M. fought in the Yok war and suffered from post-trauma, which led to addiction • After his death he was recognized as an IDF cavalry • Adv. Saban: "Now the Halomi will receive a treatment battle instead of contempt"
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Liron Moldovan
In a precedent-setting move, the Haifa Magistrate's Court ruled that the addiction of M., a fighter from the Yom Kippur War, to a bitter drop, is as a result of the post-trauma he suffered and dealt with.
Therefore, it was decided to recognize it as an IDF space after his death.
M., served in the regular service and in the reserve as a bee driver, an engineering tool that played a key role in the success of the Suez Canal in the Yom Kippur War.
During the battles, M. found himself under heavy shelling and severe sights of wounded and killed.
Over the years, M. suffered from mental distress and was even recognized as a battle shock at a rate of 40 percent.
In 2013, he contacted the Ministry of Defense again and asked to recognize the cirrhosis of the liver in which he suffered as a result of his disability.
He said his mental distress caused him to consume alcohol at a high level as "self-healing", which led to liver damage.
M. also presented an opinion from the former head of the IDF's mental health system that linked the consumption of alcohol in large quantities as part of self-treatment in combat shock.
Even before the lawsuit was clarified, M. died a few years ago at the age of 68 as a result of cirrhosis.
After his death, his widow asked to be recognized as an IDF space because her husband consumed alcohol because of the mental difficulties he experienced.
During the appeal filed in the Magistrate's Court in Haifa, the judge announced that there is no medical school that can support the widow's claim, but the person who decided the case in recent days was an expert on the court who determined that there was a causal link between the shock and excessive alcohol consumption. It was determined that M. would be recognized as an IDF space.
"This is an important precedent for combatants who have become addicted to alcohol due to their mental state, when it is clear that this addiction is in light of severe distress," said M.'s lawyer, Adv. Eli Saban, an expert in the claims of IDF soldiers and security forces. Will create a situation where they will receive proper medical assistance instead of looking at them with suspicion and contempt. "
