Bereaved father hands Olmert ‘resignation letter’
Parents of Rafanel Muskal: Prime minister has own truth, believes Israel won war
“I am resigning out of a show of leadership and personal example that should serve future leaders of Israel as an example of correct conduct. I hope others will follow my example and resign as well,” the letter said.
In response to Moshe Muskal’s request, the prime minister folded up the letter and refused to sign it. Upon leaving the meeting Riva Muskal said, “We felt as though the prime minister has his truth, and we have ours.”
Moshe Muskal was one of the protesters that caused a tumult at a Kadima Rosh Hashana banquet in September. He was summoned to a meeting with Olmert Wednesday, and explained that he and his wife would be meeting him first and foremost ad Rafanel’s parents, to figure out what happened first hand.
“Rafanel went out to fight for his country and after falling, while the prime minister was making promises, we supported him because we thought it was right, because there were goals set,” Moshe Muskal said.
“But now that the goals haven’t been achieved, we want to understand what ‘mediocre’ means,” he continued, alluding to IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz’s comments during an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth just before Yom Kippur.
“Are 4,000 Katyusha’s mediocre? Is 3,000 injured mediocre? Three kidnapped soldiers that still have not been returned, is that mediocre? The defense minister, saying he wouldn’t have gone to war had he known the army was unprepared, is that mediocre?” Muskal continued, “We want answers, and we want to know the source of the authority.”
Muskal said that one of Olmert’s sentences said it all. The prime minister said, “It was a miracle that we went out to this war, because we discovered all the failures after it.”
Muskal answered, “Do you hear what you are saying? It was a miracle that our son died so that you could discover all the failures?”
At the end of the meeting the Muskal’s handed Olmert a resignation letter to sign, and said that he didn’t bother reading it, but instead he folded it and put it in his pocket saying he didn’t agree with it.
