In times of prolonged conflict, the family unit becomes the fundamental building block of national resilience. This comprehensive analysis examines how Israeli families have maintained psychological strength during the "Iron Swords" War - a multi-front, prolonged conflict that began in late 2023 and escalated to include direct Iranian missile attacks on Israeli population centers by mid-2025. Through a survey of 823 participants across Israel during the height of the Iran-Israel confrontation, this research provides insight into the factors that strengthen or weaken family resilience under existential threat. The findings reveal how family narratives, community support, military service, and demographic factors all contribute to Israelis' remarkable ability to maintain functioning amid chaos. Special attention is given to vulnerable populations, including youth, single-parent families, and urban residents without strong support networks. The document concludes with actionable recommendations for bolstering Israeli family resilience in preparation for future challenges.

1. Introduction: The Multi-Dimensional Nature of Family Resilience

Family resilience represents a critical component in society's ability to withstand crises, traumas, and prolonged threats. In an era of increasing uncertainty—characterized by security threats, economic crises, global pandemics, and political instability—the family's ability to maintain emotional stability, supportive communication, and internal cohesion becomes more critical than ever. In Israel, a country saturated with conflicts and security challenges, this concept takes on heightened significance and unique meaning.

Israeli family resilience is a multi-dimensional phenomenon reflecting how family units cope with emergency situations in ways that directly impact the resilience of society and the state as a whole. The Israeli social and cultural structure is largely based on the family as a central building block. The family not only provides a supportive framework for the individual but also carries significant roles in terms of identity, education, military recruitment, and shaping values of belonging, commitment, and solidarity.

Security Context

The strength of the family is especially tested during emergencies—wars, terrorist events, or economic crises—when it must maintain its function, support the individual, and continue to operate as a protective framework. The uniqueness of Israeli family resilience is reflected in the ability of many families to demonstrate high resilience precisely during periods of danger and loss.

Research Background

Family resilience is defined in research as the family's ability to cope with extraordinary stress situations while maintaining normal functioning, and sometimes even creating renewed adaptation processes (Walsh, 2003). Researchers such as Froma Walsh, Pauline Boss, and Michael Ungar have developed approaches suggesting that resilience is not a static trait but a dynamic process.

Research Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine the resilience characteristics of the Israeli family during prolonged wartime and to understand the factors that strengthen or weaken it. The work will focus on both theoretical aspects and empirical findings collected during the "Iron Swords" War, specifically during the escalation with Iran in mid-2025.

The central research question is: What level of resilience do families in Israel demonstrate in the face of a prolonged multi-arena war, under direct daily threat to families and their way of life?

Data collection for this research took place over 12 days during early June 2025, 18 months after the outbreak of the "Iron Swords" War, when the Israeli Air Force launched a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear infrastructure. During the war with Iran, more than 550 missiles and approximately 1,000 UAVs were launched at Israel, resulting in 28 deaths and more than 3,200 injuries. Significant but localized infrastructure damage occurred throughout the country, with severe damage to thousands of residential buildings.

During this period, Israel's civilian home front was under the dramatic threat of intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed primarily at population centers—a situation that put Israeli family resilience to a significant test. This research has the potential to make a significant contribution both to the field of sociological research, especially the study of the family unit, and to the field of research dealing with national resilience in political science.

2. Scientific Background: The Theoretical Framework of Family Resilience

Families are basic units in society, functioning as emotional, economic, and value-based support systems for their members. In emergencies, when the external environment becomes unstable and threatening, the family's ability to adapt, maintain functioning, and support its members is tested (Walsh, 2006). Family resilience describes the family's ability to deal with extreme challenges while maintaining normal functioning and recovering after the crisis.

Family resilience is not merely about the family unit not breaking down but about its ability to adapt, change, learn, and grow through difficulty (Patterson, 2002). Research conducted in the field of family resilience in emergency situations and crises found that the source of strength in family resilience depends on the flexibility of the family structure, the ability to maintain open and inclusive communication regarding fears, concerns, and anxieties, the preservation of mutual support, and the building of a family narrative centered on a sense of meaning and positive interpretation of distress (Masten & Narayan, 2012).

