The wall that protects us - and we must protect it
Prof. Yossi Levy Belz analyzes the significance of distributing keychains shaped like guns to students at Blich High School during an election event. He argues that such symbols contribute to the normalization of lethal means, which may erode the 'wall' that protects against the transition from suicidal thoughts to action, especially among people in a vulnerable mental state.
Prof. Yossi Levy Belz, an opinion columnist for Maariv, addresses an incident at Blich High School where students were given keychains shaped like guns during an election event. He argues that this is more than an innocent 'gimmick' and that such symbols contribute to the normalization of lethal means in society. The author uses the metaphor of a 'wall' that separates suicidal thoughts from suicidal behavior, explaining that factors like a sense of belonging, hope, and social connections raise this wall, while the normalization of lethal means erodes it. He notes that reducing access to weapons is a well-established principle in suicide prevention, citing the change in IDF weapon-carrying policy, which led to a roughly 75% decrease in soldier suicides. The author emphasizes that more than five hundred people die by suicide in Israel each year, and that responsibility for the public space includes avoiding the glamorization or normalization of lethal means, especially in schools.