Israeli Government Approves National Rehabilitation Authority for War Casualties

After weeks of inter-ministerial disputes over funding, the Israeli government approved a major reform of the rehabilitation system within the Ministry of Defense, allocating about 2 billion shekels annually. This reform follows recommendations from a professional committee led by Professor Shlomo Mor Yosef, submitted to the Defense and Finance Ministers about six weeks ago. Central to the reform is the establishment of a new national authority focused on rehabilitating IDF and defense system casualties.

The committee was formed in response to a sharp increase in casualties since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7, nearly three years ago, which added approximately 26,000 new patients to the over 60,000 already treated by the Defense Ministry's rehabilitation department before the war. The committee recommended an initial budget of 2.5 billion shekels to establish the new authority, with an ongoing annual budget of around 2 billion shekels, supplementing the current rehabilitation budget of about 11 billion shekels, which has doubled since the war began.

The reform also includes hiring hundreds of additional staff and therapists to improve care quality for the many wounded from the ongoing conflict. It provides personalized support for victims' families, including funding for mental health treatments and guidance, tailored employment pathways for those in rehabilitation, and enhanced rights utilization for defense casualties.

In recent weeks, the Disabled IDF Veterans Organization warned of a public campaign against the Finance Ministry due to its opposition to funding the reform, arguing that budget sources should come from the tens of billions of shekels added to the defense budget in recent years. The organization's chairman, Idan Kliman, welcomed the reform's approval and pledged to ensure full implementation so every injured person receives proper rehabilitation and support to return to life with dignity.