'Eli Yishai has to pay for the Carmel fire'

Danny Rozen, who demanded that Yishai leave state ceremony, plans to sue, calls interior minister an "embarrassment to the State of Israel."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Eli Yishai 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Eli Yishai 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Danny Rozen, the life partner of former Haifa Police chief Ahuva Tomer, told Israel Radio on Thursday that he would sue Interior Minister Eli Yishai.
"Eli Yishai has to pay" for the Carmel fire, Rozen said. "I will do whatever I can so he pays out of his own pocket."
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At Wednesday's state cermony to honor the 44 victims of the Carmel fire, Rozen demanded that Yishai leave the ceremony, saying "this man has no shame' either he leaves or I leave." Rozen's life partner died in Haifa's Rambam Medical Center, days after suffering burns over her entire body while attempting to rescue victims trapped in a burning Prisons Service bus.
"Maybe I shouldn't have spoken at such a ceremony," Rozen said, "but then I couldn't watch Yishai walk into the hall when the comptroller said he was personally and ministerially responsible. I think he shouldn't be allowed to sit with the mourning families and hug people."
He added, "I felt that Yishai not only lacked respect for us but for all citizens of Israel. Everyone who read the state comptroller's report knows that this man can't continue behaving as he did up until now."
Rozen explained that he did not plan to make a scene, but the invitation to the ceremony did not say that Yishai would be there. "The invitation said the prime minister, Peres, Knesset speaker - people I respect - would be at the ceremony. Yishai forced himself into the ceremony, with his lack of shame."
"He didn't care," Rozen added. "Even when I said 'sir, get out of here,' he didn't leave until the chief rabbis told him to. It's absurd that 44 mourning families don't influence him, but when the rabbis tell him, he leaves."
"It's an embarrassment to the State of Israel that a man like this is in our government."