Family Narrative

The family narrative is the way in which the family gives meaning to events through a shared story that strengthens collective identity (Fivush, 2010). The concept of "family narrative" refers to the story that the family tells about itself—how it sees its past, experiences the present, and imagines its future. Research indicates that children and adolescents who know more about their family history, including ups and downs, demonstrate greater emotional resilience.

Military Service Impact

Military service of a family member, especially during combat periods, adds a complex dimension to family life. Research points to an increase in levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional burden among family members of soldiers, especially among parents and children (Lester et al., 2010). However, military service can also strengthen a sense of pride, national identity, and family solidarity (Dekel & Monson, 2010).

National Resilience Connection

During prolonged wars, the crisis is not momentary but continues over time, sometimes for years. Such situations require mental, social, and political resilience from society—what is called national resilience. One of the deep and basic sources of this resilience is family resilience, which serves as a basic supporting structure for the ordinary citizen, the soldier, and often the public systems themselves.

National resilience is defined as a society's ability to organize, defend, and recover from situations of military, economic, health, or social threat—while maintaining its social integrity, functioning of state systems, and citizens' trust in leadership (Ganor, 2005). This resilience consists of psychological components (sense of security and hope), social (solidarity), institutional (functioning of state systems), and political (governmental legitimacy).

Family resilience has a significant impact especially in countries where compulsory military service is customary, under the "people's army" model. This is mainly due to the fact that most military personnel are reservists, who are directly affected by the state of their families. In a prolonged war with widespread reserve service, the family's ability to support the fighter, cope with his absence, and maintain normal functioning constitutes a critical condition for the continuation of fighting and the motivation of the fighters.

When families maintain stability, they reduce the burden on national aid systems, contribute to social cohesion, and strengthen the legitimacy of leadership in times of crisis. In essence, family resilience is a significant condition for the strength of national resilience, forming a circular relationship where each reinforces the other.

3. The Uniqueness of the Israeli Family: Cultural and Historical Context

The Israeli family is characterized by significantly higher fertility rates compared to OECD countries, reflecting the centrality of family values and childbearing ("familism"). Compulsory military service, a formative experience for most young people, shapes life paths and influences decisions regarding marriage and parenthood, sometimes delaying them but also strengthening national commitment.

Israeli society consists of a mosaic of religious and cultural groups—secular, religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Arab and Druze minorities—each with unique family models. This diversity contributes to cultural richness and poses challenges to defining a uniform "Israeli family." In an environment of security and economic tensions, family and community serve as strong social support networks, providing emotional and practical resilience based on mutual guarantee and solidarity, serving as an anchor in individual lives. 

The Israeli family unit serves as a crucial source of strength in times of crisis, with strong intergenerational connections and shared values that help maintain resilience during prolonged conflicts.

4. The Fighting Family Concept in Israeli Society

The concept of the "fighting family" refers to a family unit involved in the national-security narrative, beyond ordinary support for its soldiers. In the decade 2010-2020, this ethos was systematically promoted through media, education, and ceremonies, especially around military operations. The family was perceived as part of the security campaign, contributing by raising soldiers, supporting them, and coping with loss.

Israeli society placed high expectations on soldiers' families to demonstrate strength and patriotism. Bereaved families became national symbols, and their stories shaped policy and influenced public opinion, emphasizing the connection between the private and the national. In this way, the "fighting family" became an ideal shaping collective consciousness.

Pre-Conflict Family Structure

Before the "Iron Swords" War, Israeli families maintained traditional family roles while adapting to modern realities of work-life balance and technological integration.

Initial Crisis Response

The "Iron Swords" War created an unprecedented national emergency, with massive reserve mobilization and population displacement that profoundly affected family functioning.

Adaptation Phase

The immediate response was characterized by the flourishing of civilian initiatives and the mobilization of community and family support systems, which demonstrated exceptional solidarity.

