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On July 5, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher, was abducted on March 21 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
News reports said that Tsurkov, 36, who is a doctoral student at Princeton University, was kidnapped and held by the group Kata'ib Hizbullah after leaving a cafe in a middle-class neighborhood of Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, in late March, according to her family and people with knowledge of her case.[1]
In reaction, several Telegram channels affiliated with Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq published posts rejoicing at the news.
A Researcher Who "Aimed Big"
Posting a meme image showing a smiling child, a Telegram channel celebrated Tsurkov's abduction, citing a military source as saying that the "spy" was kidnapped by a cell composed of three women from a sports club in Al-Karrada district, Baghdad four months ago. It added sarcastically: "She aimed big, this one."[2]
In a subsequent post, the channel cited the Israeli statement as saying that the Iran-backed Hizbullah Brigades kidnapped Tsurkov, posting an audio poem glorifying the Iraqi militia.[3]
"Netanyahu Wants To Divert Attention From His Defeat In Jenin To Iraq"
A prolific Telegram channel published a post questioning the timing of the announcement, noting that it coincides with Israel's security operation in Jenin.
It wrote: "The operation carried out by the army of the decaying entity [i.e., Israel] did not yield any results. On the contrary, it revealed to the whole world the falsity of their power as they suffered significant losses and terrible defeat, meeting a fierce resistance in Jenin comprised of only 200 youths."
It further argued that by making such an announcement, Netanyahu is seeking to divert attention from his alleged defeat in Jenin, to Iraq, a country located thousands of kilometers away. The channel paid tribute to the youth of Jenin and saluted the "blessed hands of Hizbullah Brigades."[4]
2006 Tsurkov Tweet Allegedly "Expressed Pride" Over Fighting In Lebanon
The channel "Sabereen News" claimed that Tsurkov participated in the 2006 Lebanon War, fighting against Lebanese Hizbullah. It cited her tweet from 12 years ago, alleging Tsurov expressed pride over being member of an army that "invaded Lebanon and killed over 1,100 Lebanese people, mostly citizens."[5]
"Sabereen News" further mocked Israel's intelligence capabilities, suggesting that authorities would not have known about Tsurkov's abduction had they not been informed by her family.[6]
In Old Tweet, Tsurkov Opposed Prisoner Swap
The channel also shared a tweet by Tsurkov from February 2021, in which she expressed her opposition to prisoner swap deals in general, "even if I myself encounter complications during my future visits to Syria/Iraq." The channel included a link to the original tweet "for confirmation purposes."[7]
Channel Implies Abduction Is Response To Assassination Of IRGC Qods Force Commander Soleimani
Further, the channel shared a post featuring a GIF image of IRGC General Qassim Soleimani who was killed in a U.S airstrike near Baghdad International Airport back in 2020, implying that Tsurkov's abduction is an act of retaliation for his killing.[8]
[1] Nytimes.com, last accessed on July 5, 2023.
[2] Telegram, July 5, 2023.
[3] Telegram, July 5, 2023.
[4] Telegram, July 5, 2023.
[5] Telegram, July 5, 2023.
[6] Telegram, July 5, 2023.
[7] Telegram, July 5, 2023.
[8] Telegram, July 5, 2023.
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