An article published by the Jerusalem Post has sounded the alarm on a profound internal crisis tearing through the fabric of Israeli society — a crisis so deep that it threatens to break the state from within.
According to author David Ben-Bassat, a former Israeli military intelligence officer and former NBC journalist, Israel is facing a decisive turning point. Ideological disagreements have evolved into existential clashes between irreconcilable identities, and the country no longer sees internal diversity as strength — but as a threat to survival.
From Tension to Breakdown: A Nation Imploding
Ben-Bassat notes that, historically, Israeli society tolerated tension between major groups:
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- Secular and religious
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- Arab and Jewish
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- Left and right
These divisions were once managed within a shared national framework.
But today, that framework is disintegrating.
Waves of civil unrest, refusal to serve in military reserves, road blockages, and verbal and physical violence are no longer isolated incidents — they are symptoms of a deep rupture in national identity.
“Each faction now sees itself as the sole guardian of moral truth,” the article states.“Every opposing camp is perceived not as an alternative opinion, but as a threat to the existence of the state itself.”
Even the so-called “Four Tribes” described by former President Reuven Rivlin — secular Jews, religious Zionists, ultra-Orthodox (Haredim), and Arabs — no longer pursue common ground. Instead, they are retreating into isolated ecosystems with entirely separate media, education systems, and cultural languages.
Digital Battlefields, Media Polarisation, and Institutional Collapse
The article warns that Israeli media, rather than unifying society, has become a machine of provocation and division.
Social media platforms, supercharged by algorithms of incitement and hate, have evolved into digital war zones. Online, citizens don’t just disagree — they dehumanise and delegitimise one another.
Meanwhile, national institutions — including the army, Supreme Court, and Knesset — are experiencing an alarming decline in public trust.
Ben-Bassat directly blames political figures, including former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, for fueling division. Barak recently compared the elected government to a military coup and encouraged civil disobedience — rhetoric the author believes escalates national instability.
He also criticises far-right religious and political leaders for their toxic language, which has normalised public incitement and accusations of treason.
Foreign Interference and the Iran Factor
Ben-Bassat raises the alarm about external actors manipulating Israel’s internal fragmentation.
He cites investigations in the U.S. into Israeli and American NGOs accused of receiving U.S. government funding to promote domestic political agitation in Israel.
The article also references alleged Iranian interference, including a case involving a young Israeli man accused of coordinating politically charged actions during the Gaza war at the behest of a Hamas-linked Iranian agent, in exchange for payment.
A Shaky Future: Unity or Disintegration?
The article concludes with a grim warning:
“Social cohesion is not a luxury — it is a condition for survival. It is as essential as military strength.”
As internal fractures deepen and public confidence in institutions collapses, Israel’s greatest threat may no longer be external — but its own unraveling from within.
Strategic Insight: The Empire Cracking From Inside
For decades, Israel projected an image of internal resilience and democratic unity. But behind the façade lies a house divided — fractured by religious extremism, settler violence, political corruption, and civil discontent.
What the resistance could not achieve by arms, Israel’s own contradictions may deliver by implosion.
