After a prolonged struggle of more than a year and a half, the Ministry of Defense informed the Dagan family that their son, the late Maj. (Res.) Assaf Dagan was recognized as a soldier who fell in the line of duty.
The precedent-setting decision was made after it was proven that the moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered, which led to his death, were a direct result of his intense two-decade military service. As a result, the Dagan family will be recognized as a bereaved family, identical to those of all fallen soldiers.
Maj. (Res.) Assaf Dagan, an Air Force weapon systems officer and paratrooper, took his own life during active reserve duty, which began during the Swords of Iron War. The struggle for his recognition as a fallen soldier began immediately after his death, as the Defense Ministry initially refused to grant him a military burial or to recognize him as a fallen soldier. Dagan was laid to rest with full military honors approximately two months after his death, after the Supreme Court intervened. However, the Ministry of Defense has only now officially recognized him as a fallen soldier.
The Dagan family said in response to the decision: “Justice has finally been done. Today, the State of Israel recognizes our Asaf as he truly was: a combat navigator, officer, paratrooper, reservist, and Israeli hero, who dedicated his life to the security of the state with endless devotion, and paid a heavy psychological price as a result of his service. No recognition will bring Asaf back to us, but this moment corrects a deep injustice and sends an important moral message: post-traumatic stress and moral injury are service-related injuries in every sense."
The family added, emphasizing the importance of the message at this time: “Especially in days like these, when the State of Israel once again relies on fighter pilots, navigators, and reservists in the campaign against Iran, it is important to remember that there are those who carry these missions and routines with them long afterward, and pay a heavy personal price. The responsibility of the state is to do everything possible to prevent tragic cases like Asaf’s from happening, and to ensure that it grants Israel’s heroes the respect they deserve."
Attorneys Oded Savorai and Sivan Hausman, who represented the family, said: “Since the tragic death of Asaf of blessed memory, we have come a long way, from treating him as a civilian who took his own life unrelated to his service in the Israel Defense Forces, to recognition by the system that his death was the result of severe traumas he experienced during his military service, which wounded his soul to the point that he could no longer endure. We are proud to have had the privilege of assisting the bereaved family in securing a fair and just commemoration of reserve navigator, Major (res.) Asaf Dagan of blessed memory, as someone who died during and as a result of his service in the IDF."