From trauma to healing: Israeli and Palestinian health workers recognise their common humanity

On 3 June 2025, the Belgian embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, hosted a seminar on trauma processing and reconciliation. The most poignant moments were the testimonies of Israeli and Palestinian healthcare staff on working together daily for the good of all patients, whether Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. The medical sector has enormous potential to build bridges.

The violent conflict between Israelis and Palestinians appears to be endless, with no way out. However, we must never lose hope, because even today, amid almost daily bombings, there are people on both sides of the conflict who remain committed to peaceful coexistence.
 

Building bridges through medical care

Especially in the health sector, there are multiple initiatives in which Palestinians and Israelis work together every day, with mutual respect and dignity. The medical profession is built on trust and open communication, so it's perfectly placed to build bridges and trust between communities in conflict.

Medical care should be used much more in this way. Moreover, it has potential to be applied in other situations, and may help create the conditions for a lasting political solution.
 

Psychological blockage

Stefaan Thijs also understood this when he arrived in Tel Aviv in July 2024 as Belgian ambassador in a country at war, 10 months after the brutal attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023. He met torn, traumatised Israelis on the one hand, while, on the other, he was confronted daily by cruel images of a destroyed Gaza, of crying children and women, and of exhausted internally displaced people in despair.

He noticed that both sides were overwhelmed by trauma, and that trauma causes a psychological block that no longer allows empathy for the suffering of the other side. Those deep wounds must first be healed before a person can open up to the other side again.
 

From trauma to healing

He decided to organise a seminar on this theme on 3 June 2025 to help with this healing. He found inspiration in existing initiatives in the health sector. For example, Rozana, an association that promotes cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis within the health sector, was willing to co-host the event. The local office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) also helped with the initiative, which was given the title From Trauma to Healing and Reconciliation .

Around 150 people turned up: Israeli peace activists, diplomats, and health workers from both sides, with representatives from the main Israeli hospitals as well as a few West Bank health institutions.

Message of hope

It was an extremely instructive afternoon, in which various speakers shed light on trauma processing and reconciliation initiatives. Avner Halperin, a Jewish Israeli from the Sheba Medical Center, shared a hopeful message in which he spoke about a number of successful programmes around reconciliation which were ongoing, even in wartime.

In one of these programmes, Israeli volunteers carry Palestinian sick or wounded from checkpoints in Gaza and the West Bank to Israeli hospitals. Another brings mobile clinics to places in the Palestinian Territories with limited access to healthcare.

It's clear that many Palestinians and Israelis remain open to working with each other in healthcare. The universal struggle of health professionals against disease and death clearly forges bonds that transcend borders.
 

Breathing techniques

Belgian Dr Katrien Hertog, Director Trauma-Relief and Peacebuilding Programs at IAHV, gave a fascinating online presentation on a method that can effectively alleviate trauma, depression and stress even in extreme circumstances such as those in Gaza. This approach has been successful in various situations: it led to a remarkable drop in violence in American prisons, made the chiefs of the violent Colombian guerrilla group FARC embrace Gandhi's principles of non-violence, and reconciled warring communities in the Ivory Coast.

A number of breathing techniques that lead to deep relaxation are central to this method. Usually, peacebuilding focuses exclusively on outward matters such as governance, basic services, the economy and human rights, whereas, the people themselves must also be healed for truly lasting peace, according to Dr Hertog's message.
 

Paper water lilies

The most poignant moments were undoubtedly the testimonies of Israeli and Palestinian healthcare staff. They told of their experiences in practice, where they work together daily for the benefit of all patients, whether Jewish, Muslim or Christian. They also praised the Rozana initiatives, which gave them the opportunity to share experiences to dispel prejudices and get some real insights. The fact that they share the same identity as healthcare personnel makes it much easier to build bridges and mutual understanding in other areas.

A particularly symbolic moment was a ritual in which paper water lilies were lowered onto the water of a pond. In full awareness of the tragedy unfolding in the region, those present had written their wishes for peace on the sepals of the lilies.
 

All human beings are equal

All in all, it was a successful initiative that made a meaningful and impactful contribution, and represented a small step toward reconciliation. It was also refreshing to note that for once a diplomatic exercise did not focus on politicians, but on the population that has to endure the conflict on a daily basis. Those attending strongly appreciated the initiative, which immediately created an atmosphere of trust in a safe space. An event worthy of repeating!

As Ambassador Thijs put it in his introduction, "In the end, we're all human beings, and that means we're all equal. Whether you're a Christian, Jew, Muslim or Buddhist, and whether you're European, Arab, African or American, we're all essentially human beings with the same dreams, with the same desires and hopes, and with the same concerns and pain." The initiative signalled a first step towards recognising that common humanity in each other, and transcending the rigid grip of trauma.