Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declined an invitation to speak at the 10-year anniversary of the 1997 Israel Defense Forces helicopter collision that killed 73 soldiers, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.

Chairman of the soldiers' memorial organization Yad Labanim Eli Ben-Shem told Israel Radio that the prime minister blamed security difficulties for his failure to comply with the request to speak at the memorial. Ben-Shem added that the Prime Minister's Office had sent a video recording of Olmert to be played for the families at the event.

"It is an insult to the families and a disgrace to the memory of the victims," said Ben-Shem of the video. He added that the organization is aware of the security issues surrounding the attendance of a senior government official, and that he has never invited government officials to the yearly memorials in the past. However, he told Israel Radio, he felt that this year, since the public's trust in the IDF is once again waning as it had following the tragic helicopter disaster, it would be fitting for the prime minister to attend the ceremony.

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The victims' families have expressed their outrage at receiving a recording, and plan to send the recording back unwatched.

In response, the Prime Minister's Office said that the prime minister respects and appreciates the families who lost their loved ones in the helicopter disaster, and that he holds weekly meetings with families of soldiers who have died. The Prime Minister's Office expressed regret for the insult caused to the families by the recording and explained it was not sent in disrespect.

On the February 4, 1997, two IDF helicopters collided in the skies of northern Israel while transporting soldiers to southern Lebanon killing 73 soldiers.