Israeli Finance Ministry Denies Budget for Post-Traumatic Care of IDF Wounded After Three Years of War

After nearly three years of ongoing conflict, the Israeli Finance Ministry announced it lacks the budget to fund post-traumatic care for Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wounded soldiers. The Rehabilitation Department, responsible for treating injured soldiers, has warned it is on the brink of collapse due to insufficient funding. A special committee formed to address this issue recommended allocating two billion shekels annually to improve care for the approximately 90,000 IDF wounded, including 26,000 who recently sought psychological treatment.

Just before finalizing these recommendations, the Finance Ministry declared it could not advance the committee's proposals due to budget constraints, shifting responsibility to the Defense Ministry. The Defense Ministry responded that after three years of conflict, it does not have the funds to fully address the issue. This blame-shifting between ministries has persisted for years, even before the current war.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the Finance Ministry's Budget Department for cynicism, while the Defense Ministry accused the Finance Ministry of obstructing the implementation of the committee's recommendations and then blaming the Defense Ministry. The Defense Ministry emphasized that delays in adopting the recommendations risk collapsing the rehabilitation system for wounded soldiers, stressing that fulfilling these recommendations is a state obligation to those who sacrificed their bodies and minds in battle.

The Finance Ministry stated it has allocated unprecedented budgets to the Defense Ministry and is eager to advance the committee's recommendations but claims the Defense Ministry resists progress. The ongoing dispute leaves post-traumatic wounded soldiers without adequate support despite their sacrifices.