Zaka’s Yehuda Meshi-Zahav is calling upon Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to fire the nation’s chief pathologist, Prof. Yehuda Hiss. Meshi-Zahav points out that if anyone else in Israel has just 5% of the convictions against him that Hiss had, he would have been sent home a long time ago, admittedly puzzled as to why the state and senior officials continue to come to his defense.

YWN-ISRAEL has written numerous articles on Hiss’ total disregard for kovod ha’meis, his disregard for halacha and his determination to do as many autopsies as possible. Just last month the Eida Chareidis went after Hiss after learning of his private collection of thousands of body parts. In just one of the many cases against Hiss reported by YWN-ISRAEL, in 2009, the court ordered the chief pathologist to make a 2 million NIS compensatory payment to the family of an IDF soldier, yet today, three years later, he still runs the show at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. In some cases, while Hiss has been ordered to make compensatory payments, the state picks up the tab for him, further infuriating his opponents.

According to Mesh-Zahav, Hiss once told him “I did over 60,000 autopsies” and the Zaka leader feels that is far more than sufficient and it is time to send him on his way.

The following is an interview published by Chadrei Chareidim with Meshi-Zahav regarding Prof. Hiss.

How Does He Continue to Hang in There?

No one really seems to know why they come to his defense. There is a theory that he simply has too much information (dirt) on others. There are many conspiracy theories involving him. He alone handled many bodies. It’s really difficult to understand why, especially with the realization that he reached retirement age quite some time ago.

Zaka is fed up with him. After the last episode, the case involving 8,400 body parts we turned to Litzman and officials at Assaf HaRofeh Hospital to fire him. The hospital is officially in charge of the forensic institute.

Meshi-Zahav describes that Hiss simply helped himself to body parts from the niftarim, without asking or receiving permission from anyone. He then returns them as if he is doing someone a favor. “His chutzpa is simply unprecedented”.

Do you think there is a chance that Litzman will get rid of him?

Yes indeed. There is hope that this time around we will get rid of him. At a session of the Knesset Law Committee two weeks ago, MK Dudu Rotem questioned why Hiss is still around. No one present could offer an explanation. In addition, a new committee has been established, by parents and families victimized by Hiss. This committee is fighting together with us to get rid of him.

Is there truth to the rumor that body parts from the Number 2 Bus Terror Attack Disappeared Too?

(August 19, 2003 – 23 people were killed HY”D and over 130 wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a 5kg bomb packed with ball-bearings on a crowded No. 2 Egged bus on Shmuel HaNavi Street as it made its way from the Kosel.)

It is difficult to know for certain. There is the fear that body parts were taken without permission. One of the families of the victims at the time feared this, calling Rav Rosa but nothing could be proved at the time. The forensic institute insisted everything was fine but the word of those folks was understood as being unreliable a long time ago.

I can tell you of cases. An avreich, a very important person whose wife was killed in an accident or a family whose mother drowned 12 years ago, and as a result of the recent events they began trying to ascertain if body parts were included in the thousands discovered. The institute responded positively, telling them, yes, there were parts that were not turned over for kvura. They began telling the families to begin filling out paperwork and then suddenly, a few days later the institute notified them “Yes, there were body parts of your loved ones but we have buried them in a collective kever some time ago”. One of the families told me “What’s this? Our mother was buried in a collective kever?”

Hiss once told me that he has done over 60,000 autopsies! I think that is quite enough.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)