The Battle Over Israel’s Future Is Being Decided Not Just in Tehran, but Also in Beersheba
Maariv, Israel, June 29
As a young Israeli, I see our reality with clear, unblinking eyes. Since October 7, we have all been carrying the stretcher together, shoulder to shoulder. While we face severe external threats, we cannot afford to ignore the challenges within: social gaps, unequal burdens, and the crises in housing, education, and health. I believe true victory is not measured only on the battlefield. It lies in our capacity to build a society where everyone enjoys the same rights and carries the same responsibilities.
I have organized my vision for rebuilding Israeli society after the war into six guiding points. First, it is time to speak the truth: Since October 7, we have all carried that stretcher—in uniform, in the reserves, on the home front, and through countless civil initiatives. But this surge of public mobilization cannot blind us to the reality that we faced the night before Iran’s attack: leadership fleeing responsibility for the issues that burn within us and pull us apart.
The debate over the exemption law and military service might sound like an old argument, but it is, in fact, an existential challenge for Israel, distorted by ego battles and social media–driven agendas instead of on-the-ground realities. There is no time or place for that anymore. Those who want to win do not look for scapegoats but for solutions. And there is plenty to fix: weak security, shaky governance, resilience tested again and again, and a tired, divided society.
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Second, winning is not just a matter of security: Israel’s achievements against Iran showed what determination and vision can accomplish. We must bring that spirit home. Real victory will happen not by silencing our opponents but by no longer seeing each other as enemies. Unity does not mean uniformity—it requires leadership that grasps unity as a core national interest.
Third, unity—not blurring, not surrender, but a new contract. Unity does not mean agreeing on every detail; it means agreeing on what truly matters: one state, one people, one shared framework of rights and obligations. There is no privileged sector, no automatic exemptions, no single group that owns the title of Zionist. We are all in the same boat, and only if everyone rows will it move forward.
Fourth, the domestic front is no less important than the foreign front: external threats are clear, but the internal threat is quieter and more insidious. Gaps of trust in state institutions, unequal sharing of burdens, a crisis in housing, education, healthcare, and the cost of living—these are real battles, too. The public understands that Israel’s future will be decided not only in Tehran, but also in Beersheba, Petah Tikva, and the government offices in Jerusalem. It is the leadership’s duty to fight not only our enemies, but also the everyday problems all of us face.
Fifth, it is possible—we have seen it with our own eyes: when the cameras are off, 90 members of Knesset agree on 80% of the issues. So does most of the public. Why, then, do we see only the 20% of conflict? It is time to put away cynicism, restore common sense, and choose leadership that can lead, not just react.
Sixth, a new generation—a new responsibility: there is a historic opportunity before us: to win externally, and to rebuild internally. No more division masked as ideology. If we—those in our 20s and 30s—manage to rise up and act, there is no reason those in positions of power cannot do the same. This is the moment for mature leadership that understands the deepest truth: to win, we must truly stand united.
Alon Tirer (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)