Every day, Israel's police officers, border guards, and security personnel face what most people only glimpse in headlines — violence, loss, and the constant pressure to remain composed. They are expected to protect others at all costs, to be unshakable symbols of order amid chaos.
But beneath the uniform, there are human beings carrying stories too heavy to share.
Since October 7, these men and women have been exposed to scenes of horror that defy description. They've held the dying, comforted the terrified, and restored order to streets filled with trauma. Now, months later, many of them are struggling in silence.
Mental Health First Aid Israel calls this crisis the hidden front line — the epidemic of despair among those who keep the nation safe, yet feel unsafe within themselves.
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October 7, 2023, left more than scars—it left a wound on the soul of Israel. An entire nation watched as unspeakable violence unfolded.
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