Israel on Sunday honored soldiers and terror victims suffering both physical and mental injuries, marking the annual Day of Appreciation for Those Wounded in Israel's Wars and in Terrorist Attacks.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Government data shows that 58,154 disabled IDF veterans are listed with the Defense Ministry.
Over the last year, 1,716 disabled IDF veterans were recognized by the government, 747 of them suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A total of 6,701 veterans have been recognized as suffering from PTSD to date by the ministry.
The initiative, which dates back to 2014, will be added to Israel's official state calendar starting in 2022.
Chairman of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization Idan Kleiman said that appreciation day "is especially important this year: after years of struggling, this year the historical 'One Soul' reform has finally been approved and we are working to implement it in full."
In April, Defense Ministry Benny Gantz introduced the "One Soul" reform for IDF veterans suffering from trauma, following the tragedy of Itzik Saidian, a veteran who set himself on fire in protest of not being recognized as suffering from PTSD.
