As our convoy departed southern Lebanon and slowly approached the Israeli border, I began the long and difficult transition from soldier back to civilian, even if only for a few days at home. This time, unlike most others, I did not have the luxury of two days to decompress and reacclimate. Less than 24 hours later, I would be standing in the Supreme Court in support of a petition filed against the Ministry of Defense and the Almoz Committee.

Following multiple suicides connected to PTSD stemming from the current war, the Almoz Committee was established in 2025. Its purpose was to create a new category of recognition for soldiers who die after their service under circumstances connected to their military experiences. In practice, however, the category created by the committee is something more than civilian recognition, yet far less than recognition as a fallen soldier.

The committee’s solution amounts largely to window dressing, a way for the state to pay lip service to veterans whose service and sacrifice ultimately became too heavy to bear. The two primary tangible benefits provided under this new framework are limited military symbolism at the funeral and short-term financial........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)