First blind Israeli soldier fulfils lifelong dream of enlisting in IDF

A blind Israeli soldier determined to serve in the IDF was reunited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem this week, after their first meeting in June.

Daniel Defur, 18, was told that he “deserved to serve” by the PM, after he became a fully-enlisted member of the Israel Defence Forces, serving on an air force base.

He is the first blind soldier to enter into a specialist programme designed to help those with disabilities integrate into the country’s armed forces, and beamed with pride this week as Netanyahu pinned a lapel on his uniform.

The two had met before, however. In June, Netanyahu took fellow car enthusiast Daniel out for a spin in his specially-modified Audi A8, after having appealed for would-be friends to come forward to help the young man. Over 2,000 ‘friend requests’ followed on Facebook.

This week, in the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu said: “Most societies see what people lack. Let’s keep being the country that looks for what every individual has to give. You are showing us all what a true champion looks like.”