{"id":72211,"date":"2025-01-23T08:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T07:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dignity.dk\/?p=72211"},"modified":"2025-09-16T14:08:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T12:08:15","slug":"psychologists-in-the-west-bank-the-occupation-is-a-chronic-source-of-psychological-trauma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dignity.dk\/en\/news\/psychologists-in-the-west-bank-the-occupation-is-a-chronic-source-of-psychological-trauma\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychologists in the West Bank: The occupation is a chronic source of psychological trauma\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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DA<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Psychologists in the West Bank: <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The occupation is a chronic
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Psychologists in the West Bank: <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The occupation is a chronic source of psychological trauma <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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PALESTINE<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Three Palestinian psychologists share their experiences working in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, navigating checkpoints and settler violence. They provide daily support to survivors of torture, trauma-affected children, and women subjected to violence.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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PALESTINE<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Three Palestinian psychologists share their experiences working in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, navigating checkpoints and settler violence. They provide daily support to survivors of torture, trauma-affected children, and women subjected to violence.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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January 23, 2025<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK:<\/strong> The car buzzed with excitement. The Rasras family was on their way to a wedding, looking forward to the celebration. Along the way, they mistakenly turned onto a road designated for Israeli settlers only. They wanted to turn around, but there was no place to make a U-turn. They had no choice but to continue to the military checkpoint. Nervousness spread throughout the car. Would they be allowed to turn around?<\/p>

As soon as they arrived, the father stepped out of the car, hands raised, shouting that he had made a mistake and wanted to turn back. He was met by armed soldiers who spoke aggressively and pointed their weapons at the family. They searched the car while their dogs moved between the seats. The father explained that his daughter had a phobia of dogs, but the soldiers ignored him. The daughter began hyperventilating, so terrified that she nearly passed out.<\/p>

The soldiers found nothing, and the family was allowed to turn around and head home.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The father in this story is Dr. Khader Rasras, who, for over 30 years, has been one of the leading Palestinian voices in the fight against torture in the West Bank.<\/p>

\u00bbThat incident is nothing compared to the violence and humiliation Palestinians face at checkpoints. But even today, ten years later, my daughter still asks whenever we go out for a ride: \u00bbDad, do you know the route? Do we know the right way, Dad?\u00ab Whenever we come to a sign, the whole family sticks their faces out and reads what it says. The trauma runs that deep\u00ab, says Dr. Khader.<\/p>

\u00bbThe occupation doesn\u2019t just create the systematic violence that leads to trauma; it also sustains the trauma for the victim because the violence is everywhere. Checkpoints. Soldiers. Settlers. Separate roads. Military law. Home demolitions. Torture. Detentions. Uncertainty. Fear and years of displacement. All of this is physically present in our daily lives and serves as a constant reminder of the trauma, which becomes chronic and continuous\u00ab.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Focus on the victims<\/strong><\/h4>

Dr. Khader is the director of DIGNITY’s partner organization, the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (TRC), which provides specialized psychosocial support. Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture operates several treatment centres in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, where they support survivors who have been subjected to torture and other inhumane treatment in prisons and detention centres. This also includes their families.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We help around 3,600 men, women, and children annually who regularly receive treatment. The need has only grown over the years<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Dr. Khader<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0Dr. Khader began his work at Bethlehem’s psychiatric hospital in the early 1990s.<\/p>

\u00bbWhen we talk about mental health in Palestine today, there is both a good and a bad story. Today, people are much more aware of the importance of mental health. The stigma surrounding mental health issues is still present, but it is getting better. The bad story is that the human rights violations by the settlers and Israeli soldiers, which we have lived under for decades, have only gotten worse and worse \u2013 especially in the past year. The personal sphere is gone, and violence is penetrating everywhere. Even those who are not political or part of any resistance movement are affected,\u00ab says Dr. Khader, pointing to the unpredictability that hangs heavily over the population’s daily life.<\/p>

\u00bbMany of our patients are constantly anxious. Do the soldiers burst into your home and arrest your son? Is your husband killed in prison? Do settlers attack you today? We experience that our existence as Palestinians is threatened\u00ab, he says.<\/p>

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA<\/a>), 732 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and October 21 last year. During the same period, 23 Israelis, including 16 members of Israeli forces and six settlers, were killed. (The numbers are updated regularly here<\/a>.)<\/p>

Clashes between the Israeli military and Palestinian militant groups have intensified in the West Bank. This has coincided with a significant rise in settler attacks against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. More than 820 Palestinians<\/a> in the occupied West Bank have been displaced due to violence, including settler attacks, since October 7, 2023, according to OCHA.<\/p>

At the same time, the Palestinian Authority’s security service has launched a crackdown on militant groups in the West Bank.<\/p>

\u00bbBefore, we used to look forward to harvesting our olives, which is a Palestinian tradition. It is no longer the case; it has become a burden that we must quickly finish because we fear being attacked by armed settlers or soldiers. The economy is severely affected, people are afraid of losing their homes to settlers, and our ability to move from one town to another is extremely difficult. If you express your opinion on social media, you risk being arrested,\u00ab says Dr. Khader, who observes a direct response in his patients to the increased violence.<\/p>

\u00bbWe see a chronic traumatic stress reaction among many of our patients. When people feel safe, they can receive treatment and relax. It is difficult to live in the West Bank. Many have trouble sleeping, suffer from nightmares, and experience somatic issues, including back, stomach, and shoulder problems. The dominant trend is a deep sense of frustration, anxiety, and depression. They need specialized treatment. It is especially true for survivors of torture, whom we have been helping and treating for many years\u00ab.<\/p>

Meet Dr. Khader:<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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