Israeli Ministry of Health

Crisis Management Structure

• Israel’s mental health trauma division, established 20 years ago, plays a central role during crises.
• Acute Stress Reaction (ASR) units are based in general hospitals and staffed by mental health professionals.
• The MASET model (emotional first aid), developed in the Israeli army, emphasizes grounding, rational action, and narrative closure.
• Specialized treatments (e.g., for dissociation and catatonia) draw on Somatic Experiencing®, EMDR, and other body–mind modalities.

Community Support

• 15 Resilience Centers operate year-round and shift to 24/7 in emergencies.
• These centers coordinate municipal, educational, and mental health services.
• Mobile teams are deployed to hotels and public spaces to support 5,000+ displaced individuals.

Hotlines

• National 24/7 mental health hotlines (including in English) received 15,000+ calls during the current crisis.

Volunteering

• U.S.-based clinicians may assist from within Israel via English-language hotlines during emergencies after obtaining a temporary license from the Ministry of Health.
• On-the-ground volunteer work typically requires Hebrew fluency.

Professional Collaboration

• Ongoing specialty network partnerships between professional associations in Israel and volunteers overseas (e.g., emergency medicine, anesthesiology, OB-GYN), serve as models for potential collaboration in other specialties and professions.

Addressing Anti-Semitism and Politicization in Medicine

Rising Anti-Semitism

• Notable increase in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incidents in medical and mental health sectors worldwide.
• Reports of therapists invalidating Jewish trauma due to ideological bias.
• AJMA screens therapists and offers trauma training focused on antisemitism, collaborating with Israeli trainers.

Defending Medical Neutrality

• Emphasis on preserving professional neutrality and resisting the politicization of care.
• Need to preserve and regain professional neutrality in certain academic journals and NGOs.
• Encouragement to join efforts like the Center for Medical Integrity’s journal clubs.

Challenges in Coordination and Messaging

Fragmentation

• Efforts across organizations are at times siloed, making coordinated messaging around issues (like hostages) difficult.
• While diversity of voices is valued, better coordination is needed.

Public Messaging

• Israel’s public stance shifted post-October 7 towards a values-based narrative rather than consistently leading only with empathy.
• Recognizing the need for values-driven, internationally resonant messaging is key for sustained support.

Additional Notes

Israeli Medical Repatriation during Operation Rising Lion:

• Efforts succeeded in bringing back doctors; staffing gaps are minimal.

Ongoing Needs:

• Continued global collaboration, exchange, and trauma expertise are essential.

Summary

This meeting highlighted Israel’s flexible, trauma-informed mental health infrastructure, the strength of cross-border partnerships, and the pressing need to defend medical neutrality while advancing values-aligned global messaging. Participants expressed commitment to collective healing, professional collaboration, and standing in solidarity with Israeli and Jewish communities under strain.

Resources

• Zoom Presentation by Adam Cutler to Israel Trauma Mission Group 2025-06-19

Bio

Adam Cutler is Deputy Director, International Affairs Division, at the Israeli Ministry of Health and founder of the Medical Volunteers for Israel (MVFI) initiative, which includes a community over 12,000 volunteer medical professionals, over 500 of whom volunteered in Israel since October 2023.