Talk:Mordechai Louk

Date of notable diplomatic mail incident

This subject of this article appears to be primarily notable for being discovered packed into a trunk that was about to be loaded onto an aircraft bound for Egypt as diplomatic baggage. However, the article makes no mention of the date of this diplomatic incident. Unlike a news story lede, the lead section of a Wikipedia article should answer some basic questions, like Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why?. This article does not answer the When? question. Knowing the date when something happened makes it far easier for editors to track down relevant news articles. After a bit of digging, I found:

• "Espionage: The Spy Who Came In from the Trunk". Time. 27 November 1964. Retrieved 3 January 2024. - This article from Time indicates this incident happened in the third week of November 1964, but does not give a specific date.
• "Man In Trunk Seen As Offending Protocol". Press. Vol. CIII, no. 30603. Christchurch, New Zealand. NZPA - Reuters [London, 19 November 1964]. 20 November 1964. p. 13. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. - This report from London, dated 19 November 1964, indicates the story is a couple of days old by the time it gets to be published in a New Zealand newspaper.
• "Four Being Charged: Man Found In Crate". Press. Vol. CIII, no. 30606. NZPA - Reuter [Rome, 23 November 1964]. 24 November 1964. p. 13. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. - This report from Rome, dated (Monday) 23 November 1964, notes that Luk [sic] was released from the trunk he was in on the previous Tuesday, which would make it 17 November 1964 when this incident occurred.

What is important to observe here is that sometimes the date of the initial media reports might not reflect the actual date of the incident. - Cameron Dewe (talk) 11:47, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

An additional source that confirms this date as 17 November 1964 is:

• Kahana, Ephraim (19 April 2006). Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence. United States of America: Scarecrow Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-8108-6500-6. Retrieved 6 January 2024. On the afternoon of 17 November 1964 ... - In the second page Mordechai's biography found on pages 168 - 170.
• Kahana, Ephraim (19 April 2006). Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence. United States of America: Scarecrow Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-0-8108-6500-6. Retrieved 6 January 2024. Man in the Trunk, The. See Louk, Mordechai. - This book also notes on page 178 that Louk is also known as "the man in the trunk".

However, this source also says Louk was extradited from Italy, which is not consistent with 1964 news reports that say Louk voluntarily returned to Israel after being released from Italian police custody. - Cameron Dewe (talk) - post initiated 21:59, 6 January 2024 (UTC) - citation details added 22:44, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

First sentence of lead section should outline main reasons for notability

The first sentence of the lead section should highlight why the subject is notable, especially if they are primarily notable for a single event. Various newspaper reports indicate that the prime reason that Mordechai Louk is notable is because he was found in a diplomatic bag about to be shipped to Egypt. Many newspaper reports I have seen call him the "man in the trunk" or words to that effect. Yes, he may have been an adventurer and convicted as an Egyptian spy, but that is not what he is best known for. Even the headlines and news stories about his trial, conviction and imprisonment remind readers he is the "man in [the] trunk". This is even the case with the Wikipedia article about diplomatic baggage. The three articles in the section above are all typical of news stories that identify Louk this way, as are the following news stories:

• "Bizarre Kidnap Figure Admits Israeli Status". The Odessa American. Vol. XXXIX, no. 276. Odessa, Texas. UPI [Rome]. November 19, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.newspapers.com. and "Kidnap (Continued from page 1)". The Odessa American. Vol. XXXIX, no. 276. Odessa, Texas. UPI [Rome]. November 19, 1964. p. 2. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.newspapers.com.
• "Israel May Seek Extradition of 'dahan' from Italy; Defected to Egypt". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 20, 1964. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• "Man In The Trunk Wanted By Israelis". The New York Times. November 21, 1964. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
• "Israel Embassy in Rome Denies Seeking Extradition of 'man in Trunk'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 23, 1964. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• "Louk Remanded in Israel for 15 Days; Charged with Contacting Enemy". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 27, 1964. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• "Israel's 'man in Trunk' Accused of Conspiring with an Enemy". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. December 24, 1964. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• "Trial of Israeli Rescued from Egyptian Trunk Starts in Jerusalem". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. May 18, 1965. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• "Israel 'trunk Man' Found Guilty of Spying; to Be Sentenced Today". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. September 10, 1965. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• "Luk Divorced". Southwest Times. Vol. 62, no. 104. Pulaski, Virginia. UPI [Petah Tikva, Israel]. July 1, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive (virginiachronicle.com).
• "Israel Supreme Court Reduces Prison Term for 'man in Trunk'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. April 28, 1966. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• "Louk, the Man in the Trunk,' Released After Six Years of 10-year Sentence". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. August 5, 1971. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via www.jta.org.
• Kwek, Glenda (August 21, 2012). "Crate expectations: Assange's options". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 6, 2024. In 1964, an Israeli identified as Mordechai Louk was found tied up, gagged and drugged in a trunk - which had been fitted with a seat - at Rome Airport. The trunk was marked "Diplomatic Mail No. 33" and appeared to have been "used for other such 'shipments', because the exterior appeared worn", The New York Times reported then. Mr Louk was reportedly freed from the trunk when an airport guard heard his moans, the Times added.

Initially posted by Cameron Dewe (talk) 08:00, 6 January 2024 (UTC) - Edited. - Cameron Dewe (talk) 11:07, 6 January 2024 (UTC)