Photo: BBC.
Israel’s High Court of Justice (HCOJ) has ruled that 38-year-old reserve major Asaf Dagan, who committed suicide, will be buried with military honours in a civilian cemetery. This decision was a response to a petition filed by his family. According to the Time Ukraine Israel portal, citing Israelinfo, the case caused a wide response in Israeli society.
Major Dagan ended his life on 23 October after serving in the Israeli Air Force Reserve for many months. He had served 190 days of militia duty over the course of a year, which far exceeds the standard workload. The family is convinced that the officer’s suicide is directly related to his emotional exhaustion due to his long service during the war.
Dahan’s family also noted that the last months of his life were marked by a sharp deterioration in his mental state and manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder. They insisted that the major be buried in a military cemetery with all the appropriate honours.
However, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) initially refused to do so, stating that they saw no direct connection between the major’s service and his tragic decision.
After reviewing the case, the HACC ruled that the state must ensure due respect for the officer, who had devoted his entire life to performing his military duty.
“This decision emphasises that honouring officers should not be just a formality, but also a manifestation of real gratitude for their service,” commented the family’s lawyer after the verdict was announced.
Thus, Asaf Dagan will be buried with military honours, but in a civilian cemetery. This decision marks an important precedent in the treatment of military personnel who gave their strength and lives, but left this world due to psychological difficulties associated with their service.
