AT 26-year-old Yitzhak Saydian, nearly 100% burnt, lies between life and death in a Tel Aviv hospital. Ten days ago, he set himself on fire in front of the offices of the rehabilitation department of the Ministry of Defense in Petah Tikva, in the center of the country.
A veteran of the 2014 Gaza war – he had taken part in the terrible battle of Shuja’iyya in which 13 soldiers were killed, including 7 of his comrades – he had suffered since his return to civilian life from the syndrome of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD for « post-traumatic stress disorder »). The rehabilitation commission of the Ministry of Defense had recognized his disability but at a very low level: only 25%, which did not give him access to all the adequate treatments, not to mention a meager monthly allowance. For months and faced with a deterioration of his condition, he had been putting all his energy to obtain a level of disability of 50%. What the commission refused on the grounds, it seems, that he had not been seriously injured during his service.
In a television interview, he explained how it was done: “You have half an hour to describe what you have been going through for more than five years. And if you want people to take care of you, you need to hire a lawyer. Which costs you tens of thousands of shekels. »One of his friends said:« A few days before his act, he told me that he was doing everything not to crack, to keep his head above water. He also told me about his difficulties with the Ministry of Defense. He felt humiliated every time he contacted them. ”
Natal is an NGO dedicated to the treatment of PTSD among veterans and victims of terrorism. Since Yitzhak Saydian’s self-immolation, his emergency line has been overwhelmed by calls. In one week, it recorded a 900% increase in calls for help compared to previous months. Most of them came from former victims of the war in Gaza and the second war in Lebanon in 2006. For Natal director Ofra Shaprut, there is no doubt: the fear caused by Saydian’s gesture created a shock. “And not only among many soldiers, but also their families, their friends. Hence their calls to express their distress. ”
Testimonies multiply
But this tidal wave is not just shaking Natal and the other organizations that exist in this area. The whole of society reacts. Indignation grows in particular at the attitude of the medical experts of the Defense. What some describe as the new “obstacle course” faced by those who are physically or mentally injured during wars or attacks. Between 2015 and 2019, more than 20,000 recognitions of military invalidity were filed with the services of the Ministry of Defense. Only half was accepted. Of those who were refused, some 6,000 appealed. 70% of them did not obtain satisfaction.
Figures that the general public is just beginning to take notice, as the media multiply the testimonies of former conscripts suffering from PSTD and that hundreds of disabled veterans do not hesitate to show their anger by blocking major arteries of Tel- Aviv to protest. In an emergency, defense officials decided to reform the entire system for recognizing the status of disabled military person.
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