A discussion in the Knesset Health Committee was held today (Monday) together with the families and relatives of the abductees who were invited to take part, participate in the discussion and make their voices heard. At a certain point, the discussion turned stormy and emotional, as the words of MKs were interrupted by the shouts of the families.
Galit Distel's remarks at the Knesset Health Committee interrupted // Knesset Channel
Moshe Bar Siman Tov, Director General of the Ministry of Health, commented on the ministry's plans for dealing with the situation: "There is a more extensive plan and we are in final negotiations with the Ministry of Finance. We will not be able to present the plan, but the principles on which it is based. We see the commitment of the Ministry of Finance to have a quick plan. We intend to finish the processes in the coming days."
He added: "We did not enter this period in optimal condition. With all the excellence of the health system, the mental health system is not in optimal shape, and with long waiting times. The center of gravity became entrenched in the private system. We've seen an increase in demand from national events and a reduction in stigma. On the other hand, there was a decline in manpower figures. The war is a national mental health event, rapid intervention is important. Up to 2.5% will suffer from PTSD (250,50 people), but rapid and effective intervention reduces the extent of injury to people by more than <>%. There is a window of time that will prevent chronic conditions. We have already begun the intervention. We have not yet reached the entire population of Israel, but we have formulated a national plan."
A family member of the abducted children Erez and Sahar Calderon asked the Knesset to act immediately to release the abductees: Hadas, their mother, survived by a miracle. We don't know where Erez is or where Sahar is, in what condition they will get out of there. This trauma has been with us for 38 days. It's an ongoing trauma of 4-year-olds, but we've never had 4-year-olds in captivity. You won't know how to take care of them when they come back either. Get up and do something. Don't just look at the pictures. I have yet to see a Knesset delegation meet with the Red Cross."
The headquarters of the families of the abductees, Tel Aviv, photo: AFP
Gil Dickman, a relative of Carmel Gat and Yarden Roman Gat, who were kidnapped to Gaza, spoke out against a tweet by MK Distal Atabrian, who sat in the meeting, and called to "flatten Gaza": "People who under a murderous regime you flatten? If you have a shred of humanity left in you, take care of our resilience and the resilience of our relatives that we don't know if they are alive or dead. Carmel and Jordan just wanted all their animals to take care of people. We need to stop talking about slogans of flattening and destroying. Because there is life in Gaza. Our relatives are there."
Galit Distal Atabrian asked to speak, against the backdrop of interim calls from the families of the abductees: "This tweet was written out of immense pain, is in no way intended to cover up or obscure or harm the effort to return the abductees. It is absolutely clear that at the moment the only main goal of the State of Israel is to return each and every one of them. When I talk about "flattening Gaza," I mean that the residents of the envelope will not risk a millimeter of experiencing what they experienced. I mean there will be a demilitarized zone. I know which side I'm caught on."
Crowds gather to call for the release of the hostages from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Photo: Getty Images
The families of the abductees responded by shouting: "Which side are you talking about?" and Shmuel Brodech, whose daughter-in-law and three grandchildren were kidnapped, burst out at her and said: "If it were your son, what would you say?, when your son is there, replace your son with my grandson and then you will be a great heroine." Earlier, Brodech spoke of his anxiety for his kidnapped 4-year-old grandson: "I was a happy pensioner who thought life was good. On October 7, I received a message from my son that he no longer has family. The absurdity that I was happy when they announced that the family had only been kidnapped and not killed. There are 240 other families like us, who have been mentally disturbed for 38 days. Apart from stroking their heads, nothing happens. The whole nation is anxious if someone will be kidnapped. Every person is anxious about what will happen to him. The Red Cross has not yet reached Hamas. I want a public declaration by the Israeli government that we are embarking on a ceasefire, and at that time they will open the borders to the Red Cross. Then my anxiety level will drop. I have a 4 year old grandson, I don't know if he eats or drinks or lives. The Israeli government doesn't worry about me getting any information. Let the Red Cross enter now, and if a ceasefire is necessary, let there be a ceasefire."
Nir Alon from Kibbutz Sufa attacked the MKs and asked: "Stop the tweets. Our hearts burned. I ask you to outdo yourselves and get to work. It burns." Alon said he had to pay 4000,3 shekels for mental health treatment for his family and that he was not recognized as a terror victim despite surviving the attack on Kibbutz Sufa. "On the terrible Saturday, my wife and children aged 6 and 6 years old were me, my parents and my mother went to celebrate the second holiday at the end. On 10.<> we stopped at the observatory they established on the kibbutz in honor of Hadar Goldin z"l and took pictures there, my children stood looking out over the Gaza Strip, my six-year-old daughter asked me, 'Daddy, are there only bad people in Gaza?' That's how we were educated in the surrounding communities to love. We don't have the slightest hatred."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us