Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will not attend the official ceremony Monday evening marking the first anniversary of the start of the Second Lebanon War and honoring the memory of its victims. The date for the ceremonies was set according to the Hebrew calendar. Other ceremonies also are planned for July 12, the date the war began according to the Gregorian calendar.
The announcement came from the Prime Minister’s Office, which said he had decided not to attend in order to avoid extra security checks for participants that his presence would require.
Former Defense Minister Amir Peretz originally said he would not attend, claiming he had not been invited, but changed his mind Monday afternoon after media reported his intention not to participate.
The official memorial ceremonies are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (11 a.m. EDT) at Mt. Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem.
Former Minister Eitan Cabel said he would attend the memorial ceremony. Cabel resigned his post to protest Prime Minister Olmert’s unwillingness to step down after the interim Winograd Report was published. The report harshly criticized the Prime Minister as well as former Defense Minister Peretz and former IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz for their dismal performance in managing the Second Lebanon War.
A significant number of cabinet ministers will also be absent from the ceremonies, including:
· Communications Minister Ariel Atlas, who said he was not invited
· Minister Yitzchak Cohen, who is not allowed to attend ceremonies in cemeteries due to his status as a kohen, the priestly tribe that in most cases is prohibited from entering burial grounds.
· National Infrastructure Minister Benyamin Ben Eliezer, who is on official business in the U.S.
· Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, who said he was not invited
· Environmental Minister Gideon Ezra, who said he was not invited.
· Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, whose reason for not attending was unclear
· Vice Premier and President-elect Shimon Peres, who said he had notified the families before the presidential elections that he would not be attending but did not explain his absence.
Cabinet ministers who are planning to attend the service include:
Tourism Minister Yitzchak Aharonovitch
Defense Minister Ehud Barak
Health Minister Yaakov Ben Yizri
Immigration Minister Ze’ev Boim
Minister Ya'akov Edri
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz
Agriculture Minister Shalom Simchon
Education Minister Yuli Tamir
Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai.
Three cabinet ministers who would not commit themselves to attending the ceremonies when questioned by reporters were:
Pensioners’ Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan
Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman
Science, Culture and Sports Minister Raleb Majadele.
It’s been a year since IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were snatched by Hizbullah terrorists in a cross-border raid on the northern border, touching off the 34-day Second Lebanon War.
Hizbullah has allowed no one to visit the captive soldiers, including international Red Cross officials, in violation of international law, and foreign diplomats seeking a sign of life to reassure their families.