An Israeli soldier who took part in the kidnapping of Mustafa Dirani from Lebanon in 1994 revealed that they were suffering from nightmares, lack of sleep and anxiety attacks.
The soldier, who remains unnamed, filed a lawsuit years ago, demanding they be recognized as a patient suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and be eligible for compensation.
Dirani was the former commander of the armed forces in the Lebanese Amal movement. In 1986, he helped abduct Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad and later sold him to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards for money.
In 1994, an Israeli commando force kidnapped him from his home in a village in the Lebanese Bekaa Valley. He disclosed information about the kidnap, but had no conclusive intelligence on Arad’s whereabouts.
In 2004, Dirani was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah.
Dirani was brutally tortured in Israeli custody. In 2013, he sued the Shin Bet for compensation, but the Israeli Supreme Court reversed the case following a three-year investigation.
The soldier suffering from PTSD was discharged from the army, but said he felt that the ghost of the Dirani was haunting him and giving him sleepless nights.
Despite undergoing psychological treatment, the veteran’s condition deteriorated. He received medical reports from private medical sources that he was seriously disabled.
It wasn’t until earlier this week that the soldier was recognized, in court, as disabled by war and became eligible for compensation.
