Last update - 00:00 28/06/2007
Gov't says civilians killed in war to be named in state ceremony
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent
Head of the ministerial committee for symbols and ceremonies MK Jacob Edery (Kadima) and Defense Minister Ehud Barak concluded Thursday that the all those killed during the Second Lebanon War, including the 44 civilians, would be commemorated in a state memorial ceremony.
The ceremony will be held soon at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. Barak will name every civilian casualty in a speech, as will the Israel Defense Forces Chief Cantor in a prayer of mourning he will lead.
Barak and Edery also agreed that a wreath will be laid for the memory of the civilians, next to those laid for the 119 IDF soldiers who were killed in the war last summer.
Haaretz reported last week that the Defense Ministry, which is organizing the ceremony, requested that only the fallen IDF soldiers be commemorated - as is the current practice in ceremonies for other wars. Edery opposed this request, arguing the last war was different from previous ones, in its far greater proportion of civilian casualties.
A Defense Ministry representative at the beginning of the week proposed to the ministerial committee that a separate ceremony be held for the civilians, such as are held for victims of terror attacks. Despite this, both parties agreed Thursday a single ceremony will take place for all those killed during the war.
The understanding reached between the two sides is limited to this year only. The format for coming years will be proposed by retired judge Yaakov Terkel, who is to soon be appointed by the government to determine a general policy on the subject of memorial ceremonies for soldiers and civilians.