JERUSALEM – The wife of an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hezbollah confronted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a news conference at the United Nations, urging him to use his influence over the guerrilla group to allow aid workers to see her husband.
In an exchange broadcast on Israeli radio stations Wednesday, Karnit Goldwasser accused the Iranian leader of responsibility for her husband's capture.
"My name is Karnit and I'm the wife of Goldwasser that was kidnapped by Hezbollah to Lebanon more than a year ago and you're responsible for this by your support. I'm asking how come you're not allowing the Red Cross to go to visit them," Goldwasser said at the Tuesday news conference.
Ahmadinejad ignored her, saying "next question."
Goldwasser told Israeli Army Radio on Wednesday that Ahmadinejad was clearly caught off guard. "He was pretty surprised to find me there," she said. "The distance between us was about two meters (yards),"
Goldwasser's husband, Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev were seized in a July 2006 Hezbollah cross-border raid, triggering a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah did not comment on Tuesday's incident at the U.N. In the past, Hezbollah has said the two soldiers are being treated "humanely," but it has not provided any sign of life from the men and refused to allow the Red Cross to see them.
Iran is the main backer of Hezbollah.
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