This morning, clinical psychologist Lior Biran, a member of the “Silence is a Crime” forum, was interviewed on GLZ (Army Radio) in response to the growing discourse attempting to normalize the impossible reality in which we live.
In response to statements made in the media calling the public “prima donnas” due to the difficulty of coping with the routine of war and sirens, we, as a forum, presented a firm and professional stance against the attempt to perform “emotional blunting” desensitization) on the Israeli public.
Key points from the interview:
The distortion of the concept of resilience: The concept of “resilience” has transformed from an expression of flexibility and endurance into an aggressive and silencing term. The demand for the public to “be strong” is often interpreted as a demand to silence natural feelings of fear, anger, and revulsion towards the war and the killing.
The danger of normalizing the “abnormal”: War is not an act of fate, but rather the product of leadership choices. The attempt to normalize a reality in which people (including those in unrecognized villages without protected spaces) live under constant threat is a violation of our basic humanity.
A multiplicity of voices as a tool for change: It is precisely the contact with difficult emotions—frustration and anxiety—that can lead the public to demand other, non-military solutions. “Our strength will be when we have a normal life, and not when we learn to normalize what is not normal.”
The “Silence is a Crime” forum, which brings together mental health and welfare professionals, continues to stand against the silencing of reality and the attempt to marginalize the heavy human cost of the war.