Psychoanalysis in Action: A Collective Response to Political Crisis

Psychoanalysis is a practice that promotes inner movement, one that aims to convert a common disposition into action—into thought, dreaming, and language. So, what prompted hundreds of Israeli psychoanalysts over the last two years to leave their offices and take to the streets, not just as individuals but as a professional collective?

The “Psychoanalysis in Action” movement began as a spontaneous initiative by psychoanalysts from the Israel Psychoanalytic Society. It was a protest against what appeared to be a growing attack on the democratic principles upon which the State of Israel was founded. The movement started in response to a proposed judicial overhaul that threatened the Supreme Court and the separation of legislative and executive branches. After the October 7th attack, the protests continued as it became increasingly clear that the Israeli government's interests ran counter to the ethical and moral values on which psychoanalysis is based.

We operate in this space as citizens and as analysts. As citizens, we joined mass protests, each in our own name. As analysts, we became the organizers of these protests, conveying a clear message not only on our own behalf as individuals but also as professionals who are concerned about the fate of the society to which we belong. The division between the personal and the professional, and between the private and the civil, which was a privilege that had characterized saner times, disappeared from the moment we reached the red line on all fronts.

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