Scene of abduction
Photo: Amir Cohen
Gilad Shalit
Photo: Noam Rotem
Adv. Eli Saban
Witness to Shalit abduction deemed IDF invalid
Defense Ministry declares soldier who witnessed 2006 kidnapping as suffering from a 50% disability due to trauma
Two years and seven months after the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit near Kerem Shalom, the Defense Ministry recognized one of the soldiers who witnessed the incident as an IDF invalid.
The June 2006 kidnapping of Shalit, which also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Hanan Barak and Staff-Sergeant Pavel Slocker, left one of the officers who were present at the scene severely traumatized.
The officer reportedly abstained from reporting the difficulties he was encountering at first, fearing it would hinder his promotion; but in 2007 he sought help, confiding in a military psychologist and telling him that he feared he may try to harm himself.
According to expert opinion presented to the Defense Ministry, his condition deteriorated later that year and he began exhibiting symptoms of anxiety, as well as suffering from insomnia, tantrums and obsessive thought about the incident. He also reported of dreams in which "the terrorists baited him to kill himself." The deterioration also caused him to sever ties with friend, and he attempted suicide.
"The operational events the officer took part in definitely included life-threatening experiences and I see a direct link between them and his current mental situation," wrote the Defense Ministry appointed expert.
Following the brief the ministry decided to recognize the man as IDF invalid, classifying him as suffering from a 50% disability.
"The harsh sights of the battlefield can be etched in one's memory for years," said the officer's attorney, Eli Saban. "When those sights are compounded by the dramatic event of a soldiers' abduction, it could have a grave impact on the psyche.
"Unfortunately, the events of that day have left him struggling… Now he can get the help he needs."
Gilad Shalit has been held in Hamas captivity for 945 days.
