Survivors Struggle with Mental Health

50 Israelis who attended the "Nova" concert in "Kibbutz Re'im" in the "Gaza envelope" area, which coincided with the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle, committed suicide as a result of the "bureaucracy" adopted by Israeli institutions specialized in providing survivors with treatment and psychological support. According to Israeli media, the total number is 3,800.

This information was revealed on Tuesday during the deliberations of the Knesset Oversight Committee, which discussed what happened between Palestinian resistance members and Israeli security forces in the vicinity of the concert, as well as the assistance provided to the survivors of the events, and the difficulties they face while receiving assistance, and the treatment and psychological support provided by the authorities. Of specialization.

The parliamentary committee, headed by Miki Levy, a member of the Knesset from the “There is a Future” party, held its deliberations with the participation of many survivors who, during their testimonies, expressed strong criticism of the behavior of the authorities and the National Insurance Institute, as their living conditions and psychological ordeal were reviewed.

It is evident from the data of the "Natal" organization - which was presented during the deliberations of the parliamentary committee - that 679 survivors of the concert events were treated in the organization's clinical unit, of whom 431 are still receiving treatment and suffer from many symptoms such as attacks and feelings of anxiety, reflux, and difficulty sleeping. Nighttime urination, muscle pain, chest pressure, jaw clenching, nightmares, disturbing thoughts, and sleepwalking.

During their participation in the parliamentary session, many survivors spoke about the inability to adapt to the conditions and developments following the events of October 7, as well as the difficulty of returning to routine and loss of confidence, and the symptoms they suffer from are summarized in the psychological and social distress that afflicted them and their families, according to Haaretz newspaper. .

Questioning the Testimonies

The Israeli Channel 7 website, affiliated with the far-right camp, reported the experience of survivor Guy Ben Shimon, who said, “There are approximately 50 suicide cases among Nova survivors, and this number was correct two months ago, and there are many people who were forcibly admitted to the hospital.” ".

According to Ben Chamoun, the financial allocations he receives from the National Insurance Institute are expected to stop next May. He added, "I do not see myself returning to work. We need continuous treatment. I tried to return to work three times, but the treating doctor said that your body secretes adrenaline. I and hundreds of people like me will never be able to return to work."

Ben Chamoun’s testimony shocked the participants in the deliberations of the parliamentary committee, as the representative of the Ministry of Health was quick to deny it, and claimed that the number of suicides was incorrect, and that “the Ministry knows that there are fewer than 10 suicide cases among survivors of the massacre,” as he described it.

Denial of Suicide Cases

In the context of an attempt to refute these data about the number of suicide cases revealed by Ben Shimon, the head of the mental health department in the Ministry of Health, Gilad Bodenheimer, said, “The rumors about the number of suicide cases and the number of hospitalizations among the survivors of the Nova concert are incorrect, and through examination with... "Relevant agencies involved in the treatment of Nova survivors show that this data is unknown."

Difficulty adapting

During the deliberations of the parliamentary committee, survivor Naama Eitan recounted her ongoing suffering since October 7, saying, “I participated in medical research to examine my pulse and other indicators, and it revealed to me the extent of my poor health condition. My average sleeping hours are two hours a night.”

Eitan recalled the first moments that followed the sudden attack launched by the Palestinian resistance, noting that during the events and confrontations she spent 7 hours under a tree, where “Hamas gunmen” were passing by, and during that time she called the police repeatedly, and she said in her testimony, “I was calling the police for help.” On the phone, where are you? Why is no one coming? Pointing out that she finds it difficult to adapt and return to normal life.

She added, "My head is buzzing and I bring back memories of being there, of the NOVA events. I need someone to accompany me all the time. If it were not for my psychiatrist, I would not be here. Why do I have to prove to someone what I went through, and detail what happened to me? I was there."

She continued, "I have friends who have not gotten out of bed yet. They need 24-hour care, support, assistance, and treatment. What is this approach and treatment?"

Lethal Actions

The same experience was reviewed by survivor Or Nasa, who said, “We do not sleep at night, and we cannot do anything during the day, and now they come and say that we have to fill out such and such a form. This dealing is ruining our whole day.”

Or Nasa added, "We are unable to do anything. One of my friends stopped working because of a psychological attack she suffered, but the National Insurance doctors did not recognize her as a work victim. I personally have to go to a psychiatrist, but I have an appointment in 5 months."

Survivors Share Their Stories

Maariv newspaper reviewed the testimony of survivor Yuval Rafael, who highlighted the suffering experienced by those who survived the events, saying, “Why is the suffering experienced by all survivors limited to the decisions of the National Insurance Committees regarding disability rates?”

Rafael explained that obtaining monthly allowances for life is only possible if the medical committees decide to grant the survivor a disability rate of up to 20%.

She wondered, “Why are not all survivors automatically recognized, other than giving them temporary disability rates that are valid only for the next year?” Why do they not receive the minimum disability rate? Why should they move from the October 7 war to the struggle against Social Security and the judicial authorities? And open their wounds to receive a fixed minimum allowance?

She concluded by saying, “I have quite a few friends who received less than 20% in these committees,” adding that she survived the events of October 7, “and I survived not for the sake of not living afterward.”