Needing a lasting solution
Children scarred by October 7
Despite the passing of four months, the scars of October 7 refuse to fade. Hamas terrorists didn’t just murder, abduct, and destroy communities; they left an indelible mark on a generation of Israelis and, most of all, on children and teens uprooted from their homes and lives in the South and North alike.
Some of these children witnessed unimaginable horrors; others carried the weight of constant anxiety, but all of them experienced the unsettling disruption of normalcy. Stranded in hotels and shelters, far from the comfort of home and the sense of security rooted in everyday lives, they grappled with the weight of trauma – anxiety, depression, and PTSD – invisible wounds etched just as deep as any shrapnel could have reached. This is not just the story of individuals and their suffering; it’s the story of a potential “lost generation” in the making.
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, a beacon of hope emerged: ‘Resilience for Our Children’, a project led by the ‘Zionism 2000’ and ‘Sheatufim’ associations in cooperation with business leaders, community organizers, and activists and run in coordination with the local municipalities of the evacuated communities. Resilience for Our Children provided psychological and emotional responses to over 10,000 traumatized children and teens in the form of thousands of therapy sessions and educational activities. But this civil society effort, however crucial, cannot be the final chapter. It serves as a powerful starting point, urging us to ask: What happens when the temporary shelters become memories and children return to a semblance of normalcy?
A chilling reality hangs over us. A recent Hebrew University study reveals that a staggering 63% of affected youth still need professional help – numbers far exceeding anything we’ve ever faced before. Yet the 2024 budget offers no concrete solutions. The Ministry of Welfare’s unfulfilled promise of substantial additional funding to bolster resilience centers translates to one terrifying reality: countless young lives left without the support they desperately need. A whole generation is left on its own.
This is not an option. We cannot, in good conscience, leave these children to try and heal on their own. The time for temporary fixes and empty promises is over. We demand a lasting, comprehensive response – one that acknowledges the long-term impact of October’s attacks and equips our children with the tools they need to survive and thrive.
The government must step up and allocate the necessary funds to expand and sustain mental health and
educational services, ensuring they are accessible and effective. It needs to partner with existing initiatives and civil society organizations already operating in the field and build on their expertise and momentum. And it must ensure qualified therapists are available not just in major cities but also in every community touched by the October attacks.
This is not just about mental health; it’s about our future. It’s about a renewed commitment to the social contract that was violated on October 7. By assisting our children in overcoming their trauma, we can foster a generation imbued with resilience and hope while building the better Israel that we desperately strive for. We are standing at a crossroads. Our response to the needs of our children today will determine who we are in the years and decades to come.