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INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO BEGIN ON BEHALF OF ISRAELI MIAs UNDER CHAIRMANSHIP OF JEWISH AGENCY TREASURER CHAIM CHESLER The families of the three Israeli soldiers kidnapped near the border with Lebanon last October, recently declared dead by the Israel Defense Forces, have united with the family of Israeli businessman Liet. Colonel (Res.) Elhanan Tenenboim, abducted in Europe last year, and the families of Israel's other MIAs to raise awareness about their cases throughout the Jewish world. Over the past year, the Jewish Agency has helped the families of St.-Sgt. Binyamin Avraham, Sgt. Adi Avitan, and Staff.-Sgt. Omar Suwayed keep their missing sons in the consciousness of the Israeli public. Activities included a mass rally and working with the Education Ministry to ensure that the issue was taught in Israel's schools. Meetings were held last week between the soldiers' families, the Tenenboim family, representatives of Israel's other MIAs, and representatives of various international Jewish organizations, to discuss the campaign's expansion beyond Israel. An inter-organizational committee is being established, comprised of representatives of the Jewish Agency/World Zionist Organization, the United Jewish Communities of North America, Keren Hayesod - UIA, and the World Jewish Congress, the Israel Foreign Ministry, the Prime Minister's Office and the IDF. The committee is being formed under the chairmanship of Chaim Chesler, who spearheaded the Jewish Agency's involvement in this issue over the past year. The committee will coordinate worldwide efforts on behalf of the families. "We will stand with you as you continue your campaign", Chesler told the families. One idea discussed at the meetings was that of enlisting the support of Jewish communities in lobbying their governments to pressure relevant organizations to help uncover the fate of the soldiers and return them to Israel. The United Nations, the International Red Cross and the Hizballah itself are among such organizations.
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