Ron Arad (pilot)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel
Ron Arad (born May 5, 1958, presumed dead), was an Israeli Air Force
weapon systems officer
(WSO) who is officially classified as missing in action
since October 1986, but is widely presumed dead. Arad was lost on a mission over Lebanon, captured by Shiite group Amal
and was later handed over to the Hezbollah.
, Israel
. He studied in the Boarding Command School in Tel Aviv. Arad began military service in the Israel Defense Forces
in 1978 and graduated from the IAF flight course in 1979 as a combat navigator.
In October 1986 Arad began studying chemical engineering
at the Technion in Haifa
.
Arad was married to Tami and was a father to a daughter named Yuval.
targets near Sidon
, Lebanon
. A bomb dropped by their F-4 Phantom II apparently exploded prematurely, causing damage to the aircraft and forcing both crewmen to eject. Aviram was located by an Israeli Bell AH-1 Cobra a few hours later, and escaped by clinging to one of its landing skids as it flew away while under heavy enemy fire, but Arad was captured by the Lebanese Shi'ite militia
Amal
.
Arad was brought to Beirut
and held by the then head of security of Amal, Mustafa Dirani
. The leader of Amal, Nabih Berri
, announced that he was holding Arad, and proposed an exchange for Shiite and Lebanese prisoners held in Israel
.
In 1987, three letters in Arad's handwriting and two photos of a bearded Arad were received, proving Arad was alive. The Israeli government negotiated for his release, but talks failed in 1988. After this time, credible information about Arad has been hard to discover, though unsubstantiated claims of new information are made regularly.
To gain further insight on his whereabouts, Israeli commandos kidnapped Hezbollah member Abdel Karim Obeid
in 1989, and Mustafa Dirani
in 1994. The Israeli government claimed they were being held in order to find out information about Arad. During his interrogation by military officers, Dirani reportedly disclosed that on May 4, 1988, Arad had been turned over first to a Hezbollah unit and then to Iranian Revolutionary Guards who were in Lebanon at the time aiding Hezbollah guerrillas, where he may have been taken to Iran. But neither Iran nor any guerrilla group ever offered any useful information about his fate. Karim-Obeid and Dirani were released in 2004 as part of a prisoner swap. No information on Arad's fate was released after the swap.
In 2003, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
revealed that an intelligence agent had been killed during efforts to retrieve Arad. In December 2003, an organization seeking information about Arad issued a reward of 10 million dollars to anyone who brings such information.
In 2004, Israeli military intelligence formed a secret commission to investigate Arad's fate, and in 2009, it determined that Arad was dead. According to the report, Arad had been transferred to Iran
in 1990, where he was held by the Revolutionary Guard in strict secrecy and in complete isolation. Arad was transferred back to Lebanon following the capture of Mustafa Dirani
, after the Iranians feared that Dirani would implicate them. The report stated that Arad died in the mid-1990s after he became gravely ill and was refused medical treatment, and was buried in the Beqaa Valley
. While the majority of the committee members concluded that he had died in early 1995, others said that he probably died in late 1996 or early 1997. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
responded by stating that Israel would continue to work under the assumption that Arad was alive, unless there was "conclusive evidence" that he was dead.
In 2005, he was voted the 12th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
In 2005, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth
revealed that in the early 1990s, Israel offered Iran
$10 billion and to help Iran negotiate a compromise with the United States over $5 billion in Iranian assets frozen after the 1979 Iranian revolution in exchange for information on Arad. The report also revealed that when Iran was negotiating long-term loans with western European countries to prevent economic collapse, Israeli intelligence closely followed the negotiations and discovered a strategy of deceit used by Iranian negotiators to get better rates and longer terms out of European lenders by telling them that other lenders had offered better rates and longer terms. Israel threatened to expose this information if Arad was not released, and when Iran refused, Israel exposed this information. Negotiations were halted, and Israel made clear that it was behind the leak, and warned that as long as Arad was not released, it would expose more embarrassing information on Iran.
In 2006, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah
, publicly stated that Hezbollah believed Arad to be dead and his remains lost. This marked the first time they have publicly acknowledged their lack of knowledge about his whereabouts.
On August 28, 2006, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation
broadcast new footage of Arad. The footage was believed to have been shot in 1988.
In October 2007, Israel received a two-decade old letter written by Arad to his family.
On June 29, 2008, United Nations
negotiator Gerhard Konrad informed the Israeli government that according to Hezbollah, Arad had been killed during an escape attempt in 1988.
