Mount Herzl Cemetery
Mount Herzl CemeteryYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Many years after they fall, the army raises the rank of some of the IDF soldiers, replaces the pillow on their gravestones, and adjusts the inscriptions to include the new rank.

About a year ago, the widow of an IDF pilot who fell 51 years ago in an operational mission discovered that two of his crew members, who were on the plane and also fell, were promoted after 40 years. Her husband and four others were not promoted.

Kan News reported that after all her attempts to contact the relevant authorities failed, the widow arrived at her husband's grave yesterday (Tuesday) and "raised him in rank" herself.

On the radio program "B’hatzi Hayom"(Today at Noon) with Esti Perez, the widow said that "this is outrageous discrimination" and added that it "reawakens the families’ trauma".

She changed the inscription on her husband's tombstone pillow in the Haifa cemetery from major to lieutenant colonel, as shown in the video in the Tweet above. She said her protest is a matter of principle. She explained that she changed the inscription because "I thought it would calm me down and also give my husband peace in the grave - I promoted him as he deserves." She added that "the anger and pain are resurfacing and all the trauma symptoms are returning."

Among the answers she received from the IDF to her inquiries: "According to the army's orders relating to posthumous promotion, a promotion from the rank of major to the rank of lieutenant colonel takes place when the officer was appointed at the rank of lieutenant colonel or when assignments to the position of lieutenant colonel were agreed upon in discussion. Therefore, unfortunately, I am unable to comply with your request to promote him. The other fallen soldiers were promoted under another clause in the orders that is not relevant to your husband."

The chairman of Yad Labanim (organization supporting families of fallen soldiers) said in response to a report in Kan News: "I didn't know about this matter, it's a scandal, it's happening everywhere. It brings families back to the trauma, it reawakens the pain for bereaved families. It is unnecessary".

The IDF spokesman's response: "The IDF shares in the family's grief, cherishes the soldier’s memory, and will continue to accompany his family. Each case dealing with the issue of raising the ranks of fallen soldiers after their death is examined individually. His family's request for promotion was received by the IDF and examined in accordance with the order. It was found that he is not entitled to a promotion. The answer was given to the family in the customary channels."