An aide to President Moshe Katzav briefed the families of the abducted Israelis in Lebanon this morning on the letters the President sent last week to Spanish King Juan Carlos I, French President Jacques Chirac, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Katzav made specific requests from each leader: He asked Chirac to speak with Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who is scheduled to visit France, while King Carlos was asked to raise the matter with the Syrians in advance of Syrian President Assad’s visit to Spain. The President asked both of them to persuade their visitors to enable Red Cross representatives to visit the abductees, and asked President Putin to use his influence with Syrian and Lebanese leaders.
Yaakov Avitan, father of one of the soldiers who was abducted six months ago while patrolling the Israeli-Lebanese border, told Arutz-7 today that his visit last week, together with the family members of the other Israelis in Lebanon, was very disappointing: \"The only positive thing was the meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan, after his refusal to do so for many months. But he didn\'t say anything of substance. And Shimon Peres didn\'t mention it in his speech in front of 2,000 American Jewish leaders, even though we were sitting there, and even though he had just met with us two days before - he left us sitting there, humiliated... If he could forget us at such a forum, what guarantee do we have that any of the leaders bring it up at any forum?\"
Another demonstration, a weekly event for the past several months, was held last night outside the Defense Ministry offices in Tel Aviv. Members of the Ichpat (We Care) Movement demanded yet again the establishment of a public commission of inquiry regarding the abandonment of both Joseph\'s Tomb and the soldier Madhat Yusuf who died of his wounds during that battle.