A delegation of over 60 British military veterans – many suffering serious injuries following campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland – flew to Tel Aviv this week to join Israeli counterparts for the inaugural Veterans Games and mental health conference.
The five-day long project, inspired by the Invictus Games, saw more than 100 soldiers from the UK and from the Israel Defence Force participate. Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin has praised a group of British military veterans as “true heroes” after hosting a delegation at his Jerusalem residence.
President Rivlin also spoke of his support for sport as a means of therapy and enjoyment for injured soldiers. He said: “I see true heroes here who served their country’s cause and went to war to preserve our values and protect us all. I would like to say: I salute you… I’m proud and honoured to see our own IDF veterans here who took part in the games. I salute you too”.
The Veteran Games were organised by Beit Halochem UK and the Embassy of Israel in London.
