Original Article Is Published at JewishDisabilityInclusionNews
I had the rare and moving experience of visiting a severely wounded Israeli soldier this week at the Samson Assuta Hospital in Ashdod. Y, a Special Forces soldier, was nearly killed when a bomb detonated near him and his unit. A doctor in Gaza determined that Y would not have made it if transported to a more distant trauma center in Israel. Fortunately, the doctors and medical staff at this amazing hospital essentially, in the words of his mother, brought him back from near death.
What makes this story personal is that I have known Y since he was a young child, coming to one of our Ramah camps with his parents who worked on staff and with our Israeli shlichim for many years. As a teenager, Y would train hard at camp in the hopes of being accepted to an elite unit in the IDF. He succeeded and he and his comrades having been doing what is necessary to assure Israel’s survival and safety for years.
Thank God, Y has left the ICU. He has had over 20 surgeries; he is now able to speak and eat regular food and he will soon move to a rehab hospital. He hopes to return to his apartment, girlfriend and a future career, though he notes that “sometimes life takes a different path than planned.” (He wishes he could have served more than four weeks in Gaza, that he can return to Gaza, and that he would do it all over again). Y also joins the expanding ranks of Israelis who are now considered disabled. Y is now an amputee. He feels “lucky” that his leg was lost below the knee and that he will soon be fitted for a prosthetic leg. He is incorporating this new aspect of Y—his disability—into his already multi-faceted character. He is determined NOT to let his disability define him.
Y is not alone. Israel is “welcoming” new members in to the disabilities community almost daily.
According to the Times of Israel, the Health Ministry reports that as of the middle of December, an extraordinary number of Israelis–10,580–have been wounded in the war with Hamas in Gaza, attacks by Hezbollah along the Lebanon border, and terrorist attacks in the West Bank. The latest figures provided by the Defense Ministry indicate that 6,125 of the wounded are IDF soldiers and members of the Israel Police and other security forces. Of these, 2,005 have already been recognized as permanently disabled.
A Jewish News Syndicate report notes that “around 2,000 Israeli civilians, soldiers and police officers have had limbs amputated or become disabled in other ways since Oct. 7.”
Due to previous wars, Israel has some experience in addressing the needs of mainly young people who have become disabled. Israel has a very active NGO, Negishut Israel/Access Israel, which has been advocating for the needs of the elderly and those with disabilities for decades. Organizations like Israel Para Sport Center introduces people with disabilities to sports.
This postage stamp is from 1968
In many ways, Israel is doing a great job addressing the needs of people with disabilities. The current war poses great challenges and opportunities to becoming a world leader in offering services guided by best practices for people with physical disabilities and mental health challenges. I pray Israel will continue to be a pioneer and leader.