Knesset approves 'bereaved parents' specification on IDs
"This is the right thing to do, and it distinguishes us as a nation," head of the Knesset's Constitution Committee, MK Yaakov Asher, said.
By TOBIAS SIEGALBereaved families protest(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Knesset's Constitution Committee approved on Monday a bill that will allow bereaved parents to specify on their identification cards the title "Israeli fallen" or "casualty of war."Ofer Mendelovich, who lost his son in Operation Protective Edge, said: "Bereaved parents will now feel comfortable to show their IDs and see that the country remembers their children's sacrifice – that they died for a reason."Head of the Knesset's Constitution Committee MK Yaakov Asher added that "this is the right thing to do, and it distinguishes us as a nation."This decision joins several actions taken recently for granting additional rights for bereaved family members.In October, Defense Minister Benny Gantz decided to expand the definition of bereaved family, recognizing bereaved siblings and people who were orphaned as a result of Israel's military campaigns over the years as bereaved family members.The decision meant that people who were historically excluded from being recognized as such would now be able to receive certain benefits and grants that were previously withheld from them. But, more importantly, it provided them with the national recognition they have been seeking for so long – in some cases, for decades."The State of Israel and the defense establishment owes you an eternal gratitude," Gantz said at the time. "The entire Israeli society is hugging you. We will keep working together in order to cherish and remember your loved ones," he added.
