FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
This diagnosis becomes even more brutal when we consider that the tensions have been characterized throughout the year 2023, with a series of endless demonstrations against the Prime Minister's plans. The turmoil of recent months has certainly not improved matters.
The State of Israel has a very special commemoration calendar this week: May 13 was Memorial Day for the Victims of War and Terrorism; while May 14 is Independence Day. Sadness followed by joy, in short. This year the celebrations take place in the middle of the war in Gaza, with 132 hostages still in the hands of Hamas and the trauma of October 7.
The result was a Memorial Day that revealed a fractured society. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was mobbed by host family members as he delivered his speech at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem yesterday. Some of the people gathered at the rally left the place where he spoke. Other ministers, particularly those from the far right, have been strongly attacked at other events.
The gap is so wide that the liberal daily Haaretz ran the headline yesterday, "Israel Divided into Two Irreconcilable Jewish States." This diagnosis becomes even more brutal when we consider that the tensions have been characterized throughout the year 2023, with a series of endless demonstrations against the Prime Minister's plans. The turmoil of recent months has certainly not improved matters.
The paradox of Israel
Israel faces a great paradox. Most Israelis, shocked after the October 7 attack, are in favor of merciless revenge against the people of Gaza. But at the same time, they no longer trust the man leading this war, Netanyahu. Demonstrations demanding early elections have resumed and are held every Saturday.
The climate raises questions about the future
The explanation for this is twofold. The first is responsibility for the security failure on October 7. The army issued a mea culpa, as did the chief of staff, who said he was haunted by the thought of the 1,200 deaths that could have been avoided. Netanyahu reluctantly did the same.
The other reason is the development of the war, the lack of priority given to the release of the hostages, the lack of a vision for the consequences and the permanent position from the extreme right, on which Netanyahu's hold on power depends.
A sad anniversary
This mistrust weighs heavily in the current climate. According to press rumors, some Israeli officials are now openly denouncing Netanyahu's lack of strategy. They hold him responsible for the army's return to northern Gaza, where Hamas was reorganizing in the vacuum left by Israel.
But beyond that, this climate raises questions about the future. Everything is pitting the "two Israelis" mentioned in Haaretz against each other. How can they build a common future, both in the institutional aspect, but also in relation to the Palestinians, religion, settlements, democracy?
At a time when the fate of civilians in Gaza is undermining their country's image in the world, Israelis face the dilemmas of a brutal war and the lack of a common war and plan for the future./ Adapted "Pamphlet" from "WorldCrunch"
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