Not just October 7th
Exclusive: New Law Will Cover All Prisoners of War
Israel’s Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee approved Wednesday a significant expansion of legislation governing compensation and recognition for former hostages and prisoners of war, extending its scope to all Israeli captives from every conflict, not only those abducted during the October 7 attacks.
The Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee approved Wednesday a significant expansion of legislation governing compensation and recognition for former hostages and prisoners of war, extending its scope to all Israeli captives from every conflict, not only those abducted during the October 7 attacks.
The committee, chaired by MK Michal Woldiger, agreed to advance amendments to the Hostage and Returned Captives Payments Law under the principle of “one standard for all.” Until now, the legal framework and state benefits focused exclusively on hostages taken during the current war, leaving former prisoners from earlier conflicts without equal recognition or support.
Under the revised proposal, financial compensation, medical care, and mental health support would be granted retroactively to all Israelis who were held captive or taken prisoner on national or security grounds, regardless of the war or period in which their captivity occurred. Lawmakers said the change corrects a long-standing injustice and establishes equal treatment for all former captives.
The initiative was promoted by the Histadrut HaLeumit together with its representative on the committee, Nissim Shalem, himself a former Israeli prisoner of war held in Syria, in cooperation with the civil movement “Cities at Night.” Organizers said the proposal reflects both lived experience and a broader moral obligation by the state to acknowledge the lasting consequences of captivity.
“This is not a benefit. It is recognition,” proponents said, stressing that the physical, psychological, and economic impact of captivity does not expire with time or depend on which war it occurred in.
Committee chair Woldiger underscored that point during the discussion. “I see no justification for discriminating between former prisoners of earlier wars and those taken on October 7,” she said. “There must be one law for everyone.”
The committee said it will continue advancing the bill through the legislative process in the coming weeks, with the goal of enshrining equal status and rights for all former Israeli captives in law.