Inclusion is not the problem – it’s the answer
This week, as we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday, December 3, we are asked to look honestly in the mirror that Israeli society holds up to us. The vision of embracing every individual, as promoted through inclusion policies in education, confronts an extremely complex reality.
In recent years, young people in Israel have been forced to learn difficult lessons. After the disconnection of the COVID-19 years came the deep upheaval of the war, exposing the fragility of our social resilience. Children and teens in Israel, with and without disabilities, now face emotional and social challenges that have torn apart the foundations of their stability and routine. For this generation, which experiences uncertainty in its most extreme form, a social-emotional rehabilitation is urgently required.
Inclusion: When an Ideal Meets Systemic Inability
The data emerging from the field is troubling: local authorities report a dramatic increase in the number of children being diagnosed with disabilities; Education Ministry data from as early as 2023 already showed a decline in teachers’ willingness to support inclusion, with only 50 percent of teachers believing inclusion is socially beneficial. The tools and resources required for effective integration are missing and this difficulty affects the entire system.
Change cannot remain within the school walls; it must expand into the social sphere.
The Necessary Response: Belonging, Inclusion, and the Resilience Built Behind the Scenes
Integrating people with disabilities into the mainstream is possible. Models developed in Israel over the past decades and proven in practice, show that inclusion succeeds when youth are given tools of belonging, purpose, and capability. In this spirit, models like Krembo Wings have demonstrated for over 20 years that it is possible to create an inclusive environment where resilience can grow. When we build spaces of action grounded in the understanding that active engagement, belonging, inclusion, and acceptance all generate resilience, we create a social response that supports the three psychological foundations essential for emotional well-being: belonging, meaning, and capability. This does not only build resilience; it enables meaningful and successful integration.
There is nothing more moving than hearing a teenage girl describe how she found, for the first time, a place that feels like hers. Or seeing a teenage boy learn to lead, to cope, to converse, to listen. These small moments together form a powerful national resilience.
Every week, we witness thousands of the movement’s teens and tens of thousands of its alumni — young people, who grew into true leaders in their classrooms, in the army, and in their communities. The teens’ encounters with challenges, changes, and conflicts develop their self-confidence, real-time problem-solving abilities, and the ability to function under pressure. Exposure to resilience-based content, including emotional regulation and tools to manage uncertainty and fear, provided in an inclusive and non-judgmental environment, gives the teens stability and security they need.
The need for this response is acute. An entire generation is searching for support. More than 500 children are on waiting lists, and dozens of municipalities are asking to expand the model in their communities — clear evidence of its importance in strengthening local resilience. This tremendous demand is a powerful sign that society is seeking healing.
Behind every child on a waiting list stands a family waiting for the stability of routine, a community searching for a way to reconnect, and an education system longing for breathing room to initiate change. These are not numbers — they are the lives of children. Anyone who meets these young people understands how profoundly they are transforming Israeli society from within.
This is a moment when all of us: parents, educators, municipalities, and social partners can take part in shaping a new reality.
Priorities Change; The Responsibility Remains
Over the past two years, national priorities have rightly shifted toward the demands of war. Yet, the reality is that children with disabilities and inclusion in the community have been pushed aside.
Now is the time for social leadership. It is time to ensure that every child in Israel has a place to belong. We have a moral obligation and a social responsibility to guarantee that the emotional rehabilitation of the next generation happens through genuine integration.
Investing in proven models that give our children the wings they need to soar, is an investment in building our national resilience — and in the future we all share.
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The author is the CEO of Krembo Wings, a youth movement integrating children and teens with and without disabilities
