Children who lived near the Gaza border on October 7 and witnessed the atrocities committed by Hamas while themselves in mortal danger have been expressing their trauma in drawings of mutilated bodies and severed limbs, the head of Israel's teachers' union said on Tuesday. "I have seen horrifying cases in bomb shelters and classrooms. It turned my stomach."
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Yaffa Ben-David who was a guest of Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth at a conference dealing with national resilience after the massacre, expressed concern that not all these children were receiving the necessary treatment, despite communities mobilizing assistance and psychologists. "We have also provided support, along with counseling," she said.
"In the last agreement signed with the previous government, we agreed that there would be a counselor's regulation. This is a significant and very important matter that does not exist. We were told that it would be done in the next budget. Unfortunately, the government fell, and, to my great regret, the counselor's regulation was not included in the new budget. It is important to say that it is not too late, especially now when Israeli children need it more than ever. We must address this, the earlier the better."
Ben-David said elementary school teachers and kindergarten teachers are not qualified to deal with the child's psyche. "They do not have the tools. They are still being mobilized, but professional treatment is needed," she said adding the teachers themselves were affected by the events. "Who takes care of them?"
She said teachers and educational staff were the first to be mobilized and to work after October 7. "They are the anchor and the fortress for the students. Trust is missing for children after the atrocities and from parents who were always told that schools are the safest place. Dozens of parents came to me and asked for help because their children were not studying and they felt that they were losing them. I made a phone call to the minister and told him that someone needs to take control and organize this."
Ben-David said that now some administrative body was established, and they started taking care of the children and their families. "It took time for the government ministries to act, and the education system was the first to do so. There is still much to be done. Some things should have been done differently but if someone thinks that when everyone returns to their homes in the Gaza border region or the north, that will be the end of the struggles or challenges - they are mistaken. That will be when the complex challenges of dealing with these children will begin."