Active Inner Forces
National Resilience Begins at Home
Strengthening the Families Behind Those Who Serve
Inner Forces is a social organization dedicated to strengthening the personal, family, and community resilience of families of IDF soldiers and security personnel. Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords war, it has become increasingly clear that the resilience of those who serve is directly linked to the resilience of the families behind them.
Hundreds of thousands of families in Israel have since been living in an ongoing reality of worry, emotional strain, and, at times, economic and employment challenges. Based on our fieldwork and in collaboration with the Ruppin Academic Center, we have developed a multidisciplinary model focused on resilience, employment, community, rights access, and education.
This support model is designed to create a broad social impact and strengthen the ability of families of those serving to function and maintain stability during this complex period.
Why Now
Approximately 500,000 service members took part in the October 7th war, meaning nearly 30% of Israel’s population—their families—have been living for over two years in a state of constant anxiety. While resources are directed toward supporting soldiers, their families remain largely overlooked.
Inner Forces was established to fill this gap. As the war evolves into a prolonged reality, the real challenges for many families are only beginning. With public mental health systems already overwhelmed, targeted, community-based support for families of soldiers is an urgent national necessity.
Our Vision
To drive a profound shift in the perception, rights, and recognition of families of those serving, and to develop professional responses that enable them to sustain stability and resilience in both routine and emergency.
We believe that strengthening these families strengthens those on the front lines—and Israeli society as a whole.
Our Research Insights: "Resilience and Coping Mechanisms of Mothers of Combat Soldiers"
In partnership with Ruppin Academic Center, we conducted a study to explore the coping mechanisms of mothers with children in combat and combat-support roles. Key findings: - Trauma: Mothers face varying levels of ambiguous loss, a type of trauma that affects all aspects of their lives, leading to a 20% decline in employment. - Coping strategies: While some resorted to substance use to cope with, the study found that peer support and open discussions with fellow mothers were the most effective sources of resilience. Key insight: Despite their own, mothers of combat soldiers are often the first to recognize their children's pain and encourage them to seek help. Therefore, enhancing the mental health of mothers directly contributes to the-being of the soldiers.
Fields of Activity
We develop and operate community-based, research-driven programs that strengthen families’ ability to cope, function, and maintain stability over time. Our work focuses on four core areas essential to family resilience: Resilience, Exercising rights, Employment, and Education.
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Rights Advocacy
Accompanying families by providing information, practical guidance, and assistance in exercising their rights with public and government entities. We gather information from the field, identify needs and barriers, and bring the voices of families to decision-makers in various organizations within the public and security sectors.
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Resilience
Resilience programs for parents and spouses of service members include a comprehensive course with ongoing support. Participants process their experiences and gain practical coping tools, becoming resilience ambassadors in their communities. These programs are conducted in partnership with local municipalities.
Education & Family Cohesion
Students from families of those serving face ongoing emotional, social, and academic challenges, as they navigate a continuous crisis from the COVID pandemic into the ongoing war. Our program provides tools to identify distress, offer emotional first aid, strengthen family communication, and prepare both recruits and their families for the challenges of service.
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Employment
20% of mothers of combat soldiers and 45% of reservists’ wives experience employment disruption due to the ongoing realities of war. Our Occupational Resilience Program offers trauma-informed career support to help families regain stability and re-enter the workforce, while equipping employers with tools to strengthen workplace resilience.
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Our
Story
Get to Know Us
Inner Forces provides a comprehensive support framework for families of soldiers and reservists, built on empirical knowledge and insights from our national mothers’ community.
Our leadership team, made up of mothers of combat soldiers, combines expertise in healthcare, education, and social innovation. fostering trust and enabling effective program delivery.
Our Advisory Board brings together senior leaders across healthcare, business, academia, and public service. Some are also personally connected to military service in Israel, combining professional expertise with lived experience to guide our impactful and relevant work.
Support the Families
Behind the Front Lines
Behind every soldier stands a family carrying the emotional, social, and economic weight of prolonged service.
With your support, we can expand our work across our core pillars - resilience, community, rights, economic stability, and education - reaching more families and providing practical, meaningful support.
Supporting these families strengthens those on the front lines—and Israeli society as a whole.
