Former IDF Intake Chief Urges Recruits and Parents Not to Hide Medical or Mental Health Issues

As the military faces an unprecedented burden since the war that began on October 7, 2023, many parents and pre-service recruits are struggling to navigate enlistment. In an interview with attorney Beni Dor, a former IDF recruitment center commander, the article says the current climate has created anxiety, uncertainty and major questions for families trying to deal with the army’s personnel system.

Dor says parents are usually the ones handling enlistment issues, even though the recruits are 18 years old. According to him, parents gather documents, worry about the process, and make sure their children’s rights are protected, while recruits often do not understand the consequences of what they disclose or hide. He says the biggest mistake is trying to “pretty up” medical or psychological realities to avoid affecting assignment.

His main advice is to tell the army the full truth. If a soldier is placed in a role that does not match physical or mental abilities, Dor warns, it can create dangerous situations during service and also harm the army itself. He says he will not help anyone invent reasons for an exemption, adding, “In no way!”. He says his advantage is that he “speaks the military language” and knows how the system evaluates requests.

Dor also addresses broader enlistment issues, saying ultra-Orthodox Jews must serve and that the army must be ready because “the law” requires it. He notes that most legal consultations come from men, since women are not assigned to combat unless they want it. His practical advice is not to wait until the induction date, or even the first draft notice, because army procedures can take months or more than a year. Families should raise personal, family, medical, or psychological difficulties as early as possible, collect complete medical documentation, and avoid fabricating problems.