Israel Today and Ending Division
As a committed Zionist who has attempted to counteract the lies promoted by the global anti Israel cult since October 7, provide a balanced factual perspective, challenge the toxic rhetoric and actions of the Irish government and confront escalating antisemitism, I had prior to the latest Iran/Hezbollah war an increasing sense of despair when viewing Israel from the outside in. Instead of uniting Israelis of all backgrounds, fostering Jewish unity and upholding essential values, too many in Israel in a position of power presented as dedicated to sowing internal division, spreading hate and destroying Israel from within as a self sustaining democracy dedicated to the rule of law.
In the eight months preceding October 7 escalating division occurred within Israel over the judicial “reforms” controversy. The barbaric atrocities of the Hamas led invasion and abductions, together with Israel being daily targeted by Hamas and Hezbollah missiles, temporarily papered over some of the cracks. The 2026 war has had a similar effect. But under the surface the cracks remain, are again widening and risk the creation of a deeper chasm.
For some who love Israel, oppose those dedicated to its destruction and regard a secure, stable, thriving Israeli democracy as essential to the future wellbeing of the Jewish people too much of what is happening that is under the control of Israel’s government is deeply disturbing.
This is not a commentary on the overall Israel/ Palestinian conflict, the Israel/Iran/Hezbollah war, the likely success of the UNSC endorsed Trump Gaza peace plan nor on the implementation of any two state solution nor whether it is any solution at all.
It is about the principles and values that should be long integrated into the daily life of Israel as a state, its politics and both government and public conduct. It is about preventing social chaos, understanding and respecting difference within Judaism and Zionism and basic principles of human decency and conduct.
Some talk in the language of rights and obligations. But I prefer here to emphasis the importance of insight, standards, tolerance, justice and basic humanity.
Israeli politics have for long presented as rumbustious with political opponents resorting to language and conduct, even in the Knesset, to target their adversaries that is not tolerated and is regarded as unparliamentary and scandalous elsewhere. Rhetoric from some in Israel’s cabinet, some of the coalition parties Knesset members and their allies consistently presents as being venomously adversarial, fostering and cementing internal division and as encouraging or validating unlawful action by intolerant, extremist and messianic groups and individuals and also by members of the Haredi community. Such conduct also encourages and supports the continuing unlawful violent targeting and terrorising of Palestinians in Judea & Samaria, murder, physical assaults, setting fire to homes, farm buildings, machinery and cars, stealing stock, trampling crops, destroying olive trees and driving families from their homes. This is not Zionism. It is fanatical religious and nationalist spawned terrorism acting out with a sense of impunity. Saying that does not in any way ignore or diminish the tragic consequences of Palestinian terrorism, the dreadful impact on every Israeli of repetitive wars nor in any way seek to impede Israel’s capacity to defeat its genocidal enemies.
To this can be added the ill treatment of imprisoned Palestinians, the totality of events connected to the Sde Teiman scandal and the despicable spectacle and conduct of an unrestrained, out of control, security minister who revels in his cruel bombast and inhumanity, films it and proudly posts it on social media to the detriment of the hostages when still captive in Gaza and, to its detriment, depicting Israel on the world stage as no better than its terrorist adversaries and the barbaric regime in Iran. His obscene champagne celebration of the ill considered, politically opportunistic, newly enacted, discriminatory capital punishment law by the Knesset simply conveyed a global message that Israel’s current government is politically dedicated to replicating the barbaric hangings and executions in Iran.
And there are the courts. The separation of powers, an independent judiciary, respect for basic constitutional laws and government compliance with court orders is part of the foundations of a healthy democracy. So is the appointment of sufficient judges to replace the retired or deceased and to ensure the existence of an efficient functioning court system independent of government which has the capacity to process both criminal and civil court cases with absolute fairness and reasonable speed.
A justice minister who paralysis the court system by obstructing the appointment of required judges, is obsessed with creating a judicial appointments process totally controlled by government, who together with other members of government ignores and subverts court orders, publicly shuns the state’s Chief Justice and is at war with the state’s Attorney General not only undermines domestic and international confidence in Israel’s legal and judicial system but portrays the state as travelling down the road to replace democracy with tyranny. So does persistent contemptuous rhetoric by cabinet members and their Knesset supporters publicly vilifying Israel’s judiciary, conduct that will inevitably escalate should the constitutional challenge to the new capital punishment law, as expected, be successful. .
