Coalition and Opposition Join Forces to Advance Bill Supporting Combat Trauma Survivors

The Knesset committee approved Sunday the "Combat Trauma Survivors" bill, which establishes a formal legal definition in Israeli law for those suffering from PTSD as a result of their military service. The legislation drew support from members of both the coalition and the opposition.

Should the bill receive final approval in the plenum, it will confer official legal status on combat trauma survivors and ensure individualized treatment through the Defense Ministry's Rehabilitation Department. It will also expand the range of benefits, payments, and compensation available to survivors and their family members. The bill is expected to go to a plenum vote later this week for its second and third readings.

Committee Chair MK Ofir Katz addressed combat trauma survivors present at the session directly: "What we are doing here today is an act of historic justice. I saw you and spoke with you in recent weeks — I felt your pain — and I am privileged to be part of this repair. This law will pass in its final form this week, just as I promised."

The legislation also establishes a formal Knesset oversight and review mechanism. Beginning in 2027 and through 2032, the Defense Minister will be required to submit an annual detailed report to the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The report must include the number of applications submitted and approved on behalf of disabled IDF veterans and their families, the types of assistance provided, and a comprehensive breakdown of the data — with the explicit goal of ensuring transparency, oversight, and accountability in the law's implementation.

Nadav Virsh, Chair of the Forum of Combat Trauma Survivors, told Ynet: "In recent years, the State of Israel has learned to recognize the physical cost of war — but the psychological cost has yet to receive an adequate response. This bill is an important step on the road to repair. Explicit legal recognition of combat trauma survivors, tailored treatment, support for families, and Knesset oversight are not a privilege — they are a moral obligation of the state toward those sent to defend it. We will continue to act until combat trauma survivors and their families receive every form of support they deserve."