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40
April 26 • 2007
The Fallen
Casualties from last summer's Lebanon war
remembered on Israel's Memorial Day.
Dina Kraft
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jerusalem
T
he young men from reserve
battalion 9211 greeted each
other with quiet handshakes
and embraces on Israel's Memorial Day
by the rose and flag-covered grave of
their friend David Smidov.
"It's a difficult day:' Ori Bushari, 26,
said Monday. Bushari had been friends
with Smidov since the day they were
drafted together nearly eight years ago
and was just a few feet away from him
when a Hezbollah mortar shell ended
his life last Aug. 9.
On Monday, Yom HaZikaron, there
was an especially bitter pain in mourn-
ing those killed in Israel's most recent
The grave of Israeli reserve soldier David Smidov.
war as the country asks openly if its
leaders bungled how the war was fought
and if it was even necessary.
soldiers killed in Lebanon were scat-
an international relations expert at
Smidov, 25 when he was killed, was
tered through bloc 7 of Mount Herzl,
Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said
one of the 119 Israeli soldiers killed
the national cemetery in Jerusalem.
the pain this year is different from the
in a war that only recently was given
Parents, siblings, fiancees and friends
past. While it is always excruciating
a name: the Second Lebanon War. His
huddled protectively around the head-
to lose soldiers in battle, most Israeli
battalion comrades know that the shell
stones as the country engaged in a
wars have been fought with the belief
that exploded near their friend could
national day of mourning. There was no that the state had no other choice.
easily have hit them.
room to move Monday at Mount Herzl.
Israelis had the sense that if enemy
Bushari quickly sketches out the
People stood packed together between
nations were about to destroy you, "you
formation the battalion walked as its
the narrow rows of graves and under
had to defend yourself; otherwise the
members climbed a path north into
the shade of pine trees as a two-minute country could face total destruction:'
Lebanon toward their destination: the
siren went off in memory of the dead.
Bar-Simon-Toy said. "There is nothing
village of Marjayoun. The X he marks
harder than burying one's children, but
at the front of the marching line repre-
Olmert's Presence
at least there was a feeling that the sac-
sents the company commander. He was
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke at
rifice stood for something."
just one behind, to the right of the com- the ceremony. "On this special day we
In the case of the war in Lebanon,
mander. Smidov was three men behind
are all one bereaved family:' he said.
"there were so many miscalculations in
Bushari.
But as members of the reserve unit
decision-making and it was not clear
"We heard the mortar falling, hit
noted, few people seemed to be lis-
of the need to go to war;' Bar-Siman-
the ground and then heard the cries
tening closely to the prime minister.
Tov said. "Today, with all the pain we
of someone shouting for the medic:'
Olmert is hugely unpopular and will
feel over the kidnapped soldiers, there
Bushari said. Smidov was badly injured
soon face the findings of the Winograd
is the question of whether or not we
and died almost immediately.
Commission, which has investigated the could have come to a different sce-
"It's just a matter of luck; it's not
way the government and army handled
nario!'
something you have control over;'Amir
the war.
Smidov, who was to have started
Binyamin, 29, said of the mortar fire.
"It's part of the aftermath of this war
studying architecture last fall, was
In past years, Binyamin said, he had
and the leadership:' Bushari said. "As
called up for reserve duty just after
attended Memorial Day ceremonies
people say, they hate the state; but they
returning from a holiday in Prague
for a former commander; but this year
love their friends. That's why they go to
with his girlfriend. In Prague, friends
he was compelled to be here, next to
reserve duty." The battalion will meet
say, he had asked her to marry him. On
Smidov's grave. "This time I was there
again next week in the Negev Desert
Monday, she stood by his grave.
when it happened:' he said. "I was only
when they gather for a week of training
a few feet away."
exercises.
A story on local Yom Hazikaron observances
Smidov's grave and the those of other
Professor Yaakov Bar-Siman-Tov,
appears on page 15.