Haunted and Forgotten: Daniel Edri’s Suicide Sparks National Outcry

Two weeks after Daniel Edri, a reservist haunted by post-traumatic stress, took his own life, the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Division finally scheduled a medical committee to evaluate his condition as a combat veteran. The cruel irony? The summons arrived after his death, despite his request for recognition filed six months ago. “To us, Daniel fell in battle,” said the family’s lawyer, Eliyosuf Shahar, in a statement to *Kan News*. “The invisible bullet didn’t miss this time. I’m hopeful the committee will fairly acknowledge our claims to support a family that’s lost everything.”

Daniel, who battled PTSD after witnessing horrors in Lebanon and Gaza, was one of four soldiers to die by suicide in the past two weeks. On October 8, 2023, the second day of the war, he searched for a friend missing from the Nova festival massacre, only to find him murdered. Devastated, Daniel volunteered for reserve duty, carrying the weight of combat and the loss of two friends from the festival and comrades in Gaza. His sister, Eden Kidar, described his torment: “He had rage attacks, nightmares, reliving the war almost every night. Some days, he couldn’t sleep, terrified of closing his eyes.”

Eden’s voice broke in an interview with *Kan Reshet Bet* last week, recalling how Daniel pushed her away despite their closeness. “I ignored it, acted like everything was normal, but I watched my brother slip away,” she said. The family sought help, but the system’s sluggish pace failed them. “Daniel was starting to get recognition and support,” Eden shared. “He admitted he was a danger to himself and us, begged to be hospitalized, but they didn’t admit him.” Her plea was raw: “This isn’t the first or last story. The state must wake up, fast.”

The committee, set to include Daniel’s mother and lawyer, will review documents detailing his two prior suicide attempts and the trauma that consumed him. As families of combat veterans demand urgent reform, with soldiers' lives at risk even once they leave the battlefield, Eden’s warning echoes: “The system doesn’t grasp the need for swift action.” Daniel’s story, like too many others, is a heartbreaking call for change.