Four Years of What? – Part I: Security, War, and the Price Paid at Home

Nearly four years ago, Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest government came to power promising security, stability, economic strength, and responsible leadership.
Supporters spoke of experience, deterrence, and strategic vision. Israelis were told that this government would protect the country from its enemies, strengthen national resilience, and safeguard the future of the Jewish state.
Today, after almost four years in office, Israelis are entitled to ask a simple question:

What exactly has this government achieved, and at what cost?

The defining story of these four years is not one of security, prosperity, or unity. Instead, many Israelis see a legacy marked by catastrophe, division, political survival, and an extraordinary failure of leadership at the moment the nation needed it most.

October 7 – The Greatest Failure in Israel’s History

The defining event of this government’s tenure was the October 7 attack.
More than 1,200 Israelis were murdered. Families were destroyed. Entire communities were devastated. It was the deadliest day in the history of the State of Israel and the largest massacre of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust.
The first responsibility of any government is the protection of its citizens. On October 7, that responsibility failed on a historic scale.

The Hostages

251 Israelis were taken hostage.
For hundreds of days, families endured uncertainty, fear, and heartbreak while pleading for action.
Many Israelis believe political considerations repeatedly took precedence over efforts to secure a comprehensive hostage agreement.

Forty Seven hostages who were alive when kidnapped never returned alive.
The hostage crisis became more than a humanitarian tragedy. It became a symbol of a government that many believe placed coalition survival above national unity and moral responsibility.

The Human Cost of War

More than 900 Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Tens of thousands more have suffered physical and psychological wounds.
Beyond those directly injured, hundreds of thousands of Israelis now live with trauma, anxiety, PTSD, and the long-term emotional consequences of nearly three years of war.
A war that was expected by many to last weeks or months has stretched toward one thousand days, with no clear strategic end in sight.
Entire communities have paid a devastating price while the political leadership continues to struggle to articulate a realistic vision for the day after.

Displacement and Destruction

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis became refugees within their own country.
Communities in the north were evacuated for extended periods. Many residents still hesitate to return because they no longer trust that security can be guaranteed.
Homes, businesses, schools, and public institutions built over generations have been damaged or destroyed.
For many families, the physical war may eventually end. The process of rebuilding their lives may take years.

Economic Damage

The economic cost of this period has been staggering.
Taxes have risen.
Government deficits have expanded.
The cost of living continues to increase.
Poverty is growing.
Businesses struggle with uncertainty, labor shortages, reserve duty absences, and declining investment.
Even when assistance has been promised, many citizens feel that compensation, rehabilitation, and recovery programs have fallen far short of what was needed, if it even reaches them in the first place.
The burden has increasingly fallen on ordinary Israelis while the government continues to avoid difficult structural reforms.

Brain Drain

Israel’s greatest resource has never been oil, gas, or natural wealth.
It has always been its people.
Yet increasing numbers of doctors, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and technology professionals have either left the country or begun exploring opportunities elsewhere.
The loss of talent represents more than an economic problem. It is a warning sign about confidence in Israel’s future.

Crime and Governance

Violence in the Arab sector has reached unprecedented levels.
Organized crime organizations continue to expand their influence.
Many citizens feel abandoned by a government that appears either unwilling or incapable of addressing the crisis.
For years, ministers promised decisive action. The results have been difficult to see.
This government has consistently been guided by the extremist ideology of let the Arabs kill each other without regard to who is killed and that the crimes do not stay within any boundaries.

Settler Violence and the Rule of Law

Extremist settler violence against Palestinians has become an increasing source of concern both inside Israel and abroad.
Incidents involving arson, assaults, property destruction, theft, and killings have drawn criticism from security officials, legal experts, and international allies.
Critics argue that law enforcement responses have been inadequate and inconsistent, damaging Israel’s moral standing and international reputation. The criticism has no impact on any member of the government. We have yet to hear from the Prime Minister any denunciation of the rising scale of settler terrorism or of any change to prevent the terror or arrest any of the perpetrators. Only when we hear it being referred to by its proper term, terrorism will we ever see any action to deal with these abysmal and illegal acts which are currently enabled and encouraged by this extremist government.
For many Israelis, the issue is not only about the victims of these crimes but about whether the rule of law applies equally to everyone.

The Judicial Overhaul Crisis

Even before October 7, the country was deeply divided.
The government’s attempt to fundamentally reshape the judicial system produced the largest protest movement in Israel’s history.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis filled the streets.
Military reservists, academics, business leaders, and former security officials warned that the proposed changes threatened democratic checks and balances.
After October 7, many expected these efforts would be abandoned in favor of national unity.
Instead, critics argue that the government simply slowed its plans before quietly resuming them while the public’s attention remained focused on the war.

Conclusion

Taken individually, each of these issues would represent a serious challenge for any government.

Taken together, they paint a far more troubling picture.

The worst security failure in Israel’s history.

Hundreds of hostages.

Hundreds of fallen soldiers.

Hundreds of thousands displaced.

A struggling economy.

Growing social divisions.

A nation carrying deep psychological scars.

After nearly four years in power, many Israelis believe the government has failed in its most basic obligations: protecting its citizens, strengthening national unity, and preparing the country for the future.

Yet the domestic consequences tell only part of the story.

Beyond Israel’s borders, another crisis has been unfolding—one involving diplomacy, international standing, antisemitism, strategic dependence, and accountability.

That story is the subject of Part II.