Israel Needs Unity and Responsible Leadership

Ma’ariv, Israel, July 21

In recent months, the IDF’s Intelligence Division has issued two highly unusual reports. The first warns of a severe erosion of Israeli deterrence in the region, while the second is a special situation assessment, from which it can be concluded that the chance of a war breaking out today is greater now than at any other point since 2006. Behind these messages are a range of factors: Iran is moving closer to obtaining nuclear capabilities while increasing its strategic alliance with Russia; Hizbullah is growing stronger, more emboldened, and aggressive; the Palestinian Authority has become dangerously weak, and parts of Judea and Samaria are sliding into a perilous state of insecurity and deterioration in the quality of life. Together, these disruptive phenomena indicate that today’s security reality is more precarious than at any point since the conclusion of the Yom Kippur War. In 1973, Prime Minister Golda Meir, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, and cabinet ministers alike failed to heed warnings that could have prevented the tragedy. But it is clear in the summer of 2023 that the internal divisions between us pose an existential threat to Israel. All cabinet ministers must understand that war is a very real possibility. It is evident that just as the fateful summer of 1973 ultimately ended in disaster, the same could be true of this summer. And, if that comes to pass, we will be far less prepared and more divided than ever before. I’m at a loss to imagine what could happen over the coming weeks: a fractured domestic environment, the ongoing erosion of the IDF’s reserve system, an inexperienced and irresponsible government, and an atmosphere of distrust in the ability of said leadership to act in the best interests of the nation—all portending a potential war in the direst of circumstances. Currently, both the government and the public are blind to the reality at hand. We have been quickly pulled into a fatal civil war that has plunged us to oblivion. Until recently, we were a serious, rational, and powerful nation. But in 2023, we are taking irresponsible action. On one hand, the government is engineering a disastrous coup d’état, degrading relations with the US, compromising our military strength, damaging high-tech industries, and splitting our society. On the other hand, certain individuals are lending support to actions that could substantially weaken the Israeli Defense Forces’ unity and effectiveness. Rules have been broken and norms ignored. Tribes have risen against each other, and extremism has spiraled out of control. Mutual attention, respect, and adherence to the rules have evaporated, leaving Israel to grapple with a dangerous spiral. The security situation is worse than it has been in 50 years, and there is nothing certain in terms of whether war will break out in the coming year. Escalation processes have their own dynamic, and Israel must be prepared for the possibility of a violent and difficult scenario soon. I have known Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for many years. We have worked together to bolster the security and growth of the State of Israel, even when we disagreed politically. I have always admired his patriotism and the integral role he has played in the development of our nation. Thus, I am bewildered by his current stance in permitting destructive actions to imperil the culmination of our 75 years of independence. Why is he so willing to gamble the integrity of Israel as a Jewish, democratic, progressive nation? Has the statesman and historian in him gone blind, and why is he unconcerned about the burgeoning iceberg of peril we are now neck-high in? Netanyahu, through your own accord, you are putting the future of Israel at hazard more than any other leader prior in the history of our nation. What just a year ago we knew to be true is now mired in distress: that the long-term existence of Israel as a secure Jewish democracy is uncertain. Mr. Netanyahu, the truth has come to the fore. For the last six months, a small group of political allies have inflicted immense harm on Israel in the realm of social, economic, military, and political spheres. These extremists lack the experience of having risked their lives for the nation’s security nor the understanding of the horror of war, leading them to embrace recklessness as a norm. Thus, the responsibility now rests on your shoulders. Resist leading us divided into the upcoming security challenges. Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister, notably said that the fate of Israel is predicated upon two qualities: its strength and its justice. So, Prime Minister Netanyahu, put an end to the deleterious effects the nation has begun to suffer in terms of strength and justice. It’s on you. —Gadi Eizenkot, member of Knesset and former IDF chief of General Staff (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)