Yishai: Bereaved taken advantage of
Interior minister addresses accusations attributed to Shas sources against Haifa police chief killed in Carmel fire. 'We must not blame Ms. Tomer for this terrible disaster,' he says
"We must not blame the victims who risked their lives to rescue the people of Israel," Yishai said in an interview to ultra-Orthodox newspaper Hamevaser.
"God forbid should we ever blame Ms. Tomer, may she rest in peace, for this terrible disaster," Yishai said Friday. "I have no idea how can such horrible statements be attributed to Shas. The bereaved must not be taken advantage of. I feel for the bereaved families. This is not the time for creating factionalism among the people of Israel."
The interior minister refused to comment on Rosen's accusations. "I don't wish to address what happened those hours. There might be those who cynically take advantage of the bereavement for political motives. I am not one of them," he said.
A Shas source said Thursday evening that "it was the Haifa Police chief who gave the green light for the entry of the cadets' bus into the firetrap by accompanying it, in direct violation of the security forces' instructions."
Shas Knesset Member Nissim Zeev did not mention Tomer's name, but said that "we must make a distinction between the failures of the fire services and the terrible tragedy of the 44 victims, which pains us all. If we look at this specific incident, we should blame whoever allowed the bus travel within the range of the fire, despite the instruction not to - and that was not Eli Yishai."
'Cynical use of the victims' memory'
Police officials said the accusations were false and that Tomer did not authorize the bus to enter the danger zone.
"Shas is making cynical and political use of the victims' memory. Those who define themselves as 'the minister's associates' do not know the facts or anything about how the incidents, which are still being investigated, developed," one police official said.
Addressing the specific claim against his partner, Rosen said that "Ahuva came from one direction and the bus came from another direction." He said he had photos from the scene and the rescuers' testimonies to contradict the claims.
"They are saying that she issued the instruction to the bus to travel towards the prison, but they don't know what happened on the ground. Instead of dealing with the real facts, they are throwing a smoke screen aimed at directing the fire back at me. They know Eli Yishai is responsible and has a public and personal duty to resign."
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