The IPA condemns the unprecedented massive attack on civilian territories and on hundreds of helpless people in Israel – launched by the terrorist group Hamas. At least 2000 have been wounded, more than 600 have been killed, and there is an untold number of hostages – men, women, and children – who were kidnapped from their homes and are still held by Hamas.
This brutal attack on helpless persons is a reminder of the darkest moments in human history when splitting and projection become so extreme that they lead to a complete demonisation of civil populations as part of the “bad other”. It is the unrestrained release of the death instinct to cause harm to the innocent with no regard for moral standards or other psychological balancing forces.
We deeply condemn all violence, and especially well-organised massive attacks directed at innocent people throughout the world, and in Israel today. As psychoanalysts, we support the right of every human being all over the world to feel free, safe, and secure. We hope the violence will stop soon and that civilians from both sides will be able to return to a civilised pursuit of problem solving, peaceful coexistence, and the development of culture.
Sunday 8th October 2023