Still Missing: The Unresolved Case of Ron Arad

Lieutenant Colonel Ron Arad, a married father of a daughter, served as a navigator in the Israeli Air Force flying the F-4 Phantom aircraft. At the beginning of the year 5747 (1986) he held the rank of captain during training, but was serving on emergency duty with Squadron 69.

On the 13th of Tishrei 5747 (October 16, 1986), Arad and pilot Captain Yosef “Issi” Aviram flew a mission targeting terrorist positions in the Sidon area of Lebanon as part of Operation Beit Abba 12. During the flight, a miscalculated maneuver caused their munitions to detonate too close to the aircraft. Both men ejected from the damaged jet.

A helicopter sent to recover them succeeded in rescuing Aviram, but Ron Arad was captured by fighters from the Shiite militia Amal.

Captivity, Messages, and Silence

At first, Arad’s captors sent a series of letters and a single photograph back to Israel, confirming that he was alive and being held. These communications continued into mid-1987, but after September 1987, all direct contact abruptly ceased.

In 1988, credible intelligence and research indicate that Arad was transferred from Amal custody to another Shiite faction, widely believed to be Hezbollah. Around May 1988, all trace of him disappeared. Although some intelligence reports and later claims have suggested that he may have been killed around that time, there has never been definitive proof.

Because the evidence remains inconclusive and no confirmed remains have ever been recovered, Ron Arad is still officially classified as missing in action.

Efforts for His Release and Legacy

Over the years, the State of Israel pursued numerous avenues to secure Arad’s return, including negotiations, attempted prisoner exchanges, and intelligence efforts. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Israel also sought to obtain information through exchanges with Hezbollah, but these efforts failed to produce reliable answers about his fate.

Ron Arad’s disappearance remains one of Israel’s most painful unresolved cases. His name has become a symbol of the uncertainty faced by families of missing soldiers and of the nation’s ongoing commitment to bringing its missing home.