Civilian Challenges

Drafted reserve soldiers

Civilians displaces from home

Jobs affected

A resilient population is key for Israel to overcome the many challenges it faces during these months of uncertainty and war. As an outcome of the horrific atrocities carried out by Hamas on the 7th of October, and the escalating fighting taking place in the Northern Israeli-Lebanese border, Israel has declared a formal state of war for the first time since 1973. The impact of this situation on the country is immense.

An Army of the people

One of the first orders coming out from the Israeli government was a rapid recruitment of over 360,000 reserve soldiers to the front lines – all leaving their private lives, families, and jobs in order to defend the country. These are the average people of society, such as your mechanic, doctor, employer, neighbor and family member. The majority of the Israeli IDF is based on its reserves and not on the mandatory-serving soldiers alone. This means that the military-front and home-front are almost one and the same, intertwined on all levels.

Unemployment and damage to the economy

Over 130,000 Israeli citizens have been displaces from their homes located near the hostile borders, forced to stay in other parts of the country for an unknown duration of time. This has created complicated situations, such as thousands of families with children that have no school to study in, searching for education solutions; or entire industry sectors which have halted or come to a complete stop, weakening the economy and effecting the lives of millions throughout the country.

Further social complexities

Alongside these, Israel faces many additional social challenges caused by the war. Elderly people need support with overcoming the stressful situation, as well as coping with moments of immediate emergency; Individuals with special needs require assistance and stability during the crisis, in the battle regions as well as in the rest of the country; Survivors from the massacre of October 7th require treatment and immediate support from professional psychologists and therapists in order to begin dealing with PTSD.

These are a fraction of the urgent and medium-term issues to be addressed. The current state of war is expected to continue over the coming months, with broad implications for every aspect of Israeli life.

SUPPORTING ISRAEL

SUPPORTING ISRAEL