Israeli Newspaper: 50 Hizbullah Kidnap Threats Thwarted

The Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot reported on Friday that during the past few years at least 50 attempts by Hizbullah to kidnap Israeli security officials and high profile individuals became known to the defense establishment. The cabinet was briefed by security officials regarding the risks Israeli officials face when traveling outside Israel. A number of the planned kidnappings would have been similar to the case of Elhanan Tennenbaum, who was lured from Israel under the pretense of a drug deal and snatched by Hizbullah. He was repatriated in a prisoner swap with Hizbullah after two years in captivity. The paper quoted a source in the defense establishment as saying that, "Hizbullah’s drive to abduct officers and other security personnel stationed outside Israel is skyrocketing."