Op-ed: Israel must rectify mistakes in way it treats widows of IDF soldiers who have fallen in battle – by MK Danny Danon

There is one day in the year when all Israelis feel the excruciating pain endured by our heroic bereaved families. On Remembrance Day the anguish, the sorrow, the sense of loss envelopes all of us, yet also pride that these families feel on a daily basis, evident on the faces of all Israelis.

We Israelis know how to argue and debate with one another in a fashion that sometimes seems overly wrought with emotions to outsiders, but when it comes to the honor and respect we feel for these brave families, our unity knows no bounds. This is why we all, from the Right and the Left, religious and secular, must do our utmost to ensure that these families receive everything that they so deserve.

We often hear politicians and public figures say that “no amount of money can compensate for your loss,” or that “the State will do everything in its power for the bereaved families.” These platitudes must not remain mere statements made once a year in patriotic fervor. We must put them into action. One example of where the State must rectify its mistake of the past is the way it treats the widows of IDF soldiers who have fallen in battle.

The lionesses – the mothers and wives left behind – use every ounce of their strength to raise and protect the surviving children of IDF heroes that they are left to safeguard. Nevertheless, for many years these widows were forced to endure the humiliating policy where they would lose their Defense Ministry-funded subsidy the moment they remarried.

This policy basically discouraged widows from remarrying and moving on with their lives. I am proud to say that the present Knesset was finally able to legislate changes to the law ensuring that it is no longer considered burdensome for these women to remarry and that they continue to receive all that is morally due to them and their children.

Similarly, in the life insurance industry we were also witness to unfair, even prejudiced practices against some of our bereaved families. For decades widows of pilots who lost their lives in the line of duty were entitled to a financial settlement. Widows of “green” soldiers, however, were not entitled to any dispersment from the insurance companies. This created unnecessary strife and bitter feelings between these families where only shared sorrow and solidarity should have existed.

To continue reading, go to:

View Source
Knesset Member Danny Danon is Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and Chairman of the Knesset IDF Widows and Orphans Caucus