For decades, the State of Israel invested in building military superiority – developing advanced defense systems, nurturing a robust defense industry, and maintaining a technological and intelligence edge. This investment paid off: Israel gained global recognition as a powerhouse capable of anticipating and confronting threats with strength.
However, in the reality of 2025 – as Israeli society faces accumulating traumas, repeated attacks, economic uncertainty, and ongoing civil tension – a new form of superiority is required: superiority in resilience. Our mental and communal resilience is just as crucial as our military might.
Today, as the gap widens between emotional burden and the system’s capacity to respond, we must understand that mental resilience is no longer a matter of social welfare – it is an integral part of Israel’s national security.
The current situation requires a different systemic solution
Following major military operations and amid prolonged crises, we see a sharp rise in psychological distress among the public. In places like Sderot, the Gaza border region, and frontline communities, this reality is experienced daily. Resilience centers operate beyond capacity, waiting times for emotional support are long, and many affected individuals never receive treatment – either due to lack of accessibility or because the system fails to identify them in time. This situation demands a change in approach – a systemic solution that thinks differently.
At the Innovation Hub in Sderot, we encounter this reality up close. Alongside teenagers raised in emergency conditions, there are entrepreneurs working from within the crisis – not from high-rise towers in central Israel, but from life itself.
Today, technologies already exist that can detect hidden anxiety in children, monitoring systems that provide early alerts for stress conditions, and platforms offering immediate emotional support at the press of a button. These tools do not replace therapists – but they break the barrier to seeking help, make assistance accessible, and enable early detection. They can ease the burden on existing systems, support preventive care, and add a real-time protective layer.
The state must invest in solving the crisis
Despite all this, the field still lacks focused national investment in Israel. Mental and community resilience is not yet at the center of national innovation efforts, and entrepreneurs in the field often encounter regulatory hurdles, lack of incentives, and real difficulty breaking through. Yet this is a domain with tremendous economic, therapeutic, and social potential – and Israel, with its accumulated experience in daily threat management, can become a global leader.
We already have what it takes: accumulated knowledge, resilient communities, existing support systems, and groundbreaking innovators. If the state manages to connect these dots, not only will it help millions better cope with crises, but it will also generate a new, value-based growth engine. This need extends far beyond the southern region. Burned-out teachers, overwhelmed medical staff, anxious teenagers, and isolated senior citizens all need accessible, tailored solutions – not just delayed responses.
If we understood that to protect the physical borders of our country we needed Iron Dome, it’s time to understand that to protect the borders of our inner selves, we need a Dome of Resilience. This is not just a moral statement: it is a strategic vision. Investing in resilience technologies and mental health is not a luxury – it is essential to our continued existence as a strong, stable, and secure society.
The writer is director of the Economic and Employment Development Department in the Municipality of Sderot and one of the initiators of the city’s Resilience Accelerator.