BICOM

Israel’s State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss will recommend the removal of Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz and Minister of Interior Eli Yishai for their role in the Carmel fire, which killed 42 people in early December 2010, according to reports in the Israeli media. The draft report is due to be published next week, but some segments have already been leaked.

Lindenstrauss places personal responsibility for the disaster on Steinitz and Yishai. He says that Yishai, who is responsible for Fire and Rescue Services, failed in his duty to properly preparer for the disaster and for his actions during the fire. Lindenstrauss also says that Steinitz bears responsibility for refusing to provide the necessary budget to the Fire and Rescue Services, and for demanding reform of the service as a condition for funds.

Both Yishai and Steinitz responded that they have no intention of resigning. According to sources in the Office of the State Comptroller, quoted in the Israeli media, Lindenstrauss will not recommend to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the firing of Steinitz and Yishai, but will recommend removing them from their current ministries.

The report may also point to some failings by PM Netanyahu, Minister of Public Security Yitzhak Aharonovich, and Minister of Defence Ehud Barak. Lindenstrauss has reportedly concluded that they bear ministerial, but not personal, responsibility for the disaster.

In addition to the heavy casualties, the fire destroyed scores of homes and 50,000 dunam (12,500 acres) of forest. It took 82 hours to put out, and only with the help of foreign firefighting tankers.