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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 22 July 2022
Ukrainian experts turn to Israel for mental trauma training

By EMILY ROSE Danny Brom, says treating
Associated Press mental trauma in Israel has
JERUSALEM (AP) — Ukrai- taught him how to provide
nian therapist Svitlana Kut- therapy to victims who are
senko thought she was both post-traumatic and
making progress with her still remain in immediate
patients army veterans re- danger.
covering from mental trau- These lessons, he says, have
ma suffered during fighting helped him relate to men-
with Russia in 2014. Then, tal health professionals
war erupted again. from conflict zones across
Now, five months after the world and especially
Russia invaded Ukraine, Ukraine.
Kutsenko says the situa- “They understand that we
tion looks bleaker than Israelis know what we are
ever. Many of her patients talking about. This ... has
have returned to the front happened to us in the dif-
lines, while ordinary citizens ferent wars, so there’s a
scarred by the horrors of life very special connection
in wartime are now seeking between them and us.
treatment. They really feel that we un-
“Sometimes it’s bearable, derstand what we are talk-
sometimes it’s not,” Kut- Ukrainian mental health professionals learn how to treat trauma victims in a special three-week ing about,” said Brom, a
senko, who lives in Kyiv, told course run by the Israeli Metiv organization in Herzog Medical Center in Jerusalem, Wednesday, clinical psychologist who is
The Associate Press. “Some July 20, 2022. director of Metiv, an Israeli
people are suffering from Associated Press nonprofit that trains mental
huge fear fear of death, treat trauma cases. relatively low. And despite events from the past and health professionals to treat
fear of their relatives’ death Israel, which has gone a conflict with Russia that helping people who are trauma victims.
and some are pretty angry through numerous wars has been ongoing since under fire cope with grief The group included 20
about what’s going on and with its Arab neighbors and 2014, the country is not and fear in real time. psychologists from across
they want to somehow has a large population of equipped to deal with the “Right now, in Ukraine, it’s Ukraine, including some
take this anger under con- Holocaust survivors, has massive numbers of people not just, you know, shooting who have been displaced
trol.” deep experience in treat- affected by the Russian in- and people” being killed throughout the war. The
Kutsenko was among 20 ing psychological or men- vasion. by missiles and bombs, says course included training in
Ukrainian mental health tal trauma. Kutsenko said that there is a Kutsenko, adding that tor- cognitive behavior therapy
professionals who spent the But in Ukraine, awareness great difference between ture, rape and other terrible techniques, or CBT, which
past two weeks in Israel re- for recognizing and treat- treating patients strug- acts are also happening. are commonly used to treat
ceiving training on how to ing mental trauma remains gling to come to terms with The course’s instructor, depression and anxiety.q

Israel aims to stop Russian move against Jewish nonprofit

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s gible for Israeli citizenship. Russia is deeply connected
prime minister on Thursday The Jewish Agency has with Israel. Its importance
said he would send a dele- been active in Russia since arises in every diplomatic
gation to Moscow in hopes 1989, according to the In- discussion with the Russian
of halting a Russian order to terfax report. Well over 1 leadership,” Lapid said.
shutter the operations of a million immigrants have “We will continue to act
major nonprofit organiza- come to Israel from the for- through diplomatic chan-
tion that promotes Jewish mer Soviet Union, and an nels so that the Jewish
immigration to Israel. estimated 150,000 Jews still Agency’s important activ-
Yair Lapid’s decision came live in Russia. ity will not cease.”
after a spokeswoman for a According to the agency, A Jewish Agency official
Moscow District Court was immigration has picked up said that Russia has accused
quoted as saying that Rus- since Russia’s invasion of the nonprofit of violating
sia’s Justice Ministry aims Ukraine in February, with its privacy laws by collect-
to “shut down” the Russian 17,000 Russians taking Israe- ing personal information of
branch of the Jewish Agen- li citizenship and as many people who are interested Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid speaks during a cabinet meeting
cy. A court hearing in the as 40,000 others coming to in immigrating to Israel. at the prime minster’s office in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 17, 2022.
case is scheduled for July Israel and expected to ap- The official, speaking on Associated Press
28. ply. In comparison, some condition of anonymity be- two air forces maintain enemy Iranian and Hez-
The Jewish Agency is a 7,700 Russian Jews immi- cause of the pending court close communications to bollah targets aligned with
nonprofit that works closely grated to Israel last year. case, said it was not clear prevent clashes in Syrian Assad.
with the Israeli government Lapid’s office said the del- why Russia was crack- skies despite being on dif- Lapid, who became Israel’s
to bring Jewish immigrants egation heading to Russia ing down on what he de- ferent sides of the civil war interim prime minister this
from around the world to would include represen- scribed as routine paper- there. month after spending the
Israel. Under the country’s tatives from his office, the work. Russia has provided sup- past year as foreign minis-
law of return, anyone with Foreign Ministry and other Russia and Israel have a port to Syrian President ter, has been an outspoken
at least one Jewish grand- government ministries. close, if sometimes uneasy, Bashar Assad, while Israel critic of Russia’s invasion of
parent is automatically eli- “The Jewish community in relationship in Syria. Their often strikes what it says are Ukraine.q