The family of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli doctoral student abducted in Iraq in 2023, met Wednesday in Jerusalem with Israel's coordinator for hostages and missing persons, Gal Hirsch, and foreign hostage negotiators visiting Israel.
The meeting aimed to incorporate international negotiators and their governments into ongoing efforts to pressure Iraq to locate Tsurkov, officials said.
Israel has ramped up diplomatic initiatives, involving third-party nations, to secure Tsurkov’s release. Israeli officials are hopeful that shifting regional dynamics in the wake of the war with Hamas and the upcoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20 will prompt the Iraqi government to resolve the case.
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Tsurkov, 36, an Israeli national with Russian citizenship residing in the United States for her Princeton University doctoral studies, was abducted on March 26, 2023, in Baghdad while conducting research. Authorities believe she is held by Kataib Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militia, though the group denies involvement.
Emma Tsurkov confronts Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during an event in Washington, D.C.
In April 2023, a senior U.S. official told Ynet that President Joe Biden had planned to demand Tsurkov’s immediate release during a White House meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. The official said that Biden was closely monitoring the case and had urged Iraqi leaders to prioritize locating and freeing Tsurkov.
Tsurkov’s sister, Emma, publicly confronted al-Sudani during his April visit to Washington, accusing him of inaction. During an event, Emma interrupted the prime minister’s remarks and lambasted him for his perceived inaction.
"You are not doing anything to save her and you can't because they are your government partners. They are ranking government employees and you should be ashamed of yourself that you're not doing anything to help her and save her," she said, referring to Kataib Hezbollah. "She's innocent and you know it and no one should feel safe going to Baghdad because they can get kidnapped like my sister was. Shame on you."