“The War is Over, but the Internal War is Just Beginning: The Role of Epigenetics in Addressing Generational Trauma in Palestine”
Gaza Strip, Palestine: 467 days, 46,707 killed, over 100,000 injured.
A ceasefire between Palestine and Israel was established on January 19, 2025, and yet the effects of violent conflict do not end with treaties or ceasefires; rather they linger in the bodies and minds of survivors, and ripple through generations.
The tragic impact of violent conflict can be seen in staggering fatality and injury statistics, in the billions of dollars of infrastructure lost, and through other numerical metrics. However, perhaps even more debilitating, the longer term effects of trauma incurred by the survivors of the 2023 Israel-Hamas War will be imprinted into the shifted DNA of those who live to tell the tale of what they endured, the consequences of that trauma reverberating through their offspring, and their offspring’ offspring.
By engaging the field of epigenetics; “the way your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work”, we can assess the damage of international conflict and seek ways to preemptively minimize this longer term impact of trauma incurred by conflict on future generations.
To understand the gravity of what the Israel-Palestine conflict means for the offspring of the survivors, it is critical to have a deeper understanding of the field of epigenetics. Epigenetics refers to how the circumstances of an individual’s environment impact the expression of one’s genes. Epigenetic changes are in fact reversible, as they do not “change the sequence of DNA bases, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence”. Epigenetic changes can result from common practices such as nutrition during pregnancy, smoking, or physical activity level. However, these changes can also happen as a result of traumatizing circumstances such as those resulting from international conflict. Epigenetic changes have been found to increase the risk of cancer, metabolic disorders, mental health disorders (including heightened stress responses), and and other conditions affecting overall quality of life, health and longevity.
Females are thought to be born with all of the eggs they will ever procreate with. Prenatal exposure to epigenetic factors can therefore impact future generations. Epidemiologist Barbara Cohn, principal investigator of a long-term study in Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS) concluded that “each prenatal exposure has the potential to directly impact three generations…[t]hey include the mother (known as the F0 generation), the fetus (F1 generation), and, if the fetus is a girl, all her immature egg cells—any of which may one day become the F2 generation.”
Image source: Environ Health Perspect.
As illustrated above, exposure to harmful environmental factors during pregnancy can affect three generations. A study conducted by Isabelle Mansuy of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich conducted a study in mice to measure trauma responses passed down through generations. The study took mouse pups away from their mothers right after birth “to mimic dislocated families, or the abuse, neglect and emotional damage that you sometimes see in people.” Musay and her team observed RNA patterns that showed “typical altered behavioural patterns of those whose parents experienced trauma”. These behavioral patterns manifested into greater food intake, altered resistance to insulin, and greater risk-taking.
Moreover, further research by the Center for Cancer Research found that epigenetic gene expressions resulted in the silencing of tumor suppressor genes or the activation of oncogenes, which promotes uncontrolled cell growth manifesting in various types of cancer. Furthermore, epigenetic mechanisms are a prominent contributor to alterations in DNA methylation and histone modifications, which can result in impacted neurotransmitter systems. These impacted neurotransmitters contribute to psychiatric conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
As it pertains to the Palestinian conflict, and the trauma experienced by the victims of mass violence, the embedded epigenetic consequences of such violent conflict will be felt throughout future generations. The reverberations of epigenetic responses to traumatic events will place a burden on the healthcare system within Palestine, and can reduce quality of life and life expectancy in certain cases.
However, the challenges in verifying epigenetics have resulted in a heated scientific debate.
One of the primary arguments against the role of passed-down trauma is the addition of a clump of chemicals called methylation, which occurs once “the sperm enters the egg in a mammal, there’s a rapid loss of DNA methylation from the paternal set of chromosomes.” As a result, many scientists are skeptical about the transgenerational inheritance of trauma-induced genes.
The addition of methyl groups to DNA has the ability to suppress gene expression by preventing the binding of transcription factors (the protein that turns genes on and off by the way they copy RNA), and other proteins necessary for gene activation. On the other hand, the removal of these methyl groups (demethylation) which can activate gene expression. This regulation enables cells to respond to environmental influences such as traumatic factors in the Palestinian conflict.
Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Rachel Yehuda, who contributed much pioneering work on PTSD asserts that the debate provides a sense of deja vu. Yehuda asserts “Where we are with epigenetics today feels like how it was when we first started doing research into PTSD,” she says. “It was a controversial diagnosis. Not everyone believed there could be a long-term effect of trauma.”
Despite controversy regarding the presence of epigenetics, overwhelming evidence suggests that exposure to trauma significantly alters endocrine function, resulting in many scientists moving towards the acceptance of epigenetic trauma responses passing down through generations.
In the context of the Palestinian conflict, it is pivotal to address epigenetic consequences through the following mitigation strategies. Following the violent conflict and resulting resettlement of millions of Palestinian citizens, it is critical to initiate community support programs to address the psychosomatic effects of violent conflict. Establishing trauma-informed care networks by mental health professionals, as well as early intervention programs for youth is imperative to working through the trauma incurred and thus minimising its long term impacts. Encouraging truth and reconciliation commissions to address historical grievances and reduce the psychological burden of unacknowledged suffering can also minimize the risk of epigenetic transmission. Additionally, peer support groups and community therapy initiatives must be introduced to provide community healing. An education and public health awareness campaign can also serve to foster intergenerational dialogue.
Recognition of epigenetic impacts of trauma as a human rights issue by powerful International Organizations such as the United Nations can also serve to secure funding for psychiatric and therapeutic services. Moreover, raising funds for trauma recovery services will serve to provide psychological services for individuals impacted by violent trauma.
Strong empirical data exists to suggest the impact of trauma upon future generations of individuals via epigenetic change. This places those who undergo significant trauma at risk of mental illnesses, cancer, metabolic disorders and heightened stress response. By examining the indicators of trauma induced epigenetics, we can better understand the necessary infrastructural components needed to rebuild a nation devastated by brutal conflict. We can also assess how to best promote psychosomatic and community based programs to address the internal effects of violent conflict upon an individual, and how to mitigate the trauma responses in order to support the health of future generations because connection mitigates trauma.
Image source: Wikimedia commons
1 comment
Great writing!! Keep up the good work!