Internal Israeli divisions explained

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Israel, at the moment, stands at a precarious crossroads, grappling with external conflicts and internal upheavals that threaten the very essence of its democracy, while at the same time showcasing the very acts which make Israel’s democratic ideals sacred.

The nation is embroiled in a multifaceted crisis encompassing allegations of corruption, contentious political maneuvers, public dissent, and ongoing security challenges. The Jerusalem Post delves into the key issues shaping Israel’s current turmoil, presenting perspectives from both sides of the argument.

What the Left says
The government has lost control – morally, strategically, and politically. The right-wing coalition, embroiled in scandal and incapable of national unity, is dragging Israel into deeper chaos. Instead of focusing on rescuing the hostages or ending the war responsibly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp is preserving political power.

What the Right says
Israel has been fighting a war for its very existence, under threat from Hamas, Iran, and internal division. This is a time for unity and strength. Critics are weakening morale, distracting the IDF, and giving oxygen to international delegitimization efforts. The Left is exploiting national pain to push a political agenda.

Summary
Some 18 months into the war with Hamas, Israel is facing a volatile mix of war fatigue, internal division, and political crisis. From hostages to corruption probes, from street protests to battlefield dilemmas, Israelis are divided not just on how to move forward but on what kind of country they want to be when (or if) the dust settles.


1. Qatargate
Qatargate erupted in February 2025 following explosive media revelations that close advisers to Netanyahu – Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein principally, though not exclusively – had allegedly coordinated with a Qatari public relations firm to boost Doha’s image inside Israel, all while Qatar remains the main broker for hostage negotiations with Hamas.

The scandal has raised urgent questions about foreign influence, national security, and the priorities of Israel’s leadership in the middle of a war. It also prompted a reported Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) investigation, sparking a high-stakes showdown within the security establishment.

What the Left says
Netanyahu deliberately scuttled a nearly finalized hostage deal in coordination with Qatar and Mossad chief David Barnea to prolong the war for political gain. Leaked details suggest a deliberate obstruction of negotiations, confirming critics’ worst suspicions about the prime minister’s motives.

What the Right says
The leaks are part of an orchestrated smear campaign (the term “witch hunt” is regularly heard from Netanyahu and his supporters regarding any complaint against the prime minister). Netanyahu himself has acted cautiously to ensure that any deal does not reward Hamas. Qatar is not a neutral broker, and Israel must not cave to international pressure or internal calls of wrongdoing.

Summary
The Qatar hostage deal saga has become a Rorschach test for Israelis: Was it a missed opportunity to save lives or a wise refusal to compromise with terrorists? There is also the idea that Israelis have sacrificed the well-being of their country at a time of war to make financial gains with a country that has actively supported and financed Hamas. The leak’s timing and content have only deepened public distrust and widened the political rift.



2. Ronen Bar and the Shin Bet turmoil
The head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, found himself at the center of a political firestorm after a covert recording surfaced in which he accepted partial blame for Israel’s failure to prevent the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, along with the findings of a Shin Bet probe into its failings on that day.

Netanyahu subsequently attempted to dismiss him, citing a breakdown of trust. The prime minister also accused Bar last week, without providing evidence, of opening the Qatargate investigation to prevent his dismissal. The move, unprecedented in wartime, has intensified debates over politicization in security services and whether Netanyahu is using the war to purge perceived opponents.

What the Left says
The focus on Ronen Bar is a distraction. It’s Hamas and Iran who are to blame, not our intelligence chiefs. Calls for resignation now are politically motivated and undermine national resilience during wartime.

What the Right says
The leaked recording of Shin Bet chief Bar admitting, “We failed to stop Oct. 7” is a rare, honest admission of responsibility. It reinforces the need for a broader reckoning across the political and security establishment – starting with Bar.

Summary
Ronen Bar’s taped remarks have reopened the painful questions about accountability. While many see his words as courageous, others argue it is an attempt to deflect blame or protect the security echelon at the expense of elected leaders. Either way, it signals cracks within Israel’s most secretive institution.