In a news conference on July 2, 2008, held by Hassan Nasrallah, he stated that his group conducted a detailed investigation into the fate of the missing Israeli navigator. The investigation spanned three years, and included in-depth interviews with prominent figures in Lebanon. He declined to indicate the findings of the investigation, but stated that a written report was handed to the United Nations representative mediating between the Lebanese group and the Israelis.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Ron Arad (born May 5, 1958, presumed dead), was an Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
weapon systems officer
Weapon systems officer
A Weapon Systems Officer is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the fighter in the United States Navy. A Weapon Systems Officer ("WSO", pronounced "wizzo") is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the...
(WSO) who is officially classified as missing in action
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
since October 1986, but is widely presumed dead. Arad was lost on a mission over Lebanon, captured by Shiite group Amal
Amal Movement
Amal Movement is short for the Lebanese Resistance Detachments the acronym for which, in Arabic, is "amal", meaning "hope."Amal was founded in 1975 as the militia wing of the Movement of the Disinherited, a Shi'a political movement founded by Musa...
and was later handed over to the Hezbollah.
Personal life
Arad was born on May 5, 1958 in Hod HaSharonHod HaSharon
Hod HaSharon is a city in the Center District of Israel.Officially declared a city in 1990, Hod HaSharon was created from the union in 1964 of four neighboring villages: Magdiel, Ramatayim, Hadar, and Ramat Hadar...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He studied in the Boarding Command School in Tel Aviv. Arad began military service in the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
in 1978 and graduated from the IAF flight course in 1979 as a combat navigator.
In October 1986 Arad began studying chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
at the Technion in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
.
Arad was married to Tami and was a father to a daughter named Yuval.
Capture
On October 16, 1986, Arad and pilot Yishai Aviram were on a mission to attack PLOPalestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
targets near Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. A bomb dropped by their F-4 Phantom II apparently exploded prematurely, causing damage to the aircraft and forcing both crewmen to eject. Aviram was located by an Israeli Bell AH-1 Cobra a few hours later, and escaped by clinging to one of its landing skids as it flew away while under heavy enemy fire, but Arad was captured by the Lebanese Shi'ite militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
Amal
Amal Movement
Amal Movement is short for the Lebanese Resistance Detachments the acronym for which, in Arabic, is "amal", meaning "hope."Amal was founded in 1975 as the militia wing of the Movement of the Disinherited, a Shi'a political movement founded by Musa...
.
Arad was brought to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and held by the then head of security of Amal, Mustafa Dirani
Mustafa Dirani
Mustafa Dirani was a member and held position of "the head of security" of the Amal movement, a Shi'a militia in Lebanon associated with Syria. In 1987 he started contacts with pro-Iran sources, and eventually he created contacts between them and the rest of the leadership of Amal...
. The leader of Amal, Nabih Berri
Nabih Berri
Nabih Berri is the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon. He heads the mostly Shi'a Amal Movement.-Biography:He was born in Bo, Sierra Leone to Lebanese parents. He went to school in Tebnine and Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon and later studied at the Makassed and the Ecole de la Sagesse in Beirut...
, announced that he was holding Arad, and proposed an exchange for Shiite and Lebanese prisoners held in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
In 1987, three letters in Arad's handwriting and two photos of a bearded Arad were received, proving Arad was alive. The Israeli government negotiated for his release, but talks failed in 1988. After this time, credible information about Arad has been hard to discover, though unsubstantiated claims of new information are made regularly.
To gain further insight on his whereabouts, Israeli commandos kidnapped Hezbollah member Abdel Karim Obeid
Abdel Karim Obeid
Abdel Karim Obeid is a sheik and Imam of the village of Jibchit in south Lebanon, high-place of Lebanese Shiism.Regarded as the spiritual leader and soldier of the 'Islamic Amal' in the south of Tyre, close to Hizballah and related to...
in 1989, and Mustafa Dirani
Mustafa Dirani
Mustafa Dirani was a member and held position of "the head of security" of the Amal movement, a Shi'a militia in Lebanon associated with Syria. In 1987 he started contacts with pro-Iran sources, and eventually he created contacts between them and the rest of the leadership of Amal...
in 1994. The Israeli government claimed they were being held in order to find out information about Arad. During his interrogation by military officers, Dirani reportedly disclosed that on May 4, 1988, Arad had been turned over first to a Hezbollah unit and then to Iranian Revolutionary Guards who were in Lebanon at the time aiding Hezbollah guerrillas, where he may have been taken to Iran. But neither Iran nor any guerrilla group ever offered any useful information about his fate. Karim-Obeid and Dirani were released in 2004 as part of a prisoner swap. No information on Arad's fate was released after the swap.