New Family Equilibrium

However, families had to deal with difficult challenges: managing households with a drafted parent, economic uncertainty, and processing trauma. These factors tested family resilience but also highlighted their ability to adapt.

The transition from peacetime to wartime family functioning revealed both vulnerabilities and strengths in the Israeli family structure. As the conflict entered its second year with the Iranian escalation, families had developed new coping mechanisms, reorganized their internal structures, and found ways to maintain some semblance of normalcy despite the ongoing threats. This adaptive capacity became central to sustaining both military operations and civilian morale.

The crisis exposed the strength of social and family networks as a central component of Israeli resilience. Communities formed new support structures, extended families stepped in to help with childcare and practical needs, and virtual communities emerged to connect isolated individuals. This responsive, adaptive family system became a critical national asset as the conflict continued to evolve across multiple fronts.

5. Research Methodology: Measuring Family Resilience During Conflict

This research utilized a quantitative methodology, with data collection based on a semi-structured survey distributed through social media networks in Israel. Data collection was conducted during the first week of the campaign against Iran's nuclear facilities, effectively more than a year and a half after the opening of the "Iron Swords" War. The questionnaire, based on family resilience research measures in the United States (Walsh, 2003), is semi-structured, allowing for the measurement of family resilience according to principles of the degree of agreement with statements representing levels of resilience, while also providing a platform for free text responses from research participants.

The survey was published on social networks during June 2025 when the Israeli home front was under direct threat of intercontinental missiles. Survey results were accumulated using GOOGLE FORMS. This method allows reaching a large number of participants in a short time, saves on typing errors, and has been proven valid and reliable in the past regarding internet surveys in a social-security context in Israeli society.

Total Participants

Survey respondents throughout the Israel-Iran war period

Female Respondents

With 48% male participation, providing a relatively balanced gender perspective

Military-Connected

Percentage of participating families with members serving in active duty or reserves

Demographic Breakdown of Research Participants

Research Limitations

The research does not include the ultra-Orthodox population in Israel, which does not participate in social networks. Additionally, it samples a point in time when the campaign against Iran is in its opening stages, and the operational achievements reflected by the media are significant in Israel's favor—an issue that may bias the results in a positive direction due to a wave of national pride.

Furthermore, the research does not examine the cultural influences of the population group from which the participants come, and hence the multi-cultural analysis of Israeli society is not reflected in this research. The methodology also relied on self-reporting during a time of heightened emotions, which may have influenced how participants assessed their own resilience levels. Despite these limitations, the large sample size and the timing during an acute crisis provide valuable insights into real-time family functioning under severe threat.

6. Key Findings: Statistical Analysis of Family Resilience Indicators

Based on the findings appearing in Table 1, and with emphasis on the average responses to family resilience questions and standard deviations, several important implications can be derived regarding variance, significance, and relationships between variables.

The high standard deviation (1.1-1.3) in many questions (e.g., "openly discussing fears," "sense of control," "sharing with children") indicates significant variance between families. This means that while some families demonstrate very high resilience, others experience much lower levels - resilience is not a uniform phenomenon across Israeli society. For example, in the "sense of control" metric, the high standard deviation indicates that some families feel considerable control while others feel helplessness.

Conversely, the low standard deviation (0.8-1.0) in metrics such as "sense of unity," "humor," "belief in ability to get through the period" indicates relatively wide agreement - most families experience similar levels of resilience in these indicators. This suggests a consensus on the importance of mutual support and optimism during crisis.

Main Sources of Support

Nuclear and extended family appear in almost all responses as the primary source of support. Friends represent another crucial support source. Religious/spiritual faith is particularly prominent among some respondents. Health/welfare system, education system, neighbors, and social media support groups appear with varying frequency.

Sources of Pride in the Family Unit

Pride in family/children/family members' enlistment in the military. National pride, unity, belief in the righteousness of the cause, mutual guarantee. The ability to maintain routine, humor, open communication. Coping with anxieties and sense of survival. High level of optimism regarding the ability to get through the period.

