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Israeli Researcher Kidnapped in Iraq by Iran-Backed Militia
by Andrew Bernard
Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, 2017 (Photo: Facebook)
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Wednesday announced that an Israeli-Russian researcher, Elizabeth Tsurkov, was kidnapped in Iraq, is alive, and is being held by the Iraqi Shia militia Kataib Hezbollah.
According to a statement by the New Lines Institute, a DC-based think tank where Tsurkov is a fellow, she last made contact with her colleagues in March, and her disappearance was first mentioned in an article in June.
The PMO’s announcement Wednesday is the first official confirmation of her kidnapping.
“Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being,” the statement said. “The matter is being handled by the relevant parties in the State of Israel out of concern for Elizabeth Tsurkov’s security and well-being.”
The statement added that she had entered Iraq on her Russian passport as part of her doctoral research at Princeton University. Israel and Iraq do not have any formal diplomatic relations.
Princeton University and the Iraqi embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.
Tsurkov is a well-known researcher and commentator on the Middle East whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere.
In their statement, New Lines said the motivation behind her kidnapping and her whereabouts are unknown.
“Although we don’t know for certain where she is, it would probably involve Iran,” the statement says. “Since Liz is also a Russian national, it may well involve Russia, too. Somewhat ironically, Liz, who some claim was kidnapped for being the ‘Zionist enemy,’ is not a Zionist at all. Indeed, she is a fierce critic of Israeli national security policy. While some of her critics see her Israeli nationality as an indelible stain, whatever her beliefs, many who follow her work know that she is deeply passionate about the region and empathetic toward its people. It is unclear whether her kidnappers actually believe she is the enemy or merely useful, but what is clear is that she has many friends from the region.”
This is a developing story that we will update as more information becomes available
