Army Radio headquarters
Army Radio headquartersMark Neyman/GPO

Army Radio commander Yaron Dekel sent an apology Thursday morning to the parents of fallen soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, whose bodies are being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. 

In the letter, Dekel apologized on behalf of the entire station for host Razi Barkai's comments likening the bereaved parents of slain IDF soldiers to the families of terrorists. 

Barkai made the comparison in an interview Sunday with Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud), asserting that the pain of the families of IDF soldiers whose bodies are being held captive by Hamas was similar to pain felt by the families of Arab terrorists whose bodies are held by Israel, delaying their return and burial as a deterrent move.

Immediately after the broadcast, the Shaul and Goldin families sent an angry letter to Dekel and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud), demanding Barkai be suspended from his post. 

"We were horrified to hear the comparison made between our feelings as bereaved families, whose sons' bodies were kidnapped and have not been returned to Israel for burial, and the families of terrorists who have not received the bodies for burial to prevent hero funerals which would be used to stir further incitement and violence against the citizens of Israel," the families wrote. 

"This comparison deeply offended us and all other bereaved families and prompted a great outrage," they continued. "Rage that Army Radio compares our late children, heroes of Israel who defended this country during Operation Protective Edge and whose bodies were abducted during battle, to horrible terrorists who deliberately murdered innocent people."

Dekel responded earlier in the week to the controversy, calling Barkai's comments "painful, outrageous and misplaced," but stressed he would not consent to calls to have the "veteran" broadcaster suspended. 

It was however reported earlier this week that Army Radio intends to make changes to its lineup, including cutting the length of Barkai's show down to two hours.