Deserter to receive military burial

IDF agrees to bury AWOL soldier killed in motorcycle accident.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Soldiers 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post))
Soldiers 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post))
The Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that a decision has been made to bury an IDF soldier who died in a motorcycle accident in a military cemetery.
Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein ruled Tuesday that the soldier, Yair Sassoon, who was considered a deserter would receive a military burial.
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The decision came after the IDF Spokesperson's Unit had said Sunday that the army would not provide Sasson with a military funeral because he was a deserter.
According to the IDF, because Sasson was listed as being AWOL before his accident he was not entitled to the honors accorded to serving soldiers.
However Sassoon's parents claim that he returned to the base and was promised that the problems he was going through would be solved.
After petitioning to the High Court the soldiers parents said justice has been made.
"Its a shame that the IDF had to drag the family to the Supreme Court in relation to this tragedy," said Shlomi Tzipori, the family's attorney.
He continued by saying that any soldier killed during his military service is entitled to a military burial.