A group of Israelis who lost sons in Lebanon last year are campaigning for the government to give the war a name. The Forum of Bereaved Parents said Monday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had refused to meet with it and hear its demand for the 34-day conflict with Hezbollah to be named. For now, tombstones of the 119 soldiers who fell in the campaign read, “Killed during the fighting in southern Lebanon.” Olmert’s office said he had met and would continue to meet with bereaved parents, one couple at a time, but would not meet with the forum. It further confirmed that official policy is not to call the conflict a war. Analysts speculated that the government wants to avoid having to pay compensation that would be required if the conflict is officially designated a war.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
