'Offensive decision.' Olmert
Photo: AFP
PM shuns war memorial, irks bereaved families
‘We hoped the prime minister would feel obligated to participate in a ceremony commemorating a war he initiated and oversaw,’ Bereaved Families' Forum says
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to be absent from Monday’s official ceremony at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl to mark one year since the beginning of the Second Lebanon War despite criticism from bereaved families, Yedioth Ahronot reported on Sunday.
Honoring the Fallen
Aviram Zino
Bereaved parents to commemorate soldiers killed in Second Lebanon War through March of Life on July 2
The Prime Minister’s Office has received numerous requests by bereaved parents calling on Olmert to reconsider and appear at the event due to what they said was his responsibility for the war. Aides to the prime minister said Olmert’s expected absence did not reflect a lack of respect for the bereaved families.
“The prime minister dedicates 1-2 hours a week from his busy schedule to meet with the parents of soldiers who lost their lives during the Second Lebanon War; dozens of families who have arrived at his chambers in the past year can testify to this,” one aide said.
The PM’s Office said Olmert also did not participate in memorial ceremonies for those who fell in the first Lebanon war, the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
The Bereaved Families' Forum said Olmert’s decision was “offensive and disrespectful”.
“We hoped the prime minister would feel obligated to participate in a ceremony commemorating a war he initiated and oversaw,” the forum said in a statement. “A year has passed since the war and we are still in desperate need of a leadership with values that does place PR and popularity considerations at the forefront. Our sons deserve more.”
