Israeli-Russian Elizabeth Tsurkov has been abducted in Iraq by an Iranian-backed terror group.
Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli Middle East analyst who also holds Russian citizenship, is being held by a radical Shiite militia in Iraq, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Wednesday.
Tsurkov visited Iraq “on her Russian passport at her own initiative pursuant to work on her doctorate and academic research on behalf of Princeton University in the US,” the PMO said in a statement.
She has been missing for several months, and is apparently being held by Kataeb Hezbollah, a paramilitary group backed by Iran, according to the statement. The group is a distinct entity from the Lebanese Hezbollah. The PMO added that Israel “views Iraq as responsible for her fate and safety.”
Tsurkov is quite the Israel critic, despite her nationality. For example:
And you know you might have gone too far if..
In fact, I have had a few “run-ins” with her on Twitter before, the last one being eerie (and ironic) given her current predicament:
Of course, to the antisemites of the world, her criticisms of Israel are not enough for them to be at all sympathetic to her plight.
Take “the abumination” Ali Abunimah for example:
Here is an example of the supposedly “neocon” New Lines Institute’s work. Abunimah clearly is counting on people to take his word for it, without checking them themselves. It is also probably deliberate he does not mention her work for the Israeli-Palestinian Forum for Regional Thinking.
This despite Tsurkov telling Abunimah point blank she is not a Zionist:
Of course, no doubt the fact Tsurkov believes Israel has a right to exist, and is not pro-Assad like Abunimah are also reasons for his callous reaction to her capture.
