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Last update - 23:02 20/02/2007
Families of slain IDF soldiers meet with Defense Minister
By Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent

A group of bereaved parents who lost their sons in the second war in Lebanon met on Tuesday with Defense Minister Amir Peretz and demanded he respond to their questions regarding theirs sons' deaths.

The 12 parents asked Peretz to reveal to them the results of inquiries into their sons deaths. Peretz promised that each family would receive the inquiry findings that relate to their sons by Independence Day.

The parents asked Peretz what the second war in Lebanon would formally be called, to which the defense minister answered that a committee headed by General Yishai Bar, chief of the IDF's appellate court, would deal with the matter.

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Peretz added that the committee has considered two suggestions, one of which would include all fighting on the northern border since the end of the "Peace for Galilee" campaign in 1982, to be called "The struggle against Hezbollah." The second proposal that would refer specifically to the war this past summer, under a separate name such as "Operation Direction Change."

Representatives for the families complained about the suggested names and stated that the second Lebanon war was a serious war which should be dealt with as such.

"If 33 days of fighting and 117 fallen soldiers isn't called a war, then what is?", asked David Einhorn, father of First Sergeant Yonatan Einhorn, who was killed in Lebanon this past summer.

Peretz promised the parents he would consider their claims about the differences in compensations received by families of fallen soldiers who were serving on active duty, and those who fell while on reserve duty.

Peretz refused to answer their questions regarding the goals of the war or his testimony to the Winograd Committee.

"Peretz proved once again that he was an excellent chairman of the Histadrut Labor Federation, and a poor defense minister. On every issue relating to bereaved families of slain soldiers, he reacted in a sensitive, empathetic, and open manner. On issues of wider national issues, he reserved his right to silence," said Einhorn.

Nonetheless, the parents praised Peretz's openness to meet with them, "As opposed to the prime minister, who won't agree to meet with our group, Peretz has already met with us twice, and we've already scheduled the third meeting," added Einhorn.

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