2006 18:02  |  maastricht 08/01/08
      52.   ben alofs "the israeli army was out for revenge" 18:10  |  maastricht 08/01/08
      53.   botched chance to capitulate 18:10  |  peter 08/01/08
      54.   Viper`s Venomous Lies and accusations 18:11  |  Marwan مروان خوري 08/01/08
      55.   Hezbollah was acting on orders from Tehran and Damascus 18:18  |  Marwan مروان خوري 08/01/08
      56.   Hezballah wanted a war before the abduction 18:27  |  Genuine Tosefta 08/01/08
      57.   The many Olmert mistakes in the Lebanon war 18:42  |  Tosefta 08/01/08
      58.   MISSED OPPORTUNITY 19:05  |  Boris 08/01/08
      59.   Tosefta - not a mistake at all 19:07  |  Mark Lincoln 08/01/08
      60.   #1,2 right - "Land for Hostages" never an option. Nothing botched 19:24  |  Dr. L. Brnd 08/01/08
      61.   ben alofs"further slide in israel`s deterrent power" 19:33  |  maastricht 08/01/08
      62.   #56 Genuine Tosefta - correct 20:09  |  Adrian de Klerk 08/01/08
      63.   #49 dr ben and the nelsonian touch 20:38  |  victor hardman 08/01/08
      64.   Ben Alofs # 49 It Was A Draw 20:44  |  Jeff Northridge 08/01/08
      65.   What is known (Mark Lincoln #59) 20:58  |  Tosefta 08/01/08
      66.   Israel`s economy and gov`t built around perpetual war 21:40  |  Pssd Off American 08/01/08
      67.   Israel lost chance to totally capitulate 22:08  |  reizel 08/01/08
      68.   #64 Jeff, I`ve got no problem with calling it a draw 23:23  |  Ben Alofs 08/01/08
      69.   Never believe 01:38  |  Scharker Yid 09/01/08
      70.   #66: P`d Off American 01:57  |  B 09/01/08
      71.   Both kidnapped soldiers will come back but it woun`t be through 07:27  |  Marwan مروان خوري 09/01/08
      72.   Natalie on Hezbollah - 1st try 06:17 UTC 08:18  |  BBSNews 09/01/08
      73.   Understandable 08:22  |  Colin Wright 09/01/08
      74.   Dr L.Brnd`s Zionism: land more important than people #60 09:42  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
      75.   Soldiers hostages to the Israeli government? 10:07  |  sandra chitayat 17/02/08
      76.   Why Assume they are Both Dead? 00:36  |  Bernie 18/06/08
      77.   Miss Natallie Durston 14:08  |  Joseph Theeboom 22/06/08
      78.   74 Clickfool 14:25  |  Joseph Theeboom 22/06/08
      79.   Olmert`s as incompetent as he is corrupt 15:11  |  newageblues 18/07/08
     Read & React
    Samir Kuntar: I'm yearning more than ever to confront Israel
    Responses: 244
    Shalit talks hit impasse as Hamas hangs on to 'asset'
    Responses: 127
    Marco Greenberg: The real story of anti-Semitism in the U.S.
    Responses: 145
    ANALYSIS / What does Nasrallah mean by 'defense strategy'?
    Responses: 84
    David Landau: Olmert has walked right into Nasrallah's trap
    Responses: 38
    Rosner's Domain
    What will Obama look for in Jerusalem (and Ramallah)?
    Is there a crisis in U.S.-Lebanon relations? (WTR)
    Do U.S. Jews really support 'necessary compromises' for peace?
    Why does Israel keep agreeing to prisoner swaps?


    More Headlines
    23:27 VIDEO: What Talansky said about Olmert in his testimony
    19:54 Report: Obama's planned visit to Mideast raises serious security concerns
    20:56 Spat between Jews and Muslims sours Saudi interfaith summit
    21:59 Six arrested in Israel for allegedly plotting attack on Bush
    13:38 Israeli film on mothers of suicide bomber, victim tapped for 3 Emmys
    08:36 Shalit talks deadlocked as Hamas hangs on to 'asset'
    09:15 This hyphenated life, post two / Jew me down
    16:50 Teva to buy U.S. drug giant for $7.5B in biggest ever purchase by Israeli company
    00:47 Samir Kuntar: I'm yearning more than ever to confront Israel
    05:55 ANALYSIS / What does Nasrallah mean by 'defense strategy'?
    07:25 Rabbis felt emotional difficulty in identifying remains
    18:37 Even the Arab envoys came to bid farewell to Israel's UN ambassador
    12:44 Serbia setting up case against alleged Nazi unit member living in U.S.
    23:06 Girl, 16, arrested for pimping out 13-year-old neighbor
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Fattal Hotel Chain
    Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
    Israel's Premier Real Estate Website
    www. israel-property.com
    Dan Hotels Israel
    Live the Legend & experience an Unforgettable Summer Vacation
    Yossi Avrahami Presents:
    New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat
    Holyland Park
    Jerusalem Apartment Tower World Class Luxury
    Your vacation starts here
    Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates
    Hebrew Summer courses
    From $39.95
    ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel
    Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
    Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
    birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved