ISRAEL: MOURNING CONTINUES FOR 73 SOLDIERS KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH

Описание: (6 Feb 1997) Natural Sound

Israel continues to mourn the 73 soldiers killed in a double helicopter crash on Tuesday.

The government officially declared a national day of mourning, while Israel's chief rabbis called for 24 hours of fasting and prayer.

Ezer Weizman, the Israeli president, visited the grieving parents of one of the victims on Thursday.

Staff Sergeant Gilad Moshel was one of the young soldiers who should have gone to the security zone in southern Lebanon, sent there to protect his country.

Instead, he died along with 72 others in Tuesday's helicopter crash.

His funeral on Thursday was attended by hundreds of mourners who came to pay their last respect.

For many friends and relatives, the pain of the terrible loss seemed almost too much to bear.

The accident, Israel's worst military air disaster ever, struck at the very heart of the nation.

In this small country of just 4 (m) million people, almost everyone knew someone who died in the accident.

The Israeli government declared a day of national mourning.

Students and teachers at Bet Hinuch high school in Jerusalem observed a minute of silence Thursday morning.

Later, some older students paid a moving tribute to the dead.

Their musical performance leaving many in tears.

The Knesset remains closed Thursday while all ministers are attending funerals.

Israel's chief rabbis called for 24 hours of fasting and prayer.

And the country's newspapers published the photographs of the 73 dead on their front pages.

On Thursday morning, Israeli President Ezer Weizman paid a visit to the house of Staff Sergeant Ran Arman at Ranana, near Tel Aviv.

He sat down to comfort the grieving parents who tried to maintain composure in front of numerous television cameras.

In their living room, a photograph of their son showed an earnest face, more a boy than a man.

President Weizman will continue to visit mourning families throughout the day.

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