Israelis Feeling Helpless in Wave of Stabbing Attacks

Civilians who braved rockets discover there are no early warning systems or safe
spaces to avoid knife attacks.
Judy Maltz Oct 12, 2015 9:12 PM

Israeli stabbing victim being taken away from the scene of the attack in
Jerusalem's Old City, October 7, 2015. Olivier Fitoussi
Violence empties Israeli streets, stores report rush on pepper spray
Additional day of violence leaves at least 5 Israelis wounded
Recent attacks in Jerusalem prove the futility of Israeli policy
Terror is nothing new to Israelis. Neither are wars or missile attacks. Yet the
latest spate of stabbings around the country has left many Israelis feeling more
vulnerable than ever.
And theres good reason for that: Israelis dont know what they should or
shouldnt be doing these days to avoid danger because, in contrast to similar
situations in the past, nobody has bothered telling them. There are no public
service announcements from the Home Front Command advising people how to
act under threat of attack, nor is there any specific information about places
and situations to avoid. At best, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior
members of his cabinet have advised Israelis to stay alert when going about
their daily business.
The growing sense of helplessness ordinary Israelis feel as a result, report
mental health specialists, is taking its toll.

Weve witnessed a dramatic increase in calls to our hotline, says Gila Sella, a
specialist in post-traumatic-stress-disorder, who directs the help line at Natal
Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War. People just dont know
what to do. Last summer, during the war, when there were sirens, you knew that
you had to run to a safe room. As a result, people felt in control. Today, they
dont.
Natal, she says, has mobilized its entire volunteer staff to handle the onslaught
of calls from teens, parents and educators seeking advice in recent days on how
to cope with a situation that has shaken up even normally cool-headed and crisisweathered Israelis.

Police outside the army headquarters complex in central Tel Aviv after a
Palestinian stabbed five Israelis on October 8. Tomer Appelbaum
During the first Palestinian uprising in the late 1980s, Israelis knew to steer
clear of the occupied territories to avoid stone-throwing protestors. During the
second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, many avoided crowded buses and
cafes those places considered most desirable by suicide bombers for carrying
out attacks. During the Gulf wars, they were trained to carry around gas masks
in case of a chemical weapon attack, and when missiles from Gaza rained down on
them several years later, there were Iron Dome interceptors to protect them as
they huddled together in safe rooms.
But for knife attacks, as theyve discovered, there are no early warning systems
or safe spaces.
Anywhere, anytime

Theres another reason for Israelis to feel extra jittery these days, explains
clinical psychotherapist Amir Shefer. These stabbing attacks are happening all
over the country in different places, he notes. Its not like previous rounds of
violence where the incidents were concentrated in specific areas so that you
knew that if you avoided those areas, you were relatively safe. Today you cant
know for sure.
Based on his professional observations, Shefer, a specialist in cognitive
behavioral therapy, concludes: Anxiety levels in the country are up across the
board.
According to Sella, many of the calls received at Natals hotline in recent days
have come from teachers and counselors seeking advice on how best to handle
anxious school children. Obviously, we have no magical formulas to share, but
what we tell them is that its important to get the children to talk about how
theyre feeling. And in this atmosphere of absolute chaos, the best advice we
can give both parents and teachers is to stick to routines as much as possible.
The Ministry of Education has been sharing similar recommendations with
teachers, says Avital Taharlev, deputy director of its psychology department.
As much as we say that attention should be paid to children at times like these,
its also important to monitor how the adults are interacting with them and make
sure that they are putting out the right message. Panic and anxiety are
contagious, and parents and teachers need to serve as role models at times like
these and set the mood.
The Education Ministry, says Taharlev, has encouraged teachers to discuss
current events with their pupils but not overload them with information. Too
much information can hurt, she notes.
And while it may not be possible to change the security situation, adds Taharlev,
other factors affecting daily life are subject to control. It is absolutely
possible to help children develop their resilience at times like this.
Dana Polak-Oren, a clinical psychologist based in Tel Aviv who specializes in
anxieties disorders, says the security situation comes up in all her conversations
with patients these days. Whats most difficult for people, she notes, is the
sporadic nature of the attacks. Its not like its just happening in malls, in buses,
or in restaurants. Its happening everywhere, and it cant be predicted, which is
why fear is a very normal reaction.
What parents and teachers need to keep an eye out for are fears that turn into
anxieties. That happens when people begin responding disproportionately to
events and when they stop interpreting things correctly. For example, and this
happened to me the other day, if you hear thunder, and you think its gunshots,

thats a sign of anxiety, says Polak-Oren. When people stop going out because
every place feels threatening to them, thats anxiety.
To prevent it, Polak-Oren recommends that parents not expose their children to
too much news even though there is that temptation at 8 P.M. to turn on the
television for the evening news bulletin.
Despite the very real threats to personal safety these days, she notes that
most Israelis who leave the house in the morning come home in one piece. So, in
fact, we still live in a pretty safe environment, says Polak-Oren, and that is a
message that should be conveyed to children.
It is also important that children be taught not to fear all Arabs, she notes.
Arabs make up roughly 20 percent of our population, and it is important that
parents explain that most Arabs are good people with family and children like
them. They are sending a very bad message if they jump when they see an Arab.
Judy Maltz
Haaretz Correspondent
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