Trauma & Politics: Germany, Israel & Palestine

The word trauma comes from ancient Greek and means wound or hurt. The American Psychological Association Dictionary defines trauma as “any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning. Traumatic events include those caused by human behavior (e.g., rape, war, industrial accidents) as well as by nature (e.g., earthquakes) and often challenge an individual’s view of the world as a just, safe, and predictable place.” Large-scale trauma such as massacres and genocide, which are state-generated, intersects with politics. Sometimes entire communities, regions, and countries are consumed by it.