Health Minister Yaakov Litzman on Wednesday morning 8 Adar I spoke with Kol Chai Radio host Mordechai Lavi, confirming reports he is angered at Israel Police foot-dragging pertaining to unnecessarily detaining bodies and thereby delaying kvura, speaking specifically of this week’s tragic Egged 402 bus crash on Highway 1 in which six people were killed R”L.

Litzman explains the bodies were taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, which he added is under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, his ministry. He stated “so I am in charge and the professionals said there was no problem identifying four of the five bodies in question”.

Litzman explained that on the night of the fatal crash “the professionals”, which he explains are the medical pathologists, stated without a doubt that four of the five bodies were easily identifiable. However, police did not concur.

Litzman explained that night he phoned Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan who is responsible for Israel Police, and the minister explain the police have issues. Litzman made a point of stating he in no way blames Erdan for the delay, citing the two are friends and maintain an excellent working relationship.

Litzman feels that even the fifth body could have been identified but he is willing to accept the concerns of police regarding the one body, but not the other four. “They all had ID cards” he explained and identifying them was not an issue. He feels that the moment the “professionals” announced the bodies are identifiable, they would bring a halt to any and all police concerns but this was not the case. As such, he plans to work to amend regulations to avoid a reoccurrence in the future. As far as the Health Minister is concerned, the moment the medical examiner says the bodies have been identified, police have no right or justification to say otherwise. He hopes to be in contact with Erdan to advance amending regulations to avoid such situations in the future.

Litzman worked hard along with others as the families want to bury their loved ones immediately but police would not hear of it.

Following his interview Zaka CEO Yehuda Meshi-Zahav called and confirmed the details of the case as Litzman presented them. Meshi-Zahav explained the police wanted dental records, which were not required in this case. The families were clueless as to the identities of the dentists so police insisted on DNA, which took eight hours. Meshi-Zahav explained the entire “confusion” surrounded the fact that Chana Frankel a”h had her sister’s Rav Kav (bus smart card) and that was simply no cause for delaying kvura.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)