Netanyahu heckled at fire memorial in Israel

Relatives of those who died in a recent forest fire heckled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he gave a speech Wednesday at a memorial service. Family members shouted that the leader must be held accountable for the fire, which killed 42 people, and forced him to halt his speech, BBC News reports.

Relatives also launched attacks on Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who is responsible for the country's fire services and became the target of most of the public outrage after the disaster.

"[Mr Yishai] is the minister responsible, according to all the reports of the state comptroller he never lifted a finger, and this disaster happened because of him," the husband of a police officer who died yelled at Netanyahu, according to the Daily Telegraph. "I am asking you to take him out of the ceremony … either you take him out or else I will leave."

Yishai was escorted out of the hall, and body guards rushed toward the prime minister to protect him from the angry crowd. Once they restored order, Netanyahu resumed his speech, held at Beit Oren Kibbutz.

The fire in Carmel forest destroyed more than 12,300 acres of land, five million trees and 70 buildings. It caused the evacuation of close to 17,000 people.

Most of those who died in the fire were trainee prison officers who were trying to rescue inmates from nearby Damon Prison. It was the worst wildfire in the country's history.

Watch this video about it: