16°
Elizabeth Tsurkov, a citizen of both Russia and Israel, was abducted while doing work for the Ivy League school, according to a July statement from Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
The Iran Observer posted the unauthenticated video clip on X on Monday, Nov. 13 claiming Tsurkov is an operative with Mossad — the national intelligence agency of Israel.
"I worked for the Mossad and CIA," a translation of the video reads.
In the video, she says she coordinated protests in Iraq.
"We worked on fueling tensions in order to facilitate inter-Shia clashes," the video translation says.
The 36-year-old was abducted by members of the Shiite group Kataeb Hezbollah, a radical Iran-backed militia group, Netanyahu's office said. No group has claimed responsibility.
The video first appeared on Al Rabiaa TV, a station that is associated with Shiite political parties, according to the New York Times.
Tsurkov had just walked out of a cafe in the Iraqi capital Baghdad when she was abducted, the Times said, noting she had been in Iraq since January conducting academic research. She also was a fellow with the Washington-based group New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy,
"No efforts have been made to release me," Tsurkov says at the end of the video.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Franklin Township and receive free news updates.
