Terrorism creates fear; this is its essence. Mass and barbaric terror produces a shattering fear of the incomprehensible. This was Hamas’s strategic achievement in its horrific attack on civilian communities on October 7. The IDF's harsh military response proves that this was a historic miscalculation on the part of the organization, which will incur multidimensional consequences for it and for the future of the Palestinian people and the region.
The terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel created a national trauma of an unprecedented scale. The shock in Israel by the attack itself, its intensity, and its atrocities, by the number and extent of casualties, and by the IDF intelligence and operational failure is profound. This will have diverse manifestations on the civilian population and the Israeli ethos. It will also affect the pace of the inevitable recovery of Israeli society, which is already beginning to send positive signals, mainly in view of the wide and exciting civilian volunteer initiatives.
In the meantime, it is important to try and deal with the fear and anxiety prevalent in the public. Fear is indeed a natural phenomenon given the circumstances, and its implications for everyday life should be addressed. Fear paralyzes and distorts the challenging reality, creates difficulty in dealing with the threats of war, and harms the ability to recover, i.e., national resilience.
It is an Israeli security and civilian interest of the first order to create mechanisms that reduce the intensity of fear. The main answer to this matter – aside from intelligent public information and reasonable performance by the government ministries – is to maintain an active and broad civilian routine during the war, as much as possible. Optimal civilian functional continuity during wartime is essential to the economy, society, and population. It contributes to the strengthening of resilience and the rapid advancement of civil recovery. Within the limits of the directives of the Home Front Command, a return to work, studies in educational institutions, voluntary activities, and the management of leisure time should be encouraged – while avoiding excessive exposure to the traditional and especially social media.
The war may be long and bring many upheavals. It is possible and necessary to reduce personal fear. Many people can do this on their own and contribute to their personal well-being during the war and to the resilience of society as a whole.
Terrorism creates fear; this is its essence. Mass and barbaric terror produces a shattering fear of the incomprehensible. This was Hamas’s strategic achievement in its horrific attack on civilian communities on October 7. The IDF's harsh military response proves that this was a historic miscalculation on the part of the organization, which will incur multidimensional consequences for it and for the future of the Palestinian people and the region.
The terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel created a national trauma of an unprecedented scale. The shock in Israel by the attack itself, its intensity, and its atrocities, by the number and extent of casualties, and by the IDF intelligence and operational failure is profound. This will have diverse manifestations on the civilian population and the Israeli ethos. It will also affect the pace of the inevitable recovery of Israeli society, which is already beginning to send positive signals, mainly in view of the wide and exciting civilian volunteer initiatives.
In the meantime, it is important to try and deal with the fear and anxiety prevalent in the public. Fear is indeed a natural phenomenon given the circumstances, and its implications for everyday life should be addressed. Fear paralyzes and distorts the challenging reality, creates difficulty in dealing with the threats of war, and harms the ability to recover, i.e., national resilience.
It is an Israeli security and civilian interest of the first order to create mechanisms that reduce the intensity of fear. The main answer to this matter – aside from intelligent public information and reasonable performance by the government ministries – is to maintain an active and broad civilian routine during the war, as much as possible. Optimal civilian functional continuity during wartime is essential to the economy, society, and population. It contributes to the strengthening of resilience and the rapid advancement of civil recovery. Within the limits of the directives of the Home Front Command, a return to work, studies in educational institutions, voluntary activities, and the management of leisure time should be encouraged – while avoiding excessive exposure to the traditional and especially social media.
The war may be long and bring many upheavals. It is possible and necessary to reduce personal fear. Many people can do this on their own and contribute to their personal well-being during the war and to the resilience of society as a whole.