198 199 Chapter Fourteen | The price of disengagement The evacuees preferred to get help from internal sources, rather than from external sources. Thus, various a�empts to help them were rejected, and the helpers felt rejected and unwelcome. The feeling of aliena�on and abandonment increased among the evacuees, leading to the loss of precious �me and adequate treatment they could have received.56 Impaired physical and mental health The complex losses and hardships that Gush Ka�f evacuees faced led to the deteriora�on of their physical health, depression, psychiatric ailments and even hospitaliza�ons. Before the evacua�on, the residents of Gush Ka�f were characterized as having reasonably good health, with only 12% of them suffered from one of the four diseases known to be affected by stress and distress: hypertension, diabetes, heart condi�ons and cancer. Two years a�er the evacua�on, the number of pa�ents increased by 50%, reaching 18% of all evacuees. The percentage of men among these pa�ents, especially farmers who lost their land and livelihood, was most prominent. An increase in the frequency of doctor appointments, consump�on of medica�ons, medical consulta�ons and need for mental health services was also recorded.57 A study conducted by the Ashkelon District Health Bureau in collabora�on with the Ministry of Health (published in 2006) revealed that the health and psychological condi�on of Gush Ka�f evacuees has worsened due to 'stress' - a significant risk factor - experienced and s�ll affec�ng the evacuees to date. Among other things, an increase in the rate of cancer pa�ents, asthma and schizophrenia was recorded. The uprooted are s�ll undergoing psychological crises," said Dr. Shimon Scharf, CEO of Barzilai Hospital and one of the research team. The study's results highlighted that maintaining the community framework and support is essen�al to people's health.58 Some of the damage could have been prevented or mi�gated if they had been treated with more sensi�vity and considera�on, if a communal approach had been implemented, and if they had maintained their natural leadership. Monique Zarbiv, a nurse at Clalit HMO, who worked for many years at the regional clinic in Gush Ka�f and later at the clinic in Nitzan, also noted that there was a significant change in the morbidity of Gush Ka�f residents a�er the disengagement. People she never met at the clinic in Gush Ka�f, o�en came to the clinic in Nitzan. This situa�on lasted for five years. Improvement began once construc�on had started, although not everyone could build yet. "The staff at the clinic was also suffering, and any encouragement we could offer to pa�ents, also encouraged us."59 Children and Youth More than 50% of the evacuees were children and youth. They struggled through the forced evacua�on, the many transi�ons that followed it, the need to adapt to changes, no sense of belonging and loss of iden�ty, the rupture of the na�onal-religious vision within the observing religious public, the communal ri� in the secular public and the powerlessness of parents and teachers to address their issues because they were busy with their own loss. All these led to a complex and trauma�c experience, the consequences of which s�ll linger to this day.60 Gush Ka�f youth were an elite group raised to give their hearts and souls to the people, the State, the community, the land and the Torah. They became the spearhead force in the struggle against the uproo�ng.61 They fought fiercely for their homes and were convinced they would prevail. They listened to their rabbis, were filled with faith about their future, and never dreamed that the military forces - who were so warmly welcomed in their homes and se�lements, whom they relied on for protec�on, and to which they were supposed to enlist within a year or two - would be the en�ty who would evict them from their homes.62 Their loss of trust in the country that expelled them from their homes, and the disappointment from the army - which turned them into an enemy, from their parents - who perhaps did not fight hard enough, and from the rabbis - whose promises were broken, le� the youth confused, disappointed and lonely.63 The sense of loss among younger people is significantly heightened, causing them extensive mental distress.64 Children experienced the crisis through their parents' eyes, which is how they witnessed the world. Therefore, if parents were deeply affected by the uproo�ng, so were their children. The youth, unlike the children, experienced the uproo�ng when they were in their teens. It is a period when they are suscep�ble to ideological influence, and the iden�ty-building process is at its peak. They felt that the bridge between na�onality and religion had collapsed; that none of the en��es who should have protected them - the rabbis, the Yesha Council, the IDF and the Israel Police - did so in real-�me, and the greater the disappointment, the greater the distress.65 The separa�on from their homes, memories, friends (in se�lements that split), the beach, hopes and dreams; the disappointment from the state, the army, the leadership, rabbis and parents, and the results of the struggle; all had a decisive effect on the mental state of the youth and their func�oning a�er the disengagement. At first, it was reflected in behaviors and ac�ons, such as postponing their military service, leaving home, loitering, absenteeism, and renouncing religion. The 2010 Knesset Informa�on Center report stated, "A plethora of difficul�es and problems were discovered in the evacuated students, stemming from the experience of disengagement. 