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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/18213/full/18213/official-responsible-for-maccabi-tragedy-gets-reappointed/ <br /><br /> <b>Official responsible for Maccabi tragedy gets reappointed</b> <br /> Friday, August 2, 2002 | by <p>HENRY BENJAMIN </p> <br /><br /><p>SYDNEY—The families of four Australian athletes who died in a bridge collapse at the 1997 Maccabiah Games are outraged that a man found guilty of negligence in the disaster was appointed to new positions in the Maccabi sports movement.<br /><br /> Both Maccabi World Union and Maccabi Israel recently found new jobs for Yoram Eyal, who served six months of community service for his part in the tragedy.<br /><br /> In July 1997, the Australian team was making its way across a hastily constructed footbridge to the opening ceremony of the 15th Maccabiah in Israel's Ramat Gan stadium.<br /><br /> The bridge collapsed, hurtling the team into the murky, polluted waters of the Yarkon River. Four members of the team died and 70 were injured.<br /><br /> Eyal, the head of the organizing committee for the international games, was sentenced two years ago after he commissioned the ill-fated bridge. Four others were sentenced to jail time for their role in the tragedy.<br /><br /> Colin Elterman, whose daughter, Sasha, was seriously injured in the accident, is the spokesman for the families who lost relatives in the disaster.<br /><br /> Elterman said "We will not rest until this man has been removed from any official Maccabi position. Maccabi should not have a convicted criminal in any role within its organization."<br /><br /> He plans a media campaign to inform international Jewish communities and Israeli taxpayers, who pay part of the fee for the Maccabiah Games, of Eyal's appointments.<br /><br /> Maccabi World Union has appointed Eyal head of the North American desk and has given him back his old $120,000 job as head of Kfar Maccabiah in Ramat Gan.<br /><br /> Maccabi Israel has made him responsible for the registration of the country's sports clubs.<br /><br /> The president of Maccabi Australia, Phil Filler, said: "When Eyal's appointments were announced at the world conference, they were met with resounding applause. The Australian delegation sat on their hands."<br /><br /> Eyal has said that he will never again take part in organizing a Maccabiah. But he said: "I didn't elect myself to those bodies. I have paid the price according to the courts and I don't think I need to stay home for the rest of my life."<br /><br /> Maccabi Israel Chairman Igal Carmi and Maccabi World Union President Jean Futeran told Filler that Eyal had served his sentence and deserved another chance.<br /><br /> Not everyone in Israel agrees.<br /><br /> Sports Minister Matan Vilnai brought the appointments to the attention of the Knesset.<br /><br /> The Israeli daily Yediot Achronot received more than 200 complaints from readers condemning the appointments after it published the story.<br /><br /> Zvulun Orlev, head of the Knesset's Sports and Education Committee, said of Eyal's appointments: "This was not a smart decision. There has been no thought given to the feelings of the Jewish people of Australia."</p> <p> </p>

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