IDF Disabled Veterans Group Plans Protest Over Budget Exclusion for Wounded Soldiers

The IDF Disabled Veterans Organization requested police permission on Wednesday to hold a protest outside the Knesset on Sunday. The demonstration responds to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's decision to exclude the future funding for wounded IDF and security forces veterans from the national budget. The protest will coincide with a government meeting scheduled at the Knesset.

The organization condemned the decision, stating that the government is abandoning the heroes who sacrificed their bodies and souls for Israel. They warned that failing to immediately approve and fund the recommendations of the Mor Yosef Committee would lead to a national disaster. The group emphasized that sending soldiers to fight with promises of proper rehabilitation, only to retract those promises, is unacceptable.

Recent data from the Ministry of Defense's Rehabilitation Department shows that about 26,200 wounded veterans have sought treatment, with the total number expected to exceed 90,000 by 2026, a 40% increase in three years. Approximately 17,000 suffer from mental injuries, with 7,700 also having physical injuries. About 9,000 have only physical injuries, including 97 amputees. The wounded include 62% reservists, 21% conscripts, 10% police officers, and 7% career soldiers. Men constitute 92% of the wounded, women 8%, and nearly half of new patients are under 30 years old.

The Rehabilitation Department projects that by 2028, around 100,000 wounded veterans will be treated, with about half facing mental health challenges. The Disabled Veterans Organization vows to continue fighting to ensure the state fulfills its critical commitments to these soldiers and veterans.