3. Attorney-general under fire
Last Sunday, Israel’s cabinet passed a dramatic and controversial vote of no confidence in Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of obstructing key government actions. Though non-binding, the vote has triggered a constitutional showdown over whether the prime minister can legally fire the attorney-general – a step not taken since Israel’s founding.

The crisis has deepened already large fissures between Israel’s political and legal systems, which has been ongoing since the judicial reform attempts before Oct. 7, with the A-G seen by many as the last independent bulwark against executive overreach during wartime.

What the Left says
Baharav-Miara is under a coordinated attack from the government for doing her job. Her independence is the last line of defense against an increasingly authoritarian executive. Netanyahu and his allies want her out to undermine legal checks.

What the Right says
The A-G is overstepping her role, blocking critical wartime decisions, and acting as an unelected political actor. Her refusal to back government moves, including in the war and judicial matters, shows she is out of touch with the national mood.

Summary
The attorney-general has become a symbolic battleground for Israel’s judicial future. Critics of the incumbent government call her a bulwark of democracy; supporters of the government call her an obstructionist elite. Her position is increasingly untenable as pressure mounts from both the political and legal worlds.



4. Protests and police violence
With the government targeting legal officials and controversial policies proceeding amid war, Israel has once again been swept by mass protests. Tens of thousands have poured into the streets in the past few weeks, especially since the end of the ceasefire with Hamas, demanding Netanyahu’s resignation and the return of the hostages.

In response, Israel Police have been accused of deploying increasingly aggressive crowd-control tactics, reviving traumatic memories from the 2023 judicial reform protests. Critics say democracy is under siege; supporters say order must be maintained.

What the Left says
Demonstrators are patriots demanding the return of the hostages and accountability. Police are using disproportionate force – water cannons, stun grenades, beatings – to suppress dissent. This is a dangerous descent into authoritarianism.

What the Right says
The protests are undermining the war effort. Many are led by the same groups who opposed the government pre-Oct. 7. While police should act responsibly, law and order must be maintained during a national crisis.

Summary
The return of mass protests has reignited the debate over free speech in wartime. With escalating police tactics and emotionally charged demonstrations, Israel is once again at the crossroads of protest and patriotism, security, and civil liberties.


5. Hostages and the re-invasion of Gaza
As talks with Hamas continue to stall and the hostages remain in Gaza, Israel has relaunched military operations in areas previously cleared, most recently in Khan Yunis and Rafah. Critics say the renewed offensives are endangering the hostages and derailing diplomacy. Supporters argue that military pressure is the only way to break Hamas and ensure the hostages’ safe return. The moral dilemma has become the war’s emotional epicenter.

What the Left says
The focus should be entirely on saving the remaining hostages. The government is prioritizing military objectives over human lives. The second phase of the Gaza invasion may sabotage ongoing talks.

What the Right says
The hostages must be returned, but not at any cost. Hamas only responds to pressure. A military victory in Rafah and beyond will bring both deterrence and better negotiating terms.

Summary
The fate of the hostages is the emotional and moral core of the war. But with each passing day and each IDF advance, Israelis are split between the urgency of rescue and the imperatives of national defense.


6. Reserve soldiers’ revolt
More than 100,000 reservists have cycled through active duty since Oct. 7, many of them serving more than 270 days in combat over the past 18 months. Now growing numbers are voicing dissent.

Some are refusing to show up for service until hostage deals are reached, while others are protesting governmental policies. Many cite exhaustion, unclear objectives, and a sense of being used for political gain. Their revolt is reshaping civil-military relations in a country where the army is both sacred and central to national identity.

What the Left says
Soldiers are exhausted, unsupported, and increasingly angry at being sent into battle without clear political or strategic goals. A breaking point is near, especially as many feel abandoned once returning home.

What the Right says
The IDF’s strength lies in its reserves. Complaints should be heard, but politicization of the military must be avoided. Criticism from within should not be weaponized by the media or the opposition.

Summary
The morale of Israel’s citizen-soldiers is fraying. Their sacrifices are being felt not just in Gaza but also in public discourse as the question shifts from military success to national purpose and leadership.


