Wounded Israeli & British vets join for sports & healing

The 100+ vets ranging from their 20s to 50s, gathered in Israel with their families for friendly competitions in swimming, X-Fit, rifle shooting, and met with post-trauma and rehabilitation experts.

– Israeli, British wounded vets join for sports and healing
By Abigail Klein Leichman

 

More than 100 Israeli and British injured veterans joined in Israel for the inaugural Veteran Games and Conference, a five-day event hosted by Zahal Disabled Veterans’ Organization at the Beit Halochem rehab, rec and sports centers in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for disabled vets and their families.

Participants ranging from their 20s to 50s, and accompanying family members, gathered for friendly competitions in sports such as swimming, X-Fit and rifle shooting, and met with international experts on post-trauma and rehabilitation.

“Looking around this room, I see true heroes who answered their country’s call and went to war to preserve our values and protect us all. I salute you,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said to the veterans during a visit to his official residence in Jerusalem on May 30.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin greeting wounded veterans from the UK at his Jerusalem residence after the inaugural Veteran Games, May 30, 2019. – Photo: Mark Neiman/GPO

The Veteran Games – under the motto “Uniting extraordinary people” — was organized by Beit Halochem UK and the Embassy of Israel in London following on a successful Israeli-British conference on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health in combat veterans, which featured a visit to Beit Halochem in Tel Aviv.

Warrant Officer Matt Tomlinson of the Royal Marines told Rivlin: “The Veteran Games are a rare opportunity to visit your wonderful country and at the same time challenge, compete and find common ground with Israeli veterans. … During the competition, we shared sweat, pain and more pain, neither side giving up but both sides encouraging and supporting the other. Thank you for allowing us to come to your country, to compete and to share common ground with your veterans. We will never forget this truly amazing experience.”

Support for the Veteran Games, modeled after the Invictus Games created for wounded UK veterans by Prince Harry, was provided by 10 different charitable organizations in the UK and Israel.

“Shared experiences for military veterans are a strong source of physical and mental healing, even more so across differing nationalities,” said Jonathan Ball, chief executive of the Royal Marines Charity, one of the donors. “We are sure that this will ensure a powerful bond and new enduring friendships at the games.”

The visitors and their Israeli hosts also had a culinary tour of Tel Aviv, dinner in the Judean desert, a trip to the Old City of Jerusalem, The First Station and Yad Vashem, a concert and a memorial ceremony at the British war cemetery in Ramla.

 

View original Israel21c.org publication at:
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-british-wounded-vets-join-for-sports-and-healing/

 

Abigail Klein Leichman

Abigail Klein Leichman

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a major daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.