The Curse of the Heroes: The Silenced Price of Fighting in Gaza and the Abandonment the Day After

An article in 'Zman Yisrael' examines the mental and moral price of the 'Swords of Iron' war on IDF soldiers, highlighting the psychological toll and the sense of abandonment they face after combat. The piece discusses moral injury and the lack of support for troops, referencing studies and the slogan 'total victory' used by Netanyahu, but lacks direct testimonies from soldiers or responses from the Prime Minister's Office.

An article in 'Zman Yisrael' examines the mental and moral price of the 'Swords of Iron' war on IDF soldiers, focusing on the psychological and ethical consequences of prolonged combat in Gaza. It discusses the concept of moral injury, citing Professor Levi Belz and studies on the subject, and highlights the silence surrounding soldiers' suffering and the perceived abandonment by the state in the aftermath. The piece references Prime Minister Netanyahu's slogan 'total victory' and his advisor Jonathan Urich, but does not include direct testimonies from named soldiers or reservists who experienced the described conflict, nor does it quote responses from the Prime Minister's Office or Urich regarding the use of the slogan. It also mentions a 2026 study on loneliness and suicidal thoughts but does not specify the sample size or the identities of other researchers. The article underscores the gap between the rhetoric of heroism and the hidden costs borne by fighters.