In what is sure to be among the many 'world's first' for Israel, the military is creating programs to entice the recruitment of more special needs enlistees.

A huge part of Israeli life, for better or worse, is the military. Drafting into National Service is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, and most citizens go to the Israel Defense Forces. There are exceptions to the rule, including religious-based objections, mental illness, and until recently, physical and mental disorders such as Down Syndrome.

The IDF is an unfortunate requirement for Israel's hostile and unfriendly neighborhood. However, it has developed into a key component of the Israeli experience and nationalism. That is why in recent years, the IDF has been focusing on recruiting those with special needs as well, creating unique vital positions that can be filled by many who, in other cases, would not be qualified for the draft.

#Israel: The town of Kfar Kama is home to 2,900 #Circassians, a Muslim minority that draws a strict line between belief and nationalism, making them one of two minority groups who are drafted into the #IDF pic.twitter.com/nbboSMnmVJ

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 24, 2021

The program for fitting special needs citizens into the military has been vastly successful. Still, the issue remains on how to integrate them into the national working force after their service.

That is why a new mass recruitment campaign for veterans with special needs is being designed to enable them to gain tools to help their integration into the labor market.

The "Yad for the Special Child" association, which operates the "Special in Uniform" (G'dolim B'madim - literally translates into 'Big Boys In Uniform) program, has already integrated 950 young people with special needs in 70 IDF bases throughout the country and enables them to fulfill their dream - to feel equal among all.

These are young people on the spectrum of autism, intellectual disability, or cerebral palsy who received an exemption from the IDF. Thanks to the "Big Boys in Uniform" program, they do a three-year voluntary service during which they acquire life and social skills.

Gdolim be Madim (Special in Uniform) integrates young adults with disabilities and special needs into the @IDF and thus into the 🇮🇱 society. pic.twitter.com/UPyYf4TE1F

— Christian Cantor (@ChrisMCantor) August 24, 2022

In the next two years, roughly 500 young people with special needs are expected to graduate from "Special in Uniform" military service. These young men and women want to integrate into the job market after their service, but they need practical tools such as training courses to strengthen their mental and physical abilities.

The association is embarking on a crowdfunding campaign with the main goal of raising 2 million shekels for these programs and courses many special needs veterans will need.

Among those discharged in recent years, there are those who, thanks to the association, served and even managed to integrate into the Israeli market. One of them is Kory Ashkenazi (30), who was diagnosed with autism at age two. He wanted to contribute to the state but was exempted from the army. After his national service, he dreamed of working for Israel Railways, the country's train authority.

📝 @GoshenR your voice has been heard. @IDF has a new program for Special needs Israelis so no one shall receive a rejection letter for @idf Service at age 16 anymore. They will have training to prepare for life after @IDF mandatory service. ♥️👏👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿https://t.co/NTRSf9MJA6

— Shalom el (@AmericanVendor) July 10, 2022

"Towards the end of the service, I thought to myself what's next," says Ashkenazi. "The association helped me integrate and work as a steward on the Israel Railways. For me, it's a dream come true. Working on the railway saved me from the COVID crisis."

"It is very important to integrate people with disabilities into the labor market," explains Ashkenazi. "We need to give them an occupational horizon, and they must have a framework because without a framework, it is very difficult. We need to take care of them."