Where is the body family members are questioning? A bereaved family whose son was reportedly killed in the 1973 Yom Kippur War opened the kever without permission and found it is empty. They are now questioning where the remains of the soldier are and if he and perhaps others were really killed in the war or is there another story to be told.

The family of Tzion Taib has always felt the soldier died in captivity and the defense establishment did not do enough to find him. They were eventually told that his body was recovered and positively identified and buried in the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery. The family in the past filed legal motions in the matter and reached the Supreme Court. They sought a court order to exhume the body to obtain a DNA sample.

Now that the grave was opened and found empty officials have launched an investigation.

MK (Likud) Miri Regev, a former IDF spokesperson released the following statement. “The tragic story of the Taib family was brought to my attention. I plan to turn to the attorney general to order the IDF to fully investigate the matter. The honor of soldiers who gave their lives for the nation must come before all else and the family must receive closure which demands a thorough investigation”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)