A fierce public controversy has erupted around the Disabled Veterans Organization of Israel after leaked recordings aired Sunday on Channel 13 captured chairman attorney Idan Klayman delivering an angry tirade against a group of disabled members. In the recordings, Klayman is heard telling them, among other things, “Take the money, choke, leave us alone,” and insisting they are not part of what he considers the true face of the organization. He contrasts them with injured soldiers from the current war, saying they are focused on work, education and rehabilitation.
Klayman repeatedly accuses the group of seeking medical cannabis, benefits and compensation rather than recovery, and tells them to leave the organization’s facilities: “Get out of Beit Halochem,” “get out of our lives,” and “I do not want to deal with you at all.” The remarks come as many PTSD sufferers have long complained of discrimination, detachment and insensitivity from the organization’s leadership, saying, “We feel invisible, they just do not see us.”
The Disabled Veterans Organization rejected the interpretation of the recordings, saying the comments were taken out of context from a private conversation and were aimed only at a small, specific group that had allegedly been threatening and harassing Klayman. The group said the chairman had even needed security because of the campaign against him, and stressed that the remarks were not directed at war-trauma survivors or other disabled veterans. It also said it regretted any offense caused.
The organization added that under Klayman, who was severely wounded in combat himself, it has advanced major achievements for psychologically injured veterans, including implementing the “A New Soul” reform, the Mor Yosef committee recommendations, creating a dedicated trauma department and building a fifth Beit Halochem. It also denied claims of secret agreements and said it initiated caps on lawyers’ fees to protect wounded veterans’ funds.
At the same time, the Defense Ministry said it is preparing for a much larger rehabilitation burden. Since October 7, the Rehabilitation Department has admitted about 25,000 new injured people, most with psychological distress, and its budget has doubled to about 10 billion shekels, half of it for mental health cases. The number of therapists has quadrupled, new rehabilitation solutions have been opened, and because officials expect the total number of injured to reach 100,000 by 2028, a major upgrade plan drawn up with the Mor Yosef committee and the Disabled Veterans Organization is now awaiting government approval.
