Israel drops reference to God in army text

Israel's army has dropped references to God in a text read at a ceremony honouring fallen soldiers, a military official said on Friday, following pressure from secular families. The relatives of some dead soldiers had protested that in many army units the text had been changed to the word "Yitzkor," which calls on God to remember the fallen troops. The original text called on "the people of Israel" to keep the soldiers in their memories. The decision to revert back to the original text was taken by a military commission appointed by the army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz.