Since 2022, the number of suicides in the IDF has been rising alarmingly: 14 cases in 2022, 17 cases in 2023, and 21 cases in 2024. This year, even before it has ended, 18 cases have already been reported. These are not just statistics – they are lives cut short, families shattered, and an entire society receiving a painful reminder of the mental toll of the security reality in which we live.
But anyone who thinks this is only a military phenomenon is mistaken. On the civilian front, the data are no less troubling. According to a study by Maccabi Healthcare Services, since 2013 there has been a 94% increase in the number of patients with depression and anxiety who turned to family doctors. In 2024, patients with depression and anxiety already accounted for a quarter of all visits to family doctors. During this period there was also a 35% increase in the purchase of medications for depression and anxiety. The official data on civilian suicides are not published regularly, but the sense of anxiety and emotional overload is evident in almost every home – in conversations with friends, in the queues at clinics, and on social media.
Resilience and mental health are critical foundations for the quality of life of Israel’s residents and constitute a necessary condition for a functioning, resilient, and prosperous society. In recent years, Israeli society has faced ongoing challenges – security emergencies, health crises, and socioeconomic consequences that undermine the sense of personal security. These challenges carry a cumulative cost, and sometimes it is higher than what meets the eye.
The mental health system in Israel suffers from deep gaps in availability, accessibility, and quality of services. Patients wait many months for a first appointment, and sometimes give up on seeking help before receiving a response. The lack of coordination between the health, welfare, and education systems creates duplication, information gaps, and the overlooking of people at risk. Put simply – we recognize the distress too late, and sometimes only when it has already turned into an acute crisis.
The situation is even worse in the periphery, among new immigrants, and in vulnerable groups. In places where there are not enough professionals, and where services are not culturally or linguistically adapted, people simply give up on seeking help and continue to cope alone.
To change this reality, we need to look close to home. Local authorities in Israel have a daily impact on residents’ lives through the education system, welfare services, cultural centers, and health services. They know their communities in depth – the languages spoken, the habits, and the special needs. This proximity allows them to identify distress early and offer accurate responses, if only they are given the tools, powers, and budgets.
Despite the great potential in the existing infrastructure, most local authorities lack strategic and integrated management of resilience and mental health. Existing services are provided at various levels, usually as a result of ad hoc decisions rather than from a comprehensive plan. The result is huge gaps between municipalities – in the scope of services, their quality, and their availability. Even when services are provided, they often operate separately and without systemic coordination, leading to gaps and the overlooking of critical needs of residents.
The move to strengthen resilience through local authorities should include tools such as early detection systems in schools and communities, dedicated resilience teams trained to act in trauma and emergency situations, and culturally adapted responses for the Arab community, new immigrants, the elderly, children and youth at risk, and even for the security forces themselves. This is not an “expense” but a worthwhile investment: it reduces the need for costly treatments at a later stage, alleviates the burden on hospitals, and above all – saves lives.
Israel’s national security is not limited to the number of tanks or the quality of intelligence. It is also measured by the mental health of its citizens and soldiers. As long as we continue to ignore this connection, we will continue to pay the price both on the front lines and on the home front. It is time to understand: Community resilience and mental health are not luxuries – they are the foundation of the resilience of the entire state.
Roi Maor is Director of Policy Development at the 121 NGO.