Diabolus est non diabolus, sed veteranus

An old Latin saying warns us: “Diabolus est non diabolus, sed veteranus.” The devil is not feared for being the devil, but for being experienced. This phrase, credited to the philosopher and theologian St. Jerome, echoes in the corridors of power, where leaders, more often than we’d like to admit, seize crises to consolidate their standing.

No one is suggesting that Benjamin Netanyahu orchestrated the tragic events of October 7th, but the question that surrounds us, like a ghost unwilling to disappear, is whether he might have glimpsed a window of opportunity in the shadows of tragedy. The line between the timely and the opportunist is like a hair strand lost in darkness.

Indeed, history is rife with examples of leaders exploiting crises to solidify their grip on power. From Argentina under military rule using the Falklands War as a distraction from social and economic crises, to Russia in its war against Chechnya, passing through Sudan during the Darfur conflict, and of course, North Korea with its constant narrative of external threat. All these cases resonate with a warning: external chaos can serve as a veil for questionable actions within borders.

The current landscape, saturated with conflict and uncertainty, offers a stage for Netanyahu to reshape his image, corroded by years of controversies. “The country is at war; now is not the time to change the ship’s commander,” he seems to say, without saying. The aura of crisis serves as a perfect backdrop for a leader wrapped in scandals to reassert his relevance.

And here, at the crossroads between ethics and power, a veiled yet potent strategy emerges: the mindset of “you’re either with us or against us.” This is fertile ground for forms of governance verging on authoritarianism to blossom. But beware, for this is the trap. This cohesion, legitimized by our love for our country, is what any government flirting with fascism desires to hold onto power.

In the end, leaders come and go, but the people remain. And it is the people who must be the guiding beacon in times of darkness, not a man who may or may not be using a crisis to prolong his time on the stage of history. True leadership, one worthy of our respect and trust, knows that power is merely a means to an end, never the end itself.