The Histadrut General Federation of Trade Unions has announced a state of labor conflict in the rehabilitation department of the Ministry of Defense: against the backdrop of an acute staff shortage, the workload on department employees has increased significantly, which leads to damage in the provision of assistance to disabled people of the IDF and security services.
According to the Histadrut, during the War of Iron Swords alone, the number of wards of the rehabilitation department increased by 22 thousand people, and about 1,500 new requests are received every month. The total number of wards of the rehabilitation department exceeded 82 thousand people, and according to forecasts, by the end of 2028, up to 100 thousand people will be recognized as disabled by the IDF and security services.
At the same time, a significant part of the increase in the number of victims is accounted for by people with mental trauma, requiring intensive, long-term and complex treatment. Delays in providing assistance, long queues and a lack of specialists lead to frustration among patients and to a deepening staffing crisis in the rehabilitation department. Unable to withstand constant overload, people leave, and it is very difficult to recruit new workers.
It’s not just social workers, either: clinics, call centers and social services departments are in the same position, with staff forced to deal with large numbers of clients they simply can’t provide optimal services to.
The Histadrut and the Rehabilitation Department Workers’ Committee also report the actual privatization of the IDF’s employment services for disabled people and their transfer to external structures. Employment is a central and critical element of the rehabilitation process for a disabled person, and transferring this direction into the wrong hands breaks the continuity of the therapeutic chain and harms disabled people.