Matalon: A remarkable achievement
State ordered to give back $46M to disabled veterans
High Court of Justice orders Finance, Defense Ministries to refund millions of dollars that have been cut from IDF disabled veterans' pensions over recent years
The High Court of Justice on Sunday ordered the Defense and Finance Ministries to refund around $46 million that were removed from the IDF disabled veterans' pension funds between the years 2002-2007.
In addition, Judges Edmond Levy, Edna Arbel, and Hanan Meltzer heaped harsh criticism on the State and its manner of handling the pensions, and allotted it two months in which to find a proper solution for the problem before the court would be forced to take matters into its own hands.
A petition filed by the IDF Disabled Veterans' Organization earlier this year claimed both ministries have committed a series of errors that over the past few years have amounted to a massive erosion of the pensions the State is legally obligated to bestow upon the veterans. The organization demanded the court order the State to reimburse the veterans immediately.
The organization's attorneys claim that they had already demanded the money back two years ago, which resulted in an unfulfilled promise to make amends made by the Defense Ministry one year ago. Last week, prior to the court hearing, the ministry admitted it had made an erroneous budget cut and promised once again to correct its mistake.
The organization's chairman, Moshe Matalon, said that "this is a remarkable achievement in a chain of battles led by the IDF Disabled Veterans' Organization. It is unfortunate that the High Court is forced to become involved in the reimbursement of the huge sums of money stolen for years from the veterans, who paid for the State with their bodies."
