Deputy Health Minister (Yahadut HaTorah) Yaakov Litzman on Sunday, 29 Tishrei 5773 ousted Chief Pathologist Prof. Yehuda Hiss from his post.

Hiss has been in the post for over two decades, heading the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. During his tenure he was the subject of many complaints from citizens, in no small number for his blatant disregard for kovod ha’meis, Torah and Halacha.

A committee investigating allegations that Hiss removed body organs and tissue samples from thousands of bodies confirmed the allegations, providing Litzman had the ammunition to dismiss Hiss from his senior position.

One person involved in filing legal action against Hiss was attorney Yoram Malka, who told Kol Berama Radio that he represented the families of IDF soldiers that learned the chief pathologist conducted autopsies and took body parts from their deceased loved ones without permission. In some cases, the soldiers were buried and their hearts remained in jars in Abu Kabir, Malka explained.

After the discovery of over 8,000 body parts bereaved families wished to try to match the organs to the bodies but Hiss acted quickly and the families were told the organs were buried in a mass grave.

Malka praised Litzman, explaining “perhaps because he is chareidi and he really understands the matter of kovod ha’meis, which by the way should be applicable to all, not just chareidim, he decided to oust Hiss. After all, he [Hiss] should have been booted out many years ago. Many people would be charged with more serious crimes for doing far less than Hiss” he concluded.

Litzman is a deputy minister but maintains ministerial authority. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is the minister of health. This is due to the fact that gedolei yisrael instructed Agudas Yisrael MKs not to accept ministerial posts in the government and this has become the accepted policy over the years.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)