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Rob Winder
BBC News Online
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Israeli buses have been the target of Palestinian suicide bombers
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Approximately 473 Israeli civilians have been killed and 3000 injured in attacks by Palestinian militants inside Israel since 2000.
The psychological impact on young Israelis can be devastating.
A recent Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma survey of young people in Jerusalem found that 50% of adolescents in the city had been exposed to an attack and that 20% had lost a relative.
Children who witness attacks can suffer flashbacks of the incident and a persistent feeling of extreme tension.
They may also avoid places and situations similar to that in which the attack occurred - for example, travelling on buses.
In the long-term, trauma sufferers also showed signs of increased risk-taking including use of alcohol and reckless driving.
Despite this, researchers have found that Israeli children are "extraordinarily resilient" and that only 5% had developed full blown post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Anxious
Eleven year old Pesi Roth's sister Malki was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber in Jerusalem in 2001.
Following the attack Pesi refused to leave the house, began to miss school and became extremely anxious about her parents safety.
When she did go to school she had a difficult relationship with her teachers and her schoolwork suffered.
Pesi's mother Frimet found the school ill equipped to help her daughter cope with trauma.
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If you believe this your land - given to you by God - it will help you withstand greater levels of trauma
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"They made no allowances for her and she had very little time with a psychologist - they needed to be much more understanding."
Resilience
To remedy the situation, Israeli psychologists are now working on a school-based counselling program that intervenes to help children recover from the shock of witnessing an attack.
Teachers are trained to build resilience to attacks amongst their pupils by recognising the symptoms of PTSD and helping young people talk about their feelings.
Awareness of the impact of attacks is built amongst communities where people are encouraged to accept mutual responsibility for each others well-being.
Parents are also encouraged to look out for signs of trauma in their children.
'Signs of depression'
Despite these measures, trauma can have an impact on children as young as three.
Dr Esther Cohen, of Jerusalem's Hebrew University, is studying the way young children play in an attempt to learn more about the psychological impact of attacks.
"We have observed children wandering around, unable to engage.
"Some have actually lost their ability to play at all, they show signs of depression and are pre-occupied with death."
Ideology
The Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma (ICPT) study found that young people living on settlements in the West Bank and Gaza were less susceptible to trauma despite being exposed to more frequent attacks
Dr Roni Berger, of the Israel Center for Victims of Terror and War, believes that ideology plays a part in helping settlers live in a dangerous environment.
"If you believe this your land - given to you by God - it will help you withstand greater levels of trauma in the short term. In the long-term, the effects of witnessing numerous attacks will be worse."
Dr Ruth Pat-Horencyzk of the ICTP believes that the long-term effects of trauma could be felt across Israeli society. "People who have suffered PTSD are more likely to turn to extremist politics and to violent solutions to the conflict."
Dr Berger also believes that the long-term impact on children is worrying for Israelis.
"Children start to believe that violence is the only solution to conflict and they stereotype Palestinians more significantly. We should be worried about the future."
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