Unjust
Beyond Belief: IDF Threatens Amputee Veteran With Military Jail for Skipping Reserve Duty
Rotem Sadot, a veteran rescue soldier whose leg was amputated, was repeatedly called for reserve duty and threatened with military prison for non-compliance until media intervention forced the IDF to finally correct her status.
Endless Call-Ups Despite Amputation
A severe bureaucratic failure within the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) was exposed this week involving Rotem Sadot, a former combat soldier from the Search and Rescue Unit. Sadot had her leg amputated following a debilitating accident but continued to be mistakenly listed as fit for reserve duty, receiving call-up orders over an eighteen-month period.
Despite submitting comprehensive medical documentation to the IDF proving her physical incapacity for duty, the system failed to update her status, leading to a relentless stream of mobilization orders.
The Threat of Imprisonment and Unequal Burden
The situation reached a critical and distressing point last week when Sadot received an extreme and alarming text message. The message was a formal warning threatening her with serious military penalties if she failed to comply with an active call-up order, known as Tzav 8.
The message stated that failure to report would lead to her being declared Absent Without Leave (AWOL), subsequently categorized as a deserter, and could ultimately result in her being sent to military prison. For a veteran whose injury was sustained while serving the military and who had repeatedly provided proof of her disability, the threat was deeply disturbing.
This incident has drawn attention to the broader issue of severe inequality in service requirements, highlighting the disparity between those who bear the burden of service, even when disabled, and segments of the population that receive exemptions. The scenario, where a disabled female veteran faces threats of jail time for failing to report while other parts of the population, such as the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim), are largely granted total exemption from mandatory reserve duty, exemplifies a fundamental imbalance in standards. Soldiers who have given up everything, including their physical well-being, are constantly called back to the front lines while a substantial portion of the population is held to completely different standards, giving nothing in return.
Intervention and Final Resolution
The severity of the error only came to light after the issue was brought to the attention of the media. Following an inquiry by N12 media outlet, the IDF was forced to directly address the glaring administrative failure.
Immediately after the media inquiry, the army contacted Sadot to inform her that her file had finally been processed and corrected. She was officially notified that she had been permanently removed from the reserve service roster, bringing an end to the year-and-a-half-long bureaucratic ordeal and eliminating the threat of imprisonment. The failure to correct her status for so long, culminating in the threat of military jail, is seen by many as a symbol of the price paid by dedicated soldiers, underscoring the sense that our soldiers deserve better treatment and respect for their sacrifice.
The incident highlights a significant failure in the coordination and management of military reserve records, particularly concerning veterans who sustain severe injuries and disabilities. While the military eventually rectified the error, the emotional distress and anxiety caused by the persistent call-ups and the threat of severe punishment for a disabled veteran raise serious concerns about the efficiency and human sensitivity of the IDF's reserve command systems.