'He gave 20 years to the army': Family of IAF navigator petitions High Court for military burial

The family of Israel Air Force navigator Major (res.) Assaf Dagan, who took his own life in October, filed a petition to Israel's High Court on Sunday to request a military burial for their son and recognition as a fallen soldier, Israeli media reported. 

"Assaf was a clear case of a combat veteran suffering from PTSD...the most severe cases isolate themselves and wither away," his sister, Inbal Dagan, had previously written in a statement.

Dagan's family presented evidence that he was called for reserve duty on the day he ended his life, countering the military's claim that he was not on active reserve duty at the time of his death. 

Israeli media reported that Dagan was discharged from active service at the age of 35 as a navigator in the Israel Air Force and was summoned to reserve duty via WhatsApp message rather than through official IDF channels.

The family obtained dozens of signed affidavits from reservists in several units, attesting that over the past year, reservists were regularly summoned to reserves through WhatsApp messages. Other senior IDF officials corroborated this protocol to the Dagan family. 

The Dagan family is represented by attorney Yuval Yoaz of the Karniel & Co. law firm, who released part of the petition to their X/Twitter account.

מירי דגן, אימו של נווט הקרב רס״ן (מיל׳) אסף דגן ז״ל, הגישה עתירה לבג״ץ נגד שר הביטחון, משרד הביטחון, הרמטכ״ל, ראש אכ״א וצה״ל: להורות שאסף ז"ל ייקבר כחלל צה"ל בקבורה צבאית. העתירה הוגשה באמצעות עו"ד יובל יועז, דורון ברקת ורינה ענתי ממשרדנו - קרניאל ושות'.https://t.co/HXQzn58Jfb pic.twitter.com/JSDG025XSN

— קרניאל ושות׳ יועז, ברקת, יונש (@krnl_n_co) November 17, 2024

In response to the family's petition to the High Court, a military spokesperson was cited by Ynet as saying, "The IDF cherishes Dagan's many years of work and activity and shares the family's grief over his unfortunate death."

"The petition has not yet been received by the IDF; when it is received, it will be examined, and the state's position will be forwarded to the High Court," the military spokesperson told Ynet. 

Petition filed against defense establishment 

The petition was filed against Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Defense Ministry, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Manpower Directorate Head Yaniv Asor, and the IDF, Israeli media stated.

KAN reported that the affidavit includes statements from Assaf's mother, Miri Dagan, who wrote, "I appeal to you, honorable judges, as a shattered and broken mother following the loss of my son. Honorable judges, I am begging you. My son has not yet been buried more than three weeks after his death."

"My soul suffers daily, and the IDF is displaying extreme ingratitude toward an outstanding officer who served the state and the IDF with unwavering loyalty for 20 consecutive years."

"A military burial is my son's rightful due, earned - not granted as a favor. I also ask you to show compassion and consideration for our unique situation, tormented souls, and utter helplessness," she wrote. 

KAN News also reported that Dagan's family met with President Isaac Herzog, who expressed solidarity with the family. Assaf's sister, Inbal Dagan, was quoted thanking Herzog, saying, "I thank the president for his intervention. It is time to put an end to the ongoing nightmare the IDF is subjecting us to. I hope the president and the new defense minister will succeed in instilling logic and compassion among the senior ranks of the IDF and bring Assaf to a military burial."

Assaf Dagan's mother speaks out 

Assaf's mother, Miri Dagan, was also interviewed on 103FM radio on Sunday, where she said, "We are in contact with army officials, but they are entrenched in their position not to recognize Assaf or give him a military burial as a fallen soldier."

"Right now, our focus is on burying him because he has been in a refrigerator at the Rambam Hospital [Health Care Campus] for three weeks now. It's shocking and horrifying." 

"We provided them with evidence, testimonies, photos - everything needed to prove he was on his way to reserve duty. Yet they refuse to listen." 

"The day Assaf took his own life - my beloved son, my genius son, who gave 20 years to the army - everyone I encountered was just two police officers. Everyone else ran away and vanished as if they didn't know this soldier or officer, an outstanding combat navigator. They acted like they didn't know him. They killed him in life and killed us in his death." 

She also told 103FM of the little contact the family had with the IDF, and that all contact had been initiated by the Dagan family. She also said that no one from Assaf's squadron reached out to the family.

"For four years, I have been warning, writing, and calling attention to this. I even called the personnel officer and told them that Assaf's condition was deteriorating and that they needed to stop letting him fly. He [Assaf] cut ties with family, friends, squadron members." She said that the personnel officer dismissed her claims.

"I hope compassion will prevail over the military's rigidity," Dagan concluded to 103FM. 

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.