Recognition of Bereaved Family Members

The Recognition and Eligibility Unit in the Department of Families, Commemoration and Heritage operates according to the Fallen Soldiers' Families (Pensions and Rehabilitation) Law, 1950 (hereinafter: "Families Law") and is responsible for determining whether the conditions for recognizing a soldier who fell in service and the family member for whom recognition is requested have been met. 

The law recognizes family members who have lost their loved ones under the following circumstances:

• IDF or security forces servicemen and servicewomen who were killed in operational activity or war. 

• IDF or security forces servicemen and servicewomen who were killed or passed away during their service, where a connection exists between their death and their military service, in accordance with the "Goren Amendment" regarding permanent service. 

• Mandatory service personnel in the IDF who were killed due to injury not during the performance of duty or during authorized leave, provided that the circumstances do not fall under special conditions defined by the legislator in the Compensation for Soldiers and Their Families (Injury Not in Duty) Law, 1988.

• Disabled IDF veterans recognized by the Rehabilitation Department who passed away due to their recognized disability (months or years after the recognition of the disability). 

• Civilians who passed away where a connection exists between their death and their military service.

Applications for recognition can be submitted by families of the fallen who served in one of the following bodies:

• IDF - mandatory service, permanent service, or reserve duty.

• Disabled IDF veterans or security forces personnel who passed away due to their recognized disability, including victims of the Kishon River pollution who passed away due to malignant diseases. 

• Israel Police - including the Border Police. 

• Israel Prison Service. 

• Israel Security Service (Shin Bet). 

• The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (Mossad). 

• Individuals designated for military service (pre-enlistment candidates) during the selection process for elite units or pre-military courses (excluding driving lessons). 

• Underground organizations that operated in the Land of Israel for the independence of Israel. 

• Knesset Guard. 

• South Lebanon Army (SLA) personnel who fell in operational activity in southern Lebanon, provided their family members reside in Israel.