As political divisions inside the Israeli entity deepen, many voices within its society are warning that internal disputes, hatred, and relentless power struggles could lead to the “destruction of the Third Temple” and the disintegration of the state itself.
Nahman Shai—Dean of the Hebrew Union College at the Institute for Jewish Studies, former Minister for Diaspora Affairs, and once the spokesperson for the Israeli army—stated that “anyone who looks at Israel today, in 2025, will see the advanced and updated version of the ‘Jewish wars.’ Hundreds of thousands of Israelis cannot sleep at night. A significant portion cannot even close their eyes, gripped by fear for their sons and daughters, their grandchildren, and relatives who face death just an hour’s drive away from their homes.”
In an article published in Maariv and translated by Arabi21, Shai emphasised that fear haunts Israelis from all directions: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria—and the uncertainty of what other fronts may erupt. These daily pressures, he noted, exact a heavy human and psychological toll. “The only ones who seem to sleep well,” he wrote, “are the members of the government and many in the Knesset, whose unrestrained lust for power has reached unprecedented levels.”
He further revealed that divisions have reached alarming levels, even within the military establishment itself. Israeli War Minister Yisrael Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly exchanged heated slaps in the midst of a struggle for authority—highlighting how political rivalries are now spilling into the army, particularly in the context of a long and boundless war. Those in command, Shai suggested, are more concerned with power than with safeguarding the state’s security.
According to Shai, the expected duty of leaders in such disagreements is to identify points of tension, calm them, and seek practical agreements to ensure continuity of governance and military coordination. Instead, he warned, disputes are being aired in the media and public arenas, inflicting incalculable damage.
He stressed that “hundreds of thousands of Israelis wake up each morning fearful after hearing their leaders argue, watching on the news as the War Minister scolds the Chief of Staff, only for him to retaliate. Their worries are justified. They feel bewildered, seeing their political and military leaders working tirelessly to destroy the political system and destabilise the balance of power between branches of government—an outrageous reality.”
Shai concluded by questioning whether Israel’s leaders truly feel the weight of responsibility placed upon them. Their conduct, he argued, proves otherwise: they have betrayed the oaths they took upon assuming power, placing personal and partisan interests above the interests of the state and its people. The result, he cautioned, could be a dangerous expansion of divisions and hatred—reviving the spectre of ancient Jewish civil wars.
