Elhanan Tannenbaum, infamous for his Hezbollah abduction and controversial prisoner swap, passed away at 78.

Freed Israeli captive Elhanan Tannenbaum (C) walks with unidentified German mediators and Hizbollah officials to a waiting German airplane at Beirut airport January 29, 2004.
(photo credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir JS)

Elhanan Tannenbaum, a former Israeli colonel and businessman, passed away at the age of 78 on Monday.

Tannenbaum’s name became infamous in the early 2000s due to his involvement in a major Hezbollah abduction and the controversial prisoner swap that followed. He will be laid to rest on Tuesday at the Herzliya Cemetery at 2 p.m.

Tannenbaum was abducted by Hezbollah in 2000 after traveling to Lebanon under the guise of seeking information about missing Israeli airman Ron Arad. However, it later emerged that he had been lured there as part of a drug smuggling operation, motivated by deep financial troubles. At the time of his abduction, he held the rank of colonel in the Israeli Artillery Corps reserves.

The 2004 deal that secured Tannenbaum’s release involved the exchange of over 400 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners, including known terrorists, as well as the remains of three Israeli soldiers who had been abducted on Mount Dov.

The deal sparked national debate and controversy, as many of the prisoners released returned to terrorism, resulting in the deaths of at least 27 more Israelis. According to a report, over 50% of those freed were rearrested for involvement in further terrorist activities.

Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum (C) is welcomed by his daughter Keren (L) and son Uri (R), seen in a picture handed out by the by the Israeli Government Press Office, after he arrived at Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv January 29, 2004. (credit: REUTERS/Avi Ohayon/GPO/ REUTERS RKR/GM)

Critics of the deal argued that it set a dangerous precedent for Israel. Releasing hundreds of prisoners, many of them high-profile terrorists, was seen as a move that would embolden terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. This concern was echoed by officials who feared the consequences of releasing hardened criminals, many of whom were expected to re-engage in terrorism.

Abduction and drug smuggling

Reports showed that many of the freed individuals did return to terrorism, fueling future attacks.

One significant point of contention was Tannenbaum’s actions leading up to his abduction. His involvement in illegal activities, including a drug smuggling scheme, raised serious ethical questions about the justification for such a high-cost exchange.

While Tannenbaum initially claimed he had traveled to Lebanon to gather intelligence on Ron Arad, it was later revealed that he had been deep in debt and had gone there as part of a drug deal.

Upon his return to Israel, Tannenbaum was interrogated for two months by security forces. Initially, he maintained that his motives for traveling to Lebanon were connected to the search for Ron Arad, but he eventually admitted to his role in the drug smuggling operation.

In 2007, a special military tribunal demoted him from colonel to private, stripping him of his rank as a result of the severity of his actions.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post