In 2003, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
revealed that an intelligence agent had been killed during efforts to retrieve Arad. In December 2003, an organization seeking information about Arad issued a reward of 10 million dollars to anyone who brings such information.
In 2004, Israeli military intelligence formed a secret commission to investigate Arad's fate, and in 2009, it determined that Arad was dead. According to the report, Arad had been transferred to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in 1990, where he was held by the Revolutionary Guard in strict secrecy and in complete isolation. Arad was transferred back to Lebanon following the capture of Mustafa Dirani
Mustafa Dirani
Mustafa Dirani was a member and held position of "the head of security" of the Amal movement, a Shi'a militia in Lebanon associated with Syria. In 1987 he started contacts with pro-Iran sources, and eventually he created contacts between them and the rest of the leadership of Amal...
, after the Iranians feared that Dirani would implicate them. The report stated that Arad died in the mid-1990s after he became gravely ill and was refused medical treatment, and was buried in the Beqaa Valley
Beqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...
. While the majority of the committee members concluded that he had died in early 1995, others said that he probably died in late 1996 or early 1997. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
responded by stating that Israel would continue to work under the assumption that Arad was alive, unless there was "conclusive evidence" that he was dead.
In 2005, he was voted the 12th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
In 2005, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth
Yedioth Ahronoth
Yedioth Ahronoth is a daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since the 1970s, it has been the most widely circulated paper in Israel. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Yedioth Ahronoth retained the title of most widely read newspaper in Israel...
revealed that in the early 1990s, Israel offered Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
$10 billion and to help Iran negotiate a compromise with the United States over $5 billion in Iranian assets frozen after the 1979 Iranian revolution in exchange for information on Arad. The report also revealed that when Iran was negotiating long-term loans with western European countries to prevent economic collapse, Israeli intelligence closely followed the negotiations and discovered a strategy of deceit used by Iranian negotiators to get better rates and longer terms out of European lenders by telling them that other lenders had offered better rates and longer terms. Israel threatened to expose this information if Arad was not released, and when Iran refused, Israel exposed this information. Negotiations were halted, and Israel made clear that it was behind the leak, and warned that as long as Arad was not released, it would expose more embarrassing information on Iran.
In 2006, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah
Hasan Nasrallah, became the third Secretary General of the Lebanese political and paramilitary organization Hezbollah after Israel assassinated the previous leader, Abbas al-Musawi, in 1992. Hezbollah in its entirety is considered a terrorist organization by The United States, the Netherlands,...
, publicly stated that Hezbollah believed Arad to be dead and his remains lost. This marked the first time they have publicly acknowledged their lack of knowledge about his whereabouts.
On August 28, 2006, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation
Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation
The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation , widely known as LBC, is the first private television station in Lebanon. It went global in 1996 when it launched its satellite channel LBC Al-Fadha'iya Al-Lubnaniya covering the Arab World. It now has several channels covering Europe, America, Australia, and...
broadcast new footage of Arad. The footage was believed to have been shot in 1988.
In October 2007, Israel received a two-decade old letter written by Arad to his family.
On June 29, 2008, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
negotiator Gerhard Konrad informed the Israeli government that according to Hezbollah, Arad had been killed during an escape attempt in 1988.
In a news conference on July 2, 2008, held by Hassan Nasrallah, he stated that his group conducted a detailed investigation into the fate of the missing Israeli navigator. The investigation spanned three years, and included in-depth interviews with prominent figures in Lebanon. He declined to indicate the findings of the investigation, but stated that a written report was handed to the United Nations representative mediating between the Lebanese group and the Israelis.
External links
- ICMIS bio on Ron Arad
- Story of Ron Arad
- Archive of news articles
- Ron Arad – Reward: A site that offers a $10,000,000 reward for any proven information leading to Ron Arad.
- Ron Arad News, Israeli newspaper with online reports about Ron Arad.
- Ron Arad on Lebanese TV? – YnetYnetYnet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
article & video clip aired on the Lebanese Broadcasting CorporationLebanese Broadcasting CorporationThe Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation , widely known as LBC, is the first private television station in Lebanon. It went global in 1996 when it launched its satellite channel LBC Al-Fadha'iya Al-Lubnaniya covering the Arab World. It now has several channels covering Europe, America, Australia, and... - Israel obtains two-decade-old letter from missing navigator