Additionally, there is the security minister whose attempts to undermine the independence of Israel’s police force and interfere in criminal investigations requires judicial intervention and restraint. To this can be added the too frequent incidents of excessive force used by some in the Border Police or the IDF resulting in preventable Palestinian civilian fatalities and casualties and the lack of immediate and credible independent investigations and swift prosecutions. A recent example is the shocking shooting and killing of four members of the Bani Odeh family in their car in the village of Tammun, a mother, father and two children aged 7 and 5, the couples other two children, aged 11 and 8, miraculously surviving, lightly wounded. The government’s refusal to appoint an entirely independent commission of enquiry into October 7 is also sadly compatible with such depiction and displays inexplicable contempt for lives lost and horrors suffered.
And next there is the Kotel/Western Wall in Jerusalem. For over ten years litigation has been before the Israeli High Court to provide for an egalitarian prayer space and also for refurbishment. A settlement to resolve disputed issues between the Reform & Conservative movements and the Women of the Wall with the Orthodox establishment which manages and controls events there has been systematically sabotaged by the latter, the government and the administration of the Jerusalem municipality and is a catalyst for increasing division.
The settlement was to provide the non Orthodox communities within and outside Israel with visible, larger and more accessible prayer space under their own control. Instead of implementing the settlement in compliance with court directions, members of government, including the Justice Minister, in February supported the initial reading of a Knesset Bill that confers sole authority on the Chief Rabbinate over the entire Wall, would outlaw egalitarian prayer and which prescribes up to seven years imprisonment for violating its provisions. This shameful denial of equality to and rejection of the religious perspective of millions of Jews globally who support Israel starkly illustrates the governments and the Bill’s Knesset supporters total lack of insight and understanding of difference and is yet another spectacle of contempt for judicial authority.
The Orwellian cognitive dysfunction inherent in this divisive folly was starkly illustrated by the Bills delusional sponsor, MK Avi Maoz, who celebrated its progress pronouncing “ it would unify the Jewish people, both those in Israel and in the Diaspora”. The truth is that the Bill, if enacted, will copper fasten division. Proving that its supporters in Am Echad, a self styled “Coalition for Jewish Values”, in newspaper advertisements promoting it, launched a demonising war on the reform movement pejoratively depicting it as a “ threat to the continuity of Jewish tradition” and “ the future of the state”.
Following the recent terrorist attacks on shuls and Jewish schools across the globe, including in Manchester, Melbourne, Michigan, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Liege, Toronto, the torching of ambulances adjacent to a shul in London, foiled attacks on a shul in Norway and a school in Holland and also the Bondi Beach massacre, they should bow their heads in shame. Perhaps someone within that group sometime noticed that missiles targeting Israel do not distinguish between Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jewry nor do the terrorists and antisemites who attack Jews globally.
It is incomprehensible that such a despicable mindset prevailed post October 7. Long ago all should have learnt that the hate of Israel’s adversaries and antisemites does not discriminate and distinguish between those within different strands of Judaism or Zionism. Everyone within our diverse global Jewish family supportive of Israel, including critics of government, should be cherished, equally embraced and valued and not arbitrarily demonised by any self appointed “ Coalition for Jewish Values”.
And then there is the creation within Israel, with government support, of an independent Haredi republic. Within it children are deprived in state sponsored education of basic learning in crucial subjects and taught to have no allegiance to the Israeli state on which they and their families depend for support and which funds their institutions. Haredi rabbinical leaders vehemently oppose Haredi young adults assuming the same military responsibilities to defend and protect Israel against its adversaries as all others of similar age and encourage yeshiva students to hold the rest of Israeli society and those of other faiths in contempt or perceive them as heretics or corrupt.
Despicable illustrations of the latter include the scandalous hunting down of two Israeli female soldiers in Bnei Brak and spitting in Jerusalem on identifiable Christian visitors. And the division between Haredi and the rest of Israeli society is widening as the Haredi population expands, laying the foundations for greater future division.The temporarily frozen and now reportedