BICOM

Israeli State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss warned that the findings of his inquiry into the government’s handling of the Carmel Forest fire disaster are becoming, “increasingly harsh”, in a meeting with Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin yesterday. The inquiry is examining the government’s handling of the fire which raged out of control in the north of Israel exactly a year ago. The fire claimed 44 lives, including those of 38 cadet fire fighters, and eventually required international assistance to extinguish.

Lindenstrauss has already provided a draft report to four ministers expected to be named in the report, Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, Interior Minister Eli Yishai and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich.

A judicial official quoted in Haaretz this morning, said the ministers might be charged with ‘direct responsibility’, a harsher finding than in the draft report. Lack of preparation on the part of the police is also expected to be a key focus of the report.

Lindenstrauss has delayed publication pending ongoing inquiries, due to its increasing seriousness.