The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is set to discuss Thursday the state's role in helping wounded soldier Yehuda Hayisraeli fund the construction necessary to make his home accessible following his injuries. Last month, thousands of Israelis donated more than 1.2 million shekels (more than $310,000) to help Hayisraeli, who was injured during Operation Protective Edge, after the Defense Ministry denied his family funding for new construction in the settlement of Ofra, where they live. Disabled veteran of the Six-Day War, Gad Sherlin, 69, is expected to accompany Hayisraeli at the committee meeting. Sherlin was critically wounded in the 1967 war, and the state has refused to approve the construction of an elevator that would help him get to work each day. Sherlin is designated by the state as having 100% disability. He was wounded when shrapnel pierced his brain during a battle at Tel Faher in the Golan Heights, when he was an officer in the Golani Brigade's elite unit. Despite the paralysis and speech-related difficulty that resulted from his injury, Sherlin started a family, found employment and was among the founders of the community of Maale Adumim. After establishing the city, Sherlin says he received approval to build a gas station and commercial building there. In recent years, Sherlin's condition has worsened, making walking extremely difficult. He uses an electric mobility scooter to get around. Because his office is on the second floor of the commercial building by the gas station, he and his family approached the Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria, which operates under the Civil Administration, asking to receive permission to build an elevator on the property. According to the Sherlin family, the construction permit given to them some 25 years ago is legally sound, but now, due to their request, the Higher Planning Council has decided to re-examine it. "My father continues to manage the gas station -- he gets up every day and arrives at 7:00 a.m.," said one of Sherlin's children. "It is sad to see a person who suddenly can no longer get to his office. He has no reason to get up in the morning because of a minor detail like an elevator and because of a bureaucratic problem." His other son, Raz, said on Wednesday: "My father has become a hostage because of an argument over a building permit. My father is 69 years old. These deliberations can take years." The Sherlin family has said that every attempt to plead the case to the Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria has been met with indifference and cruelty. The family approached the High Court after the council refused to take Sherlin's disability into consideration. IDF Disabled Veterans Organization Chairman Haim Bar, who is also expected to take part in Thursday's discussion, said, "It is not enough to talk about the moral and ethical debt to disabled IDF veterans, we must also pay it back when it comes to exceptional or unusual circumstances." Bar added that his organization is seeking a solution for Sherlin. The Civil Administration released a statement, saying, "This is an illegal structure that was built without the required permits, with complete disregard for planning and security considerations. As has been explained to Mr. Sherlin several times, he must complete a number of processes before we can move forward in dealing with this issue."
Six-Day War vet joins young wounded soldier in campaign for government support
Two disabled veterans refused funding for accessible structures • Disabled veterans advocate: It is not enough to talk about the moral and ethical debt to disabled IDF veterans, we must also pay it back when it comes to exceptional circumstances.
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