The Emotional & Psychological Toll on Israeli Society

Aftermath of the Yagur Junction bombing during the Second Intifada, 2002
Aftermath of the 2002 Yagur Junction suicide bombing. Wikimedia Commons. Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Israel Government Press Office

Collective Trauma: Living under protracted conflict has inflicted deep psychological wounds on Israeli society. Chronic anxiety, hyper-vigilance, and grief have become all too common. Many Israelis have experienced sirens in the night or the loss of a loved one; this constant state of alertness takes a cumulative emotional toll. Mental health professionals report high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, especially in areas hardest hit by violence. In one survey, 28% of adults in the rocket-battered town of Sderot were found to suffer from PTSD.[3] Nationwide, significant portions of the public exhibit trauma-related symptoms after each war or terror wave.

Impact on Children and Youth: Perhaps most heartbreaking is the effect on children growing up amid conflict. Many Israeli kids learn the sound of “Tzeva Adom” (Red Alert) sirens before they learn to read. Studies have shown that between 75% and 94% of children in Sderot (near Gaza) display symptoms of post-traumatic stress – nightmares, bed-wetting, anxiety, difficulty concentrating – due to years of rocket fire.[3] Even outside the conflict zones, Israeli youth have periodic drills for attacks and often personally know someone hurt in violence, which can breed fear and trauma. Psychologists note that childhood trauma can have lifelong effects, potentially leading to higher rates of depression, aggression, or other emotional difficulties in the next generation of Israeli adults.

Burden on Soldiers and Families: Nearly every Israeli family has members who serve in the army, and many have gone through multiple wartime deployments. Soldiers face intense combat and counterinsurgency situations that leave psychological scars – combat PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and moral injury are issues the IDF and veteran groups continuously grapple with. Families of soldiers also live with sustained stress during conflicts, not knowing if a knock at the door might bring terrible news. The emotional strain extends beyond the battlefield: Israelis in border communities live with the stress of possible infiltration or kidnapping (a fear tragically realized on Oct 7, 2023). Constant fear and mourning have woven themselves into the national psyche, affecting everything from demographics (some young adults delay having children due to uncertainty) to the cultural tone of resilience mixed with melancholy.

Social Fabric and Resilience: While Israelis are renowned for their resilience (“sababa” attitude and quick return to routine after attacks), the decades-long barrage of stressors has cumulative effects on society’s mental health. There is increasing acknowledgement that perpetual conflict fatigue can lead to burnout, apathy, or normalization of violence as “background noise.” The need to stay strong in the face of threats sometimes means psychological wounds are left untreated or stigmatized. Over time, this can erode social cohesion and empathy. For example, prolonged conflict can desensitize people to suffering (their own and others’), or conversely create cycles of anger and desire for revenge that perpetuate hostile attitudes. In the long run, the psychological well-being of the nation is at stake – a society perpetually on edge finds it harder to flourish, innovate, and dream of a peaceful future.

Societal Trauma

A nation stuck on Red Alert

  • Six months after the Oct 7, 2023 massacre, the State Comptroller counted ≈ 3 million Israelis reporting anxiety, depression, or PTSD-type symptoms; ≈ 580,000 were already in the severe range.[1]
  • Crisis-hotline calls jump 150% during major rocket barrages, and the 2023–24 war triggered the largest spike on record in new anti-anxiety prescriptions.[2]
  • Getting help is hard: fewer than 1% of those with moderate-to-severe symptoms began therapy through their HMO; median wait for a psychiatrist is ≈ 6 months.[1]

Children & Youth

Learning sirens before storybooks

  • In Sderot, 75–94% of children show clinical PTSD markers — nightmares, bed-wetting, concentration trouble.[3]
  • School drills, rocket-alert apps, and knowing an injured classmate spread anxiety nationwide. Pediatric psychologists warn untreated trauma often matures into higher adult rates of depression, aggression, and chronic illness.

Soldiers, Reservists & Their Families

The war that follows you home

  • Israel’s Defense Ministry treats over 70,000 disabled veterans; one-third battle psychological injuries. Projections estimate ≈ 100,000 by 2030, half with mental-health wounds.[4]
  • Since Oct 2023, 16,500 newly injured troops entered rehab; ≈ 50% are PTSD cases. Soldier suicides hit 28 in the first year of war — nearly triple the usual annual number.[5]
  • A 2025 Tel Aviv University survey shows 12% of Gaza-war reservists now meet clinical PTSD thresholds, dampening future call-up willingness.[6]

Civilians in the South

Two decades of incoming fire

  • Field surveys across communities within 40 km of Gaza record ≈ 20% adult PTSD prevalence; lacking shelters or living in low-income areas multiplies risk six-fold.[7]
  • Even “quiet” years leave scars: long-term studies have found 28% of Sderot adults with full-blown PTSD since the late 2000s.[3]

System Overload & Social Erosion

  • Therapy gap: Only 4% of evacuated children from the south have begun counselling.[1]
  • Stigma & self-medication: Per-capita benzodiazepine use surges after every flare-up.[2]
  • From sababa to burnout: Chronic exposure desensitizes some Israelis to suffering while fueling cycles of rage that harden politics and fracture communities.
Bottom line: Wars don’t just claim limbs and lives; they chip away at the national psyche. Ending the violence isn’t charity for anyone else — it’s trauma care for Israel itself.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, from the Israel Government Press Office (GPO), public domain.

References

  1. State Comptroller’s Office, Special Report on Mental-Health Services after Oct 7 (April 2024).
  2. Israel Ministry of Health, National Mental-Health Hotline Statistics, 2014–2024 (December 2024).
  3. Y. Gelkopf et al., “Post-Traumatic Distress in Sderot Children Exposed to Prolonged Rocket Attacks,” The New Humanitarian (2022).
  4. Israel MoD Rehabilitation Department, Annual Report 2024.
  5. IDF Medical Corps, Casualty & Suicide Data, Oct 2023 – Oct 2024 (unclassified summary).
  6. Tel Aviv University Resilience Project, Reservist Mental-Health Survey (May 2025).
  7. Ben-Gurion University School of Public Health, “PTSD Prevalence in Gaza-Envelope Communities,” Journal of Trauma Studies 33 (2023): 45–62.