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Israeli PM thankful for airplanes to battle Mt. Carmel fire

The first of 23 international aircraft carrying firefighters, supplies and fire retardant chemicals landed in Israel Friday morning (Dec.3) in a desperate effort to contain the worst fire in that country's history, reports Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service.

According to The Jerusalem Post newspaper, Israel Army Radio stated that, in addition to four Greek aircraft, four aircraft are expected to arrive from France, three from Britain, two from Spain, two from Russia, two from Turkey, two from Cyprus, two from Bulgaria, one from Croatia and one from Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for sending airplanes to help battle the Carmel brush-fire which had already claimed more than 40 lives.

"I really appreciate Turkey's help, we will find a way to express our appreciation." The prime minister's comments came during a visit to the Carmel fire injured at Rambam hospital in Haifa.

He later added that he believed Turkey's granting of aid to Israel "will serve as an opening to improve relations between Israel and Turkey."

Netanyahu also spoke with Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin, and thanked him and his country for their assistance in the effort to control the deadly forest fire.

The prime minister also praised Israeli rescue workers, the IDF, the Israel Prisons Service, and hospitals around the country.

Earlier on Friday, Netyanyahu thanked his other international counterparts for planes, firefighters, supplies and fire retardant chemicals sent to assist efforts to control the huge forest fire.

The Jerusalem Post says that in a press conference held after an emergency cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu mentioned Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, who he called a “real friend,” as well as Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov

The newspaper says the international aid effort is being coordinated by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Foreign Ministry. Netanyahu added that the option of bringing in more supplies from Canada and the US was being considered. He said that the cabinet had a national plan which would be implemented in the coming days.

Before the cabinet meeting, Lieberman told Israel Radio that the country was “dealing with a disaster like we have never known before." He charged that though a shortage of fire-fighting planes was common knowledge, "nothing here ever happens until disaster strikes."

The foreign minister also referred to international aid which was being flown in to help Israeli efforts controlling the fire. Four Greek aircraft, four from France, three from Britain, two from Spain, two from Russia, two from Turkey, two from Cyprus, two from Bulgaria, one from Croatia and one from Azerbaijan were expected to arrive by noon Israel time Friday, Lieberman said.

He said that the Germans had "made the initiative" to request the fire-fighting planes from Turkey, and that El Al was organizing for the transfer of a special fire-fighting liquid from France.

Also speaking before the cabinet meeting, Interior Minister Eli Yishai called for the establishment of a committee to probe the handling of the fire. "It is a tragedy, and it's crucial that we look into all surrounding factors," Yishai said.

Eight foreign planes, three helicopters, three firetrucks, and over 150 foreign firefighters have arrived in Israel so far. More are expected soon.

Obama: That's what friends do for each other

US President Barack Obama on Thursday offered his condolences to families of the victims of the uncontrolled fire, according to the newspaper.

"As rescuers and firefighters continue in their work, the United States is acting to help our Israeli friends respond to the disaster," Obama said at a reception celebrating the second night of Hanukkah.

"A short while ago, our ambassador in Tel Aviv, Jim Cunningham, issued a disaster declaration, which has launched an effort across the US government to identify the firefighting assistance we have available and provide it to Israel as quickly as possible. Of course, that's what friends do for each other."

Obama continued: "Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody in Israel who is affected by this tragedy and the family and loved ones of those in harm’s way."

The newspaper also said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday offered her "sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in the fires in northern Israel."

A 747 loaded with the fire retardant chemical needed to stop the raging Carmel forest fires left the United States for Israel Thursday night, thanks to New York City Mayor Bloomberg, Israeli Acting Consul General Ido Aharoni, members of the FDNY and Tom Harbour, the Director of Fire and Aviation Management for the US Forestry Service, the newspaper reported.

Bloomberg called Israel’s Acting Consul General in New York Ido Aharoni Thursday afternoon to convey New York City's “strong support” for Israel Thursday afternoon, Bloomberg's spokesperson Stu Loeser said.

Bloomberg asked if New York could help Israel with its fires. Bloomberg mentioned in the call that FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano had had a meeting scheduled for Friday with Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense, Matan Vilnai and two aides. Vilnai is in charge of Homeland Defense including natural disasters and terrorist/hostile military events against the civilian population. However, the Friday meeting had been cancelled due to Vilnai's return to Israel.

The newspaper also reported that Aharoni thanked Bloomberg and requested Fire Troll 931, a flame retardant Israel needs to combat the fires. At Bloomberg's request, Deputy Fire Commissioner Francis X. Gribbon immediately called the Acting Counsel General back, ascertained that the fire retardant Israel needs is not one that the FDNY uses in New York, and had the FDNY reach out to the United States Forestry Service, which does use Fire Troll 931 to fight forest fires.

After a conference call between Harbour and Aharoni late Thursday afternoon, Harbour told FDNY Deputy Commissioner Gribbon that the plane loaded with Fire Troll 931 will leave for Israel tonight(Friday, Dec.3).

Egypt has also offered to assist in firefighting efforts by supplying fire extinguishing chemicals, according to the IDF Spokesperson.

Local Police Chief Critically Injured in Fire

Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that Head of the Haifa Police Department, Deputy Commander Ahuva Tomer was critically injured on Thursday as a result of the huge brushfire in the Carmel region.

Minutes after being interviewed, Deputy Commander Ahuva Tomer drove behind the bus of prison guards that caught fire, the newspaper said.

Tomer was driving behind the bus full of prison guards that burned up in the flames. Two more police officers were declared missing on Thursday.

Haaretz reported that Deputy Commander Tomer was taken to Carmel Hospital in Haifa, where a team of 20 doctors worked a great length to revive her, finally succeeding in restoring a pulse -- "against all odds," in their words.

Police Commander Dudi Cohen arrived at the tactical headquarters that was temporarily established at Haifa University and informed reporters that Tomer's condition stabilized and that she had been transferred to Rambam Hospital for continued medical treatment.

Cohen said that there were still two police officers whose whereabouts were unknown, and that the police have already established a commission to determine the causes of the tragic fire.

Just before she was injured, Tomer spoke about the fire in an interview to Israel Radio. "We're talking about a large fire that spread because of strong winds. The winds are blowing in the direction of the sea, therefore we are not worried for the villages of Isfiya and Daliat al-Carmel."

The newspaper says that Deputy Commander Tomer is considered to be one of the best-known and highest-ranking officers in the northern region. She made history in 1997 when she was appointed police commander in Nahariya, and again in 2009 when she was appointed commander of the Haifa station, the largest in Israel.

Tomer is highly respected by her fellow officers and is known for maintaining good relations with the media. Officers that have worked with her describe her as dedicated and professional, and that although she advanced the case of women in the police force, she never used her own status as a woman as political leverage.

At the end of the 1990s, when she served as the commander of the Nahariya Police, a complaint was lodged against her, which led to criminal charges against her and her partner, on suspicion of fraud.

After six years of legal battles, Tomer was cleared of all charges. At that time, the court criticized Internal Affairs for a shoddy investigation, saying that investigators got excited over the opportunity to charge a high-ranking officer with a crime.

After she was cleared of all charges, Tomer was given a position suited to her rank, Commander of Operations in the Israel's northern region, before she was offered the top job with Haifa Police in March 2009.

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TAGS: Israel forest fire Carmel Mountains Benjamin Netanyahu evacuation Damon prison international aircraft

[12/04/2010]

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