Bereaved parent petitions for info on 'Shayetet catastrophe'
Thirteen years after losing his son, Moshe Rodovsky demands to get all documents on 1997 failed military operation, set up commission of inquiry headed by Judge Meir Shamgar
Moshe Rodovsky, who lost his son Gal in the 1997 'Shayetet catastrophe,' filed a petition with the High Court of Justice Thursday demanding to receive all materials pertaining to the disaster in which 12 IDF commandoes were killed in Lebanon.
The petition was filed against the State of Israel, the defense minister, the IDF chief of staff and the Navy commander. Rodovsky asked to receive the conclusions of inquiry commissions which investigated the catastrophe and the testimonies and documents which served them. He also demanded that an additional commission of inquiry be established. He said former Judge Meir Shamgar should head the commission.
Rodovsky explained in the petition that he wishes to understand the circumstances that led to the operation's tragic outcomes for the solidification of the IDF's status for future generations. He claimed that the prep work performed prior to the operation was inadequate seeing as drones filming the raid area transmitted unencrypted information enabling anyone to intercept their signals.
He further claimed that the rescue force was not equipped or trained for a rescue operation involving helicopters. Rodovsky said that according to his information, the whole operation was unnecessary, particularly in the way and time in which it was conducted. "All indications pointed to the fact that the operation failed miserably on the intelligence and operational levels," the petition noted.
Rodovsky said that his claims are supported by statements made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah who said that his organization managed to intercept transmissions by Israeli drones and had therefore decided to ambush the soldiers.
"The last report which showed that Nasrallah was speaking the truth pushed me in a time where the army lies to bereaved families while the enemy speaks the truth," Rodovsky said.
Cover-up claims
Four commissions of inquiry were set up following the disaster. Rodovsky claimed he was never given any information pertaining to the committees' work, documents or conclusions. The bereaved father said he was only showed an abridged report stating the operation's planning and rescue efforts were faulty.
Rodovsky is claiming that he and the rest of the victims' families feel there is a cover-up concealing the operation's failures and that the IDF shirked responsibility and concealed information from them. The bereaved parent said that such feelings were a result of not being informed of the committees' conclusions, not being included in the panels and hearing about the information from the media for the first time.
Rodovsky said that the IDF did not use encrypted drones, though it had the option to. "We thought the soldiers failed but they do what they're told. The senior ranks, the major-generals who lied for more than a decade, they are to blame. Had they still been in the army I would have demanded they stand trial. Now I just hope they don't come in contact with soldiers. Let them be marked. "
Aviel Magnezi contributed to this report
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