7. Haredi draft controversy
Israel’s blanket exemption for haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men from military service is set to come to an end, something which most in the country will celebrate. With thousands of secular and National-Religious Israelis conscripted or killed since Oct. 7, the status quo has become politically toxic. The High Court is poised to intervene, while Netanyahu, under pressure from his haredi coalition partners (who have threatened to delay the budget or withdraw from the coalition), seeks to delay reform.

The draft debate has exploded once again, with both sides warning of irreversible national rifts, although there were reports at the beginning of this week that Netanyahu had persuaded his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners to withdraw their threat to topple the government over the draft law.

In the next three months, the IDF plans to send out 14,000 draft notices to haredim, in addition to the 10,000 that have already been sent. So far, less than 200 have actually enlisted.

What the Left says
It is morally indefensible for ultra-Orthodox Jews to remain exempt from service while the rest of the nation bleeds, particularly in light of the financial benefits they gain from others’ sacrifices. Equality of burden is now a national imperative, not just a social grievance.

What the Right says
While most on the Right also demand the haredim be drafted into the IDF, some state that conscripting so many unwanted people could cause internal collapse. The IDF doesn’t even want mass conscription of unmotivated recruits. Religious study is a national value that must be protected alongside military needs.

Summary
The haredi draft issue has re-emerged as one of Israel’s most volatile internal debates. War has reignited calls for universal service, but also fears of cultural collapse and widening the religious-secular chasm.


8. Netanyahu’s trial amid war
Netanyahu’s long-running corruption trial – on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust – resumed in early 2025 after months of wartime delays. Critics argue that his legal woes now influence every major government decision, from hostage negotiations to attempts to sideline the attorney-general. For supporters, the trial is an illegitimate attempt to topple a wartime leader, orchestrated by legal elites who have never accepted Netanyahu’s leadership.

What the Left says
The prime minister must resign. A wartime leader on trial for corruption cannot lead with credibility. His legal entanglements are shaping national decisions, delaying critical moves like hostage deals and post-war planning.

What the Right says
This trial is a political witch hunt, and now more than ever, Israel needs strong, experienced leadership. Suspending the legal process in wartime is not just justified; it’s necessary.

Summary
Netanyahu’s trial has faded from the headlines but not from the national subconscious. For many, it remains the dark shadow looming over every decision. For others, it’s irrelevant in the face of existential war. The judiciary, too, is caught in the storm.


What will happen?
The unity forged in the fires of Oct. 7 is fracturing. And so the question is no longer just whether Israel will survive in the war against its enemies but whether it can survive itself.

"The war will not only not return the kidnapped, it will kill them and [prevent] the bodies of the fallen from being exhumed. [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is consciously turning the kidnapped into Ron Arad," Einav Zangauker, the mother of Gaza hostage Matan, accused on Saturday.

Ron Arad was an Israeli air force weapon systems officer who has been classified as missing since 1986.

Zangauker's comments were shared as demonstrators joined in Tel Aviv's Hostages' Square, demanding a deal that would release the remaining hostages after over 500 days in captivity.

She added that Ron Dermer, who is heading hostage-ceasefire talks on behalf of Israel, "managed to thwart the agreement and make Trump lose interest. The result is visible to everyone: Netanyahu blew up the agreement, and the kidnapped were left behind."
She added: "At this very moment, my Matan and our precious 58 [loved onces] are being bombed, on Netanyahu's orders."

Drawing comparisons to the Holocaust
She opened up about nightmares she experiences at night, thinking of her son's suffering. "Mom, we die a thousand times a day," he tells her in her dreams.

"The hostages are being held captive by Hamas, and we, the families, are being held captive by Netanyahu. In the Holocaust that the Jews went through, they were tattooed with numbers, and their names, identities, and hopes were taken away. Netanyahu is tattooing the souls of our loved ones with numbers," she accused. "What number did you tattoo Matan's soul with, huh, Netanyahu? 3,15,21 - What number did you give him?"

"You chose to blow up the negotiations and return to fighting. You decided to save yourself and wage war against an entire people. We will not go like sheep to the slaughter," she said, addressing the prime minister. "We will not let you destroy and annihilate our country! In the Holocaust, Jews were selected by the Nazis, some for life and some for death. You, the Prime Minister of the Jews, are selecting among the abductees.