Panel suggests scrapping bereaved parents' consent for combat service

The Israel Defense Forces should allow sons of families who have already lost a member in the course of service in the IDF to enlist in IDF combat units without requiring their parents' consent, according to a recommendation by a special committee that was convened to examine the issue.

The subject arose following the death of Capt. Asaf Ramon in the crash of an Israel Air Force F-16 two months ago. Ramon is the son of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who died in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster.

The committee, chaired by the head of the IDF's personnel directorate, Maj. Gen. Avi Zamir, is expected to recommend to IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi that the policy requiring advance parental approval, a practice which has been in place for decades, be scrapped. The news of the recommendation first appeared Tuesday on the Walla Web site.

The policy has led to major tension in some families and a dilemma for parents torn between their desire to honor their sons' wishes and the fear that they might lose another son in the course of his military service. The committee examining the issue included representation from bereaved families and senior Defense Ministry officials.