Further to my post yesterday, the IDF spokesperson’s unit are still sugar-coating the prisoner-swap deal by referring to the three IDF soldiers as if they were not dead. The only clue is a reference to officers of a forensics science unit
IDF Delegation Departs to Germany
Today, Wednesday, January 28, 2004, an IDF delegation departed for Germany aboard an Israeli Air Force flight to return three IDF soldiers, Staff Sgt. Benni Avraham, Staff Sgt. Adi Avitan and Staff Sgt.Omar Sewad and Israeli civilian Elchanan Tannenbaum.
The delegation is comprised of representatives of the IDF Manpower Branch, the IDF Rabbinate, the IDF Medical Corps, experts from the Israeli Forensic Medicine Institute, and two officers from the forensics science unit of the Israel Police
Now I am almost convinced that this is a ploy to mitigate the backlash to the deal. Not a very effective one, mind you, given that every other media outlet has no problem admitting they are dead.