Impact of Military Service

Families with members serving in the IDF (especially "at the front") often express a strong sense of pride in family members serving, a sense of mission, value and contribution to the state. Family resilience is relatively high in these families, especially in metrics such as "maintaining unity," "sense of pride," "belief in ability to get through the period" and "mutual support."

7. The Multi-Generational Family Narrative

Based on the attached file data and response patterns, it is evident that the personal history of family members—that is, previous events and coping experiences they shared or experienced separately—has a significant impact on their resilience in facing difficulties during crisis periods. Families that talk about roots, tradition, survival stories of previous generations ("we are survivors," "we survive") tend to demonstrate higher resilience. Messages of "we've been through this together, we'll get through this too" become part of the family narrative and strengthen the sense of capability.

Those who have experienced crises in the past and emerged stronger develop emotional tools, coping patterns, and habits that also help in dealing with the current crisis. Coping patterns such as maintaining routine, humor, open communication, and mutual support are built over time and strengthened with each crisis they go through together.

Families with a history of successful coping tend to look at the current crisis with sober eyes, not easily alarmed, and project optimism. A family history of contribution, military service, helping others, or facing challenges strengthens the sense of meaning and pride, and helps in dealing with pressure.

Geographic and Demographic Influences on Family Resilience

The Relationship Between Place of Residence and Sense of Control in Chaos

Based on respondent data, we can assess the relationship between place of residence and the sense of control within chaos during a complex security situation. There is a noticeable tendency for a higher sense of control among respondents from small places or community settings (e.g., Kibbutz Beit HaEmek, Yesod HaMaala, Kfar Tavor, Kerem Re'im, Alon Shvut, Binyamin Regional Council). The reasons for this include a strong sense of community, supportive neighbors, solidarity and mutual help, community routine that continues even in times of crisis, and emphasis on mutual guarantee, personal familiarity with the environment, and a sense of relative security.

In large and central cities like Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Netanya, Petah Tikva, and Ramat Gan, feelings are more diverse: some respondents report high control, mainly due to family support, but quite a few report a low sense of control. Some mention that the load, noise, and distance from the extended family harm the sense of control.

Small Communities vs. Urban Centers

In security-sensitive areas (Gaza envelope, northern and southern settlements), the sense of control is affected by the immediate security situation: in areas with direct threat, there is sometimes a sense of lack of control, but also community mobilization that balances this. Respondents from these areas sometimes report low control, but also resilience that stems from joint coping.

Examples from the data highlight this contrast. From Kibbutz Beit HaEmek, a respondent rated "3" in the control measure (medium), but "5" in all other resilience measures – indicating community resilience that balances lack of control. In Tel Aviv, a young woman living alone rated "2" in the control measure, indicating loneliness. From Yesod HaMaala, a respondent rated "3" in the control measure, but high scores in routine, unity, and humor – indicating a supportive community.

Small Communities

• Strong sense of community

• Mutual support networks

• Shared routines maintained

• Higher average resilience scores

  
  

Urban Centers

• More isolation reported

• Varied support structures

• Difficulty maintaining routines

• Lower sense of control

  
  

Security-Sensitive Areas

• Direct threat experience

• Community mobilization

• Mixed resilience indicators

• Strong solidarity feelings

  
  

Age Group Variables and Their Impact

Significant differences in resilience patterns were observed across age groups. Older adults and seniors (50+) report high levels of family resilience, with high scores in metrics like "maintaining routine," "sense of unity," "mutual support," "belief in ability to get through the period," and "humor." They exhibit a sense of proportion, broad perspective ("we've been through wars, we'll get through this too"), and often cite previous life experience as inspiration for resilience.

Middle-aged adults (30-50) mostly report high family resilience, but sometimes show wear or fatigue, especially in families with young children or serving in the IDF. These participants emphasize the importance of routine, mutual support, and sometimes also the load and difficulty of combining work, parenting, and dealing with the situation.