50% of students never regained normal func�oning. About 30% needed intensive assistance to bridge educa�onal gaps, and many others needed professional support and accompaniment. Among elementary school children, there was a no�ceable decrease in academic achievements, an increase in a�en�on and concentra�on issues, violence and anxiety a�acks. High school students manifested a decrease in academic acheivements, mo�va�on to study and concentra�on abili�es; there was covert dropout, early marriage contrary to the family's posi�on, social difficul�es, addic�ons, ea�ng disorders and suicidal thoughts. The lengthy temporariness further deepened uncertainty, making it difficult for them to return to normal func�oning. There was no clear policy in the academic field, and aid was discon�nuous and uneven. Although concessions were given in exams, and reinforcement hours were added, only some of the students benefited from it. In most cases, the teachers, who felt sorry for the children, placed no demands and set no borders. Parental func�oning was also deficient: parental authority was violated, discipline was inconsistently imposed, support was scarce, the parents refrained from posing any academic expecta�ons, they were emo�onally incapable of addressing their children's needs and devoid of the mental strength and knowledge to deal with them. As a result, a covert dropout of some students from Gush Ka�f ensued. It was reflected in their aliena�on towards school, absenteeism, and even those who did a�end - not always really 'there.' Educa�onal gaps inevitably developed and widened over the years, and the general academic level declined. "These, in turn, increased the feelings of frustra�on, anger and helplessness," explained Amatzia Yehieli, a former Youth Coordinator in Gush Ka�f and served as Youth Coordinator on behalf of the SELA Authority.66 "The significant drop in matricula�on grades began a year a�er the disengagement," said Rabbi Yair Gantz, head of the Neve Dekalim Ulpana (girl's high school). "Today, eight and a half years later, recovery is already felt, but we have not yet resumed the academic peaks we reached in Gush Ka�f. We were at the top decile na�onwide in terms of grades. Since then, we have been struggling and working hard to resume that level."67 A year and a half a�er the uproo�ng, Rabbi Yair wrote: "Even today, in the temporary loca�on of the Ulpana, the girls (and the staff) are required to muster great mental strengths to withstand a complex process of adapta�on to an unfamiliar environment, to different procedures, to challenging and unknown condi�ons... yet they surpass themselves and make great efforts to con�nue as if things had never happened... In my opinion, this is a unique phenomenon of heroism and courage. This phenomenon should be further explored in depth to understand what these years and these events have wrought in the hearts of tender girls in their teens, who have already had their share of sights, events and days.68 Schools gave much thought to catering to the emo�onal needs of children and youth and prepared in advance to give suppor�ve and adequate treatment to groups and various expression and crea�on therapies, which became something legi�mate and norma�ve. Thanks to them, the displaced opened up to a world of emo�on, care and professional help. There is no doubt that they helped in the rehabilita�on of the youth and children in the rehabilita�on process, but "some of them will bear scars." Undoubtedly, they helped in the rehabilita�on process of youth and chil- dren, but "some of them will bear the scars for a long �me, perhaps even their whole lives, because they experienced the displacement as a trau- ma, which impaired their func�oning and disrupted many areas of life," claimed Dr. Yochi Siman Tov, Director of the Department for Stress and Crises at the Ministry of Educa�on.69 Group rehabilita�on programs helped the youth resume func�oning, as social support significantly contributes to mental well-being. They were familiar with this method while s�ll part of Gush Ka�f community.70 Despite their anger and distrust of the state, their hesita�on about enlisting in the IDF, and a decline in mo�va�on immediately a�er the disengagement, most eventually enlisted in the IDF and integrated into full mil- itary service and command posi�ons. Early marriage was a unique phenomenon that existed in the first years after the evacua�on and cons�tuted the beginning of growth and the depar- ture from the crisis. About 70 couples aged 17-20 got married in the first year and a half a�er the evacua�on, probably out of a desire to find a warm and loving place of their own. Some did so against their family's wishes, perhaps as a rebellion against the adults who did not protect them.71 Nevertheless, today, it is evident that the displacement damaged the emo�onal state of most of the youth, and many needed therapy, which is cri�cal for their future well-being.72 Rabbinic leadership The rabbinic leadership played a key role both in Gush Ka�f during the struggle, and during the reorganiza�on a�er the evacua�on. The turmoil of the painful uproo�ng also damaged the rabbinate's status. "The evacua�on devastated many people, and the rabbinic leadership also underwent a drama�c crisis," said Yossi Neuman of Neve Dekalim. 73 The data clearly demonstrates the shock experienced by the rabbinic lead- ership of Gush Ka�f. Only four rabbis con�nued leading their community. The others ended their term in office. As a result, many broken and divid- ed communi�es were le� without their spiritual leader, who was by their side for years in Gush Ka�f, which added to the confusion, anger and cha- os. According to Rabbi Dr. Yona Goodman, post-crisis leadership changes have been known to occur during many other junctures in history. Some com- muni�es requested a new leader without �es to past events to guide them through their next phase. Like many other individuals who served in the secretariat or leadership teams, many of the rabbis ended their terms in office a�er the disengagement. This was for several reasons. First, since the expulsion was a significant phase in both personal and communal life, some rabbis felt exhausted and needed change. Second, on regular days, it was (rela�vely) easy to bridge gaps between conflic�ng expecta�ons of groups within the same community. However, in �mes of storm and tur- moil, tensions between different fac�ons increase, and the rabbi of the se�lement may get caught up in the internal disputes of his community.
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