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Fear is everywhere right now, in the questions people ask, the decisions they hesitate to make, and the silence between official statements.
But fear, in itself, is not new. Many of us were raised to be careful, to anticipate the worst, to stay alert. Yet we were rarely taught how to distinguish between emotions, how to tell fear from anger, frustration, or uncertainty, or how to process them.

But recognizing fear is only the starting point. The more difficult question is what happens when that fear is left to grow without guidance, structure, or support.
And this is not an individual fear; it is a collective one. It is shared, reinforced, and experienced across communities. Which also means it cannot be addressed at the level of the individual alone. It requires structure, clarity, and a response at the level of the state.

In times of war and crisis, the state's role is not limited to action on the ground. It also requires clear, consistent, and credible communication. When this is absent or inconsistent, a vacuum is created, and fear quickly fills it.

This is not to say that nothing is being done. For instance, we are receiving regular updates from the Ministry of Social Affairs, and these efforts matter. But they remain partial. In the absence of broader, coordinated communication that addresses the full scope of the situation: security, political direction, and what comes next, people are still left with more questions than answers.

Amid the ongoing conflict, key developments are not communicated through official channels. Instead, information emerges from residents in the villages themselves, leaving people to piece together answers from unofficial sources. This is particularly critical when it comes to major developments on the ground. Decisions related to the army’s positioning in the south, particularly in Rmeich, Ein Ebel, and Debel, are not minor updates; they directly affect people’s sense of safety, stability, and the country’s direction. Where are Israeli forces now? Which villages have they entered? Which areas do they occupy? Without clear official communication, individuals are left to interpret these developments on their own, creating uncertainty over whether forces are withdrawing or remaining and, more importantly, what these movements mean for the community and the country.

In such conditions, interpretation does not remain neutral. The same developments are understood in different, often opposing ways, reinforcing existing divisions and mistrust. In this environment, uncertainty is not only experienced but also becomes vulnerable to political use and manipulation. Competing narratives quickly fill the gap left by official silence. Some political actors resort to threatening or inflammatory discourse, while on social media, fear can turn into blame, shaming, or hostility between citizens. What starts as a lack of information escalates into confusion, suspicion, and fragmentation, shaping how communities relate to one another in real time.

As a citizen who has always believed in the role of a fair and functioning state, and hoped we were moving toward one, I feel today, more than ever, how absent or unclear the state’s role can be. This is not to dismiss current efforts, nor to place responsibility on one government alone. Yet when the state’s role is inconsistent, it does more than leave a gap; it creates a void where uncertainty deepens, and fear takes on a life of its own.

We often expect citizens to remain rational, verify information, resist manipulation, and act with empathy, in other words, to be critical thinkers in the middle of a crisis. But can individuals truly carry that responsibility on their own, in the absence of clear information and functioning institutions?

A society cannot rely solely on its citizens to manage fear, interpret reality, and maintain cohesion. That responsibility must be shared, and it must be led.
Because when the structures meant to inform and protect fail to do so, the burden shifts entirely onto individuals. And that is not only unsustainable, it is also dangerous.