Young adults and adolescents (16-29) present a very diverse picture. Some report high resilience (especially those living in cohesive families or with community/religious support), but there are also quite a few who indicate low levels of resilience, feelings of loneliness, insufficient support, or emotional difficulty. Among young people who live alone or in non-cohesive families, there is sometimes a sense of lack of control, difficulty sharing, and sometimes lack of emotional support.

Adolescents (16-20)

Main support sources are friends, neighbors, and sometimes the nuclear family, but there are frequent reports of feeling insufficient support or distance from family. Many report difficulty openly discussing fears and pressures within the family (low scores in this measure), compared to adults who report more open discourse. They feel less control over the situation and point to helplessness or inability to influence what is happening.

Young Adults (21-29)

Mixed resilience patterns depending on living situation and support networks. Those living independently without strong family connections show greater vulnerability. There's a tendency toward escapism (escape to external occupations, social networks, Netflix, computer games) and turning to friends as the main source of emotional support.

Middle-Aged Adults (30-50)

Generally high resilience but often experiencing the strain of multiple responsibilities - supporting children, managing household during spouse's military service, maintaining employment, and sometimes caring for aging parents. Their resilience draws heavily on practical problem-solving and maintaining family routines.

Older Adults (50+)

Display highest average resilience scores. They demonstrate perspective gained from past crises, proportional thinking about current threats, and ability to provide emotional support to younger generations. Their life experience and historical memory of previous national challenges serves as a resilience resource.

The central conclusion is that there is a relationship between the respondent's age and the level of family resilience. Older adults tend to demonstrate higher family resilience, thanks to life experience, broader perspective, and use of past memories as a source of strength. Young people (especially ages 16-25) often report difficulty, lack of support, or low resilience—especially if they live alone or in a non-cohesive family. Age is an influencing factor on the level of family resilience, with older adults generally demonstrating higher resilience, and young people—especially without family or community support—experiencing more difficulty.

8. Regression Model Analysis: Identifying Key Resilience Predictors

To determine which factors most significantly impact family resilience, a regression analysis was conducted on data from 823 survey participants. The dependent variable—average family resilience—was calculated based on responses to questions about: openness to emotional discourse, maintaining routine, sense of unity, pride, humor, control, sharing with children, and reassurance.

Variables in bold are those whose p-value is less than 0.05 and indicate a statistically significant effect on the average family resilience. The model reveals that age, number of children, military service, and single-parent status all have statistically significant effects on family resilience. Specifically, increasing age and number of children correlate with higher resilience, as does having family members in military service. Conversely, single-parent families show significantly lower resilience scores.

Gender × Age

The interaction shows that the effect of age on family resilience varies by gender, and in particular for women, the increase in age is accompanied by a more significant increase in resilience. This suggests that women's resilience resources may develop more prominently with age and life experience.

Military Service × Number of Children

There is an enhanced effect of military service when there are more children in the family—families with more children and family members serving enjoy an especially high level of resilience. This could reflect stronger family identity and purpose when multiple family members contribute to national service.

Family Structure × City

Single-parent families in Tel Aviv are at higher risk for low family resilience, compared to single-parent families in other cities. This suggests that urban settings may exacerbate challenges for single parents, perhaps due to higher costs of living, less community support, or greater isolation.

The regression model reveals that basic demographic variables such as age, number of children, and military service directly affect family resilience. Single-parent families in general, and especially single-parent families in certain cities (such as Tel Aviv), are at risk for low family resilience. Interactions between variables (such as gender and age, or military service and number of children) reveal more complex patterns—for example, the effect of age on resilience is stronger in women, and families with more children and family members serving enjoy particularly high resilience.

The central conclusion emerging from the model is that the strength of family resilience is mainly influenced by the area of residence, family structure and size, and whether there are family members serving in the military during the war. These factors interact in complex ways, creating different resilience profiles across the Israeli population.

