Veterans protest in Tel Aviv
צילום: אבי כהן
Disabled veterans protest in Tel Aviv
Ex-soldiers torch tires at major junction in protest against government policy on handing out benefits
Hundreds of disabled Israel Defense Forces veterans blocked the junction of Kaplan and Begin streets in Tel Aviv on Sunday in an ongoing protest against what they claim are government violations of their rights.
The protestors torched tires at the major junction, which is home to the IDF Headquarters. Police arrived on the scene in order to quell rioting but avoided clashing with demonstrators, even when they began to block the entrance to Ayalon Highway.
The Disabled Veterans' Association began to protest last week under the claim that the Defense Ministry was placing bureaucratic obstacles in their way and forcing many veterans to undergo a long and complicated process before being recognized as eligible for government benefits.
Early last week, the veterans protested outside of the IDF recruitment base in Tel Hashomer. They were joined by newly discharged soldiers, some of whom had been injured in the Second Lebanon War.
On Thursday, the association set up a tent near the IDF Headquarters in Tel Aviv. Some of the protestors waved flags of the units in which they had served, and some arrived wearing uniforms. They also blocked major roads and created traffic problems.
