Ehud Goldwasser

Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser memorial

Ehud "Udi" Goldwasser (Hebrew: אהוד גולדווסר‎‎; 18 July 1975 – 12 July 2006) was an Israeli soldier who was abducted in Israel by Hezbollah along with Eldad Regev on 12 July 2006, sparking the 2006 Lebanon War. His rank was First Sergeant.[1]

On 16 July 2008, the bodies of Goldwasser and Regev were returned to Israel in the 2008 Israel–Hezbollah prisoner exchange. Israeli officials claimed an examination of the bodies determined that the two reservists were killed during the ambush.[2] A Lebanese minister claimed the soldiers were killed during the Israeli bombing.[3]

Biography

Prior to his abduction at Israel's border with Lebanon, Ehud "Udi" Goldwasser lived in Nahariya. He was a graduate student at the Technion,[4] the Israeli Institute of Technology, from which he had earlier earned an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering.[5]

As a teenager, he lived in South Africa with his parents, Shlomo and Mickey, and two younger brothers. In 2005, he married Karnit, who would later campaign globally for his release.[6][7] He was interested in environmental conservation, motorcycles, sailing and photography.[8]

Raid

According to the United Nations, the fighting began at around 9 AM when Hezbollah launched rockets on Israeli military positions along the Lebanese border, apparently as a diversion.[9] A force then attacked two armored IDF Humvees patrolling the border near the Israeli village of Zar'it with anti-tank rockets, and abducted the two soldiers. An Israeli Merkava Mk. II tank was damaged by a 200 kg improvised explosive device, while attempting to give pursuit, killing all four crewmembers.[10]

Prisoner swap

On 16 July 2008, Hezbollah transferred the coffins of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev,[11] in exchange for Lebanese militant Samir Kuntar and four Hezbollah fighters captured by Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War, as well as the remains of 199 Lebanese and Palestinian militants.[12][13]

Aerosmith dedication

On 19 September 2006, rock band Aerosmith dedicated their hit song "Dream On" to Goldwasser at the request of his wife.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Israel buries remains of returned soldiers". CNN. 17 July 2008.
  2. ↑ "Goldwasser and Regev Were Killed in Initial Attack - Latest News Briefs - Arutz Sheva". Arutz Sheva.
  3. ↑ "Lebanese Minister: Goldwasser, Regev Were Killed by IDF Fire". Haaretz.com.
  4. ↑ For Families of Captives, a Long Wait in the Dark, nytimes.com; accessed 22 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "List of environmental engineering graduates". Technion. 13 July 2006.
  6. ↑ Victoria Ward (1 August 2006). "MIDDLE EAST WAR: WIFE PLEA FOR SOLDIER". mirror.
  7. ↑ "Kidnapped Soldier's Wife Seeks His Release", washingtonpost.com, 8 August 2006.
  8. ↑ "Remains of abducted soldiers Goldwasser and Regev returned home". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 16 July 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  9. ↑ S/2006/560 Circumstances of abduction of two Israeli soldiers, domino.un.org, 21 July 2006.
  10. ↑ "IDF releases names of two reserve soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah". Haaretz.com. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  11. ↑ "UN identifying bodies presumed to be of Goldwasser, Regev". The Jerusalem Post. 16 July 2008.
  12. ↑ "Coffins said to hold bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev taken to Israel-Lebanon border". Haaretz. 16 July 2008.
  13. ↑ Myra Noveck; Graham Bowley (18 July 2008). "Funerals in Israel for Two Soldiers". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "Aerosmith lines up behind abducted IDF soldiers", Israel21c, 19 September 2006
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