Summary of Key Findings

Analysis of data from a survey conducted among 823 participants provides a comprehensive picture of the factors influencing family resilience. The findings point to considerable variation between families; while some demonstrate high levels of resilience, others show signs of difficulty. The main strengths observed among most families include a strong sense of cohesion, use of humor as a coping mechanism, and a firm belief in their joint ability to overcome the crisis.

One of the central themes emerging from the data is the profound influence of family narrative and multi-generational history. Families that habitually remember, share, and learn from stories of survival and successful coping with past hardships tend to display greater perseverance and a stronger sense of capability. This historical perspective, often passed down from generation to generation, fosters a collective belief that "we will get through this too."

10. Discussion: Theoretical Implications and Practical Applications

Resilience as a Dynamic, Non-Homogeneous Characteristic

The findings of the current research confirm the central assumption that family resilience is not a fixed and uniform trait, but a dynamic variable dependent on personal, social, and historical circumstances. The high variance found in metrics such as "sense of control," "sharing with children," and "open communication" (standard deviation above 1.2) indicates that some families manage to function at high levels of cohesion, routine, and mutual support, while others deal with feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and anxiety.

This finding strengthens the model of resilience as a system of factors influenced by cultural, environmental, and personal contexts (Walsh, 2016). The core components of family resilience—routine, humor, and sense of meaning—appeared consistently as strongest among most families. These data are consistent with extensive research literature noting the importance of structural and emotional stability during crisis (Patterson, 2002).

The research data emphasize the contribution of a multi-generational family narrative to strengthening the sense of capability and meaning during crisis. The multiple references to past events—wars, illnesses, economic difficulties—provide families with a broad perspective and historical awareness, which contributes to optimism and a sense of control.

The research emphasizes the dual impact of family military service on resilience. On one hand, there is an element of national pride and mission that increases the sense of meaning and value; on the other hand, there is a sense of tension and pressure among families with family members at the front. These findings are consistent with theoretical approaches emphasizing the complexity of dealing with military service: it is a resilience resource on one hand (meaning, contribution, cohesion), but also a possible risk factor for emotional stress (Gewirtz et al., 2011).

Youth as Vulnerability Point - Adolescents show unique challenges in resilience development

Geographic & Demographic Factors - Community type, family structure, and age significantly impact resilience capacity

Core Resilience Components - Maintaining routines, employing humor, and finding meaning emerge as universal strengths

Multi-Generational Narrative Foundation - Family stories and historical memory provide the foundational structure for Israeli resilience

Adolescents as a Critical Vulnerability Point

Adolescents are at a critical stage of identity formation, emotional and social independence, and development of a sense of self-control. At this stage, they are still largely dependent on adults, but aspire to separate and be independent. A situation of uncertainty, persistent threat, and a sense of lack of control particularly undermines their sense of security and capability (Pat-Horenczyk et al., 2015).

Additionally, adolescents lack life experience and coping tools acquired over the years by adults. They are less accustomed to managing intense emotions, anxiety, fears, and emergency situations, and therefore tend more toward anxiety, depression, risk behaviors, and adjustment difficulties (Slone & Shoshani, 2017).

Adolescents rely heavily on peer groups (friends) and the education system as sources of emotional and social support. In emergency situations, when there is harm to routine and the education system, or social distance, this support is damaged and feelings of loneliness and helplessness are intensified (Brenner & Ben-Ari, 2021).

The Boundaries of Resilience—and the Potential for Growth

Alongside families with high resilience, families experiencing emotional difficulty, loneliness, or a sense of despair were observed. The report indicates that resilience is not a fixed trait but a process that can be strengthened or eroded according to environmental and internal conditions. Families that do not demonstrate high resilience today are not "weak" by nature—but may be at a temporary low point, which through support and joint processing, can be improved. This point is consistent with the theory of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), which speaks of growth out of difficulty (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006).

