As a Kadimah supporter all I can say is that I am disgusted with Ehud Olmert and, unless there is a radical change in the party leadership, I will not support Kadimah in the future. Olmert has disgraced the party, the dream of Ariel Sharon, has repeated the Lapid - Shinui debacle and killed the hope that many of us had in a new political future for Israel. Since when do Israelis hide away due to security issues? 155 Israelis died in Lebanon War II and we have 2 missing in Lebanon and one is Gaza. The respect to the families of the victims and the memory of the dead is our way of life and only the security of the State is more import than getting Gilad, Udi and Eldad back! Go Ehud Olmert. You are definitely not made of the stuff of your predecessors. Even Bibi, with all his self-righteousness and ego, would have fared better!

This story is so interesting. Haaretz and Jpost should learn from Ynet and start writing about chore Israel issues like what the families of fallen soldiers say.

He can go to Sharm el Sheik (sp?) but not to Kfar Giladi???

This lack of respect for the fallen, the injured and the displaced is simply outrageous. If he can go to Sharm, but not Kfar Giladi, he should go back to Sharm and stay there.

We have 3 missing in lebanon and 1 in Gaza.

I would think that Olmert's embarrassment over his blundering and cowardess at facing loved ones - who he knows are right in their rage - are the real issues at hand. I suggest friends and parents take comfort that his absence is as good as an admission to all of the above and may be as high a form of respect as he is capable of paying.

They are a motely crew that needs to step down. They don't care for their fallen soldiers, the kidnapped soldiers or indeed for the living ones. They make me sick. The lot of them!

Why the surprise now?

This is the complete list published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Sultan Yakoub: Staff Sgt. Zecharya Baumel, Staff Sgt. Zvi Feldman and Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz, missing since 11 June 1982, in a battle at Sultan Yakoub, in Lebanon. Major Ron Arad, who was captured on 16 October 1986, after his aircraft was shot down near Sidon, Lebanon. Arad was initially held by Amal (a Shi'ite terrorist organization); however his subsequent fate is still unknown. Guy Hever, last seen at his army base on the southern Golan Heights on August 17, 1997. Cpl. Gilad Shalit was abducted by terrorists on 25 June 2006 in the course of an infiltration and attack by terrorists in the area of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser: On July 12, 2006, Hizbullah terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory and attacked two IDF armored jeeps patrolling the border with Lebanon, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two: Eldad Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud Goldwasser, 31, of Nahariya. It doesn't matter if there is one or, heaven forbid, 100. To hold prisoners of war incommunicado is a War Crime but to dishonor their memories and those of the fallen is a disgrace. However, these are Jews and the World, Amnesty International, our own B'Tzelem, the UN and, apparently, our own PM couldn't care a damn!

pity he is taking us down with him.

Olmert does not know what the word "respect" means. Shame on him.

No, Barak will never admit his mistakes. Olmert is a coward and a fraud and Barak has more vanity than skills. Peretz is a union hustler. What horrid, worthless bunch of people keep their hold on power in Israel.

IMPEACH THIS PEICE OF GREK ALREADY... THIS WHOLE"ELITE" ASCELON IN ISRAEL IS NOT WORTH LAST YEAR'S TOILET PAPER! BUNCH OF NOBODIES ARE NOW IN CHARGE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL! WHAT A SHAME M, AND FOR THME WE SACRIFISED SO MUCH!