Some 70 disabled British military veterans are competing this week against their counterparts from the IDF in a variety of sporting events, in the fourth annual Veteran Games.
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The week-long event is being hosted by the IDF Disabled Veterans' Organization in conjunction with Beit Halochem UK (BHUK) at the Beit Halochem rehab, recreation and sports center in Tel Aviv.
The Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX) is among the sponsors of the games and associated conference, which will feature experts in the field of mental health and PTSD from both Britain and Israel.
The British veterans landed in Israel on Sunday and will be in the country until Thursday when they will also attend a ceremony at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation.
As part of the program, the participants also go on tours of the country, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the Dead Sea.
Among the British delegation, there are former commandos, paratroopers, police officers, and sailors, all wounded during their tours of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, or in terrorist attacks and other military operations.
"The IDF Disabled Veterans Organization and the IDF Disabled Veterans Fund are happy to host the British war wounded and show them Beit Halochem, which has some of the most unique rehab centers in the world," said Edan Kleiman, chairman of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization.
"The family of wounded war veterans copes with similar struggles across the globe and our goal is to strengthen one another and learn from one another," he added.
Veteran Games and Conference Ambassador Mark Ormrod, 38, was badly wounded in Afghanistan while serving in the Royal Marines. As a result of his injuries, he became the UK's first triple amputee to survive the Afghanistan conflict.
"We have a lot in common with our Israeli warrior brothers. First and foremost, there's a consensus that sports and family are a fundamental element of rehabilitation and our joy in life, and this is the essence of this event, to celebrate family and sport," Ormrod said.
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