The data teach us that family resilience is the product of a complex interaction between demographic variables (age, residence, military service), intra-family variables (communication, routine, narrative), and broader cultural and social variables. At the foundation of all these stands the understanding that resilience is not a fixed concept but a process variable, which can be strengthened, nurtured, or eroded. These insights may serve as a basis for a tailored intervention policy, aimed at strengthening family resilience in peripheries, among young people, and in families dealing with exceptional levels of stress—through judicious use of education, community, and emotional support tools.

11. Conclusion and Recommendations: Strengthening the Israeli Family Unit

The current research examined the characteristics of family resilience in Israel during a prolonged security crisis, analyzing the responses of 823 participants. The findings pointed to high variance between families in resilience levels, with families reporting pride, unity, and high coping ability on one hand—and families experiencing lack of control, loneliness, and anxiety on the other.

At the center stood three recurring components: maintaining routine, using humor, and a sense of meaning—which were revealed as pillars of family resilience. Also apparent was the significant role of personal-family history, the community support circle, and the military service of family members, as influencing the coping.

Family Resilience as National Force Multiplier

Within a reality of prolonged security campaign—both against Hamas in Gaza and against Iran—the understanding sharpens that family resilience constitutes a critical layer in national resilience. The resilience of Israeli society under missile attacks, escalation threats, and lack of political horizon, relies greatly on family units as a focus of support, recruitment, organization, and emotional processing.

Living Under Existential Threat

The direct threat of Iranian ballistic missiles—threatening to hit the entire home front of the country—undermines the basic sense of protection, even in areas previously considered "quiet." This reality changes the traditional power relations between center and periphery and poses a double challenge for families: maintaining cohesion under a sense of prolonged existential threat, and transitioning from a state of "temporary emergency" to "chronic emergency."

Accumulated Wear

The fact that the war with Iran is taking place after almost two years of fighting with Hamas highlights a phenomenon of accumulated wear: families are not starting the current campaign from a point of balance, but from mental, economic, and organizational exhaustion. This is especially prominent in families with young children, mobilized family members, or residence in missile-struck areas.

Family Narrative and Collective Identity

The findings strengthen the insight that a family-national narrative of survival, mission, and shared memory—increases the sense of resilience. The more families hold a worldview that they are part of a broader historical process ("we've been through the Holocaust, wars—we'll get through this too")—the more they demonstrate higher resilience in the face of current threats.

Key Recommendations

Develop National Family Resilience Programs

Establish permanent (not just temporary) systems of counseling, guidance, and support for families under stress—especially at points with a combination of reserve mobilization, economic pressure, and direct impact from the missile threat. Integrate the Ministry of Welfare, Ministry of Education, and the military system in a comprehensive system of strengthening the family unit.

Make Community Tools Accessible

Strengthen urban community centers with emphasis on family support, discussion groups between neighbors, mutual assistance, and creating a sense of belonging. Develop "digital resilience communities" that will connect isolated residents to support networks.

Training for Routine Management

Train parents to maintain routine, emotional regulation, open discourse with children, and convey messages of security even in an era of ballistic missiles. Incorporate humor, games, family stories, and past experiences as tools for emotional containment.

Preserve the Historical-Family Narrative

Encourage family documentation of coping with crises, create "family journals of standing"—as a tool to strengthen shared memory and capability. Integrate the education system in transmitting family narratives as part of civic identity.

Addressing Youth Challenges

During prolonged war and in a vulnerable home front, adolescents are not just hidden victims, but a group in need of an adapted, professional, and accessible policy. By strengthening support systems, reducing loneliness, providing meaning, and preserving a sense of routine—unnecessary mental suffering can be prevented, outbreaks of distress reduced, and a generation capable of dealing with future challenges from a position of personal and national strength can be trained.

In summary, the war against Iran, and the persistence of combat operations with Hamas, make the issue of family resilience a cornerstone in the functioning of the state under fire. It is not just about dealing with missiles or military threats—but about whether the social infrastructure of Israel, led by the family, is capable of holding on over time. The findings we have indicate that the answer is positive—but conditional on continuous action and a comprehensive policy to strengthen the family and community fabric.