Bereaved Father Accuses IDF of Unethical Policies
- Towards Israelis

11:12 Sep 26, ´03 / 29 Elul 5763


"My son´s blood was less important to the Israel
Defense Forces than Ahmed´s blood." So says Moshe
Keinan, whose son Avihu was killed yesterday
morning in a battle with terrorists in Al-Bureij,
Gaza. Mr. Keinan said he asked his son´s
commander, who paid a condolence visit to the
family yesterday, why a 1-ton bomb was not
released on the building in which the terrorists
were hiding - instead of giving them a chance to
fire the fatal shots that killed Avihu. "The
commander lowered his head and did not answer,"
Mr. Keinan said.

The bereaved father, eulogizing his only son at
last night´s funeral - he and his wife have four
daughters - accused the Defense Minister, the
Chief of Staff, and the Air Force Commander of
implementing an "unethical" policy. Mr. Keinan
said that the IDF endangers the lives of Israeli
soldiers in order not to harm Arab civilians in
whose midst the terrorists are hiding. "No other
army in the world has this policy," he said.

Mr. Keinan also related to remarks made the night
before by Air Force Commander Dan Halutz, who was
responding to the letter by 27 pilots refusing to
bomb terrorists hiding in civilian areas. Keinan
quoted Gen. Halutz as saying that the IDF was the
most moral and ethical army in the world - but
Keinan rejected this. He noted bitterly that it
was precisely this policy that killed his son. He
demanded that "270 Captains, 270 Majors, 270
Colonels, and 270 Generals all inform Minister of
Defense Mofaz that they too are willing to put
their insignia and ranks on the table" with a
demand to be permitted to bomb terrorist targets
in the most effective manner.

Six soldiers were also wounded in the gunfire in
yesterday´s battle; the two wanted terrorists were
killed