Since 2000, Israeli society has contended with an on-going, difficult front against terrorism. Not long ago, we were extricated from the second war in Lebanon in the midst of a murky wave of self-accusation. After the war, doubt was cast on the army's capabilities, the command abilities of its officers and the leadership abilities of the nation's stewards. Tens of thousands were uprooted from their homes in Gaza during the disengagement. Thousands of Israelis fled their home in the north under missile fire while multitudes spent weeks in shelters. In both cases, people's personal security was seriously damaged and they were left with bitter feelings of disappointment and having been abandoned by the state.
Research we did during the intifada, on a representative sample of the Israeli population, found that approximately 9% of Israelis suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The threatening reality in Israel, means that it is not necessary to be directly involved in a terrorist attack in order to suffer from PTSD. We also found that years of terrorism increased the vulnerability of new immigrants, Israeli Arabs and people with lower levels of education, who have fewer resources for coping than other groups (A. Bleich, et al. Tel Aviv University).
Coefficients for Health and Resilience
Researchers in medicine and psychology are increasingly studying the coefficients for health and resilience, in addition to dealing with disease and trauma. The accepted definition of "resilience" is the ability to successfully cope with difficult situations, including traumatic ones. We can learn about psychological resilience by mirroring the opposite extreme, the effects of trauma.
When we examined what protects Israelis from PTSD., we found that a feeling of personal security, social support and optimism reinforces resilience against symptoms of traumatic stress. Other research found that religious faith, ideology and strong social bonds were also coefficients for resilience, (Z. Kaplan et. al. Ben-Gurion University).
A Matter of Optimism
The connection between Israelis' concept of resilience and social variables might also explain one of our surprising findings: the gap between the degree of optimism that Israelis expressed regarding themselves and regarding the country (80% vs. 60%). The gap might be attributed to a lack of confidence in the leadership and institutions of the State that was found in the survey. This is supported by research on patriotism as a component of societal resilience (E. Yaar, Tel Aviv University), which found that despite the difficult of circumstances surrounding the Second Lebanon War, Israeli patriotism did not decrease. By contrast, this survey and others (G. Ben-Dor, Haifa University) found a conspicuous decline in the public's confidence in various government institutions, indicative of a growing gap between Israelis' positive attitude towards society and the State and their perception that the government establishments, are not trustworthy.
How can we use these findings to improve the resilience of Israeli society?
First, it is essential to focus on developing worthy leadership and creating the legal and governmental conditions necessary for it to function. This leadership will be required to reestablish the source of authority that is so lacking and establish a new agenda. On the personal level, the healing power of finding significance and meaning in life is almost certainly the most fascinating component of the human ability to survive, cope and prevail in difficult situations (V. Frankel,Man's Search for Meaning).
Components of Consciousness
Not long ago, the National Security Council was asked to define "national resilience" as a component of national strength related to consciousness and behavior, the assumption being that national resilience should also be expressed in a willingness to prefer the national interest over interests of an individual or group (R. Gal, NSC).
In the Jewish narrative, the perception of the other as a potential enemy and someone who strives for our destruction, is a conspicuous element of this type. In this spirit, the terrible tragedy of the Holocaust is the most influential event shaping modern Israeli consciousness and the vitriolic statements heard in our region of late are a horrifying reinforcement. The test of history shows that the resilience of Israeli society is nurtured by a feeling of ongoing war against an existential threat. Unity in the face of an enemy contributes to internal unity, blurs structural conflicts within our heterogeneous society and makes it possible to project evil onto an external enemy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Israeli society demonstrates significant resilience in the face of severe external and internal threats. This resilience is expressed in measures of mental health, including the relatively small number of expressions of traumatic stress, in flexible coping patterns and maintaining the ability to behave and function properly. When dealing with external threats, significant weight is given to the concept of the other as a potential enemy. This psychological stance is likely to increase our vulnerability to trauma but it is also a coefficient for social and national resilience. On the internal front, an increasingly large crack in Israelis' confidence in their leaders' good judgment, ability to lead and moral character is evident. The pattern of stinging self-criticism, has already proven its importance for the continued vitality and resilience of Israeli society. Although some consider the criticism too extreme, when considered in the light of history, we can assume that it is a critical coping mechanism for Israeli society.
Professor Avi Bleich, Director of Lev-Hasharon Hospital; Chairman,
NATAL’s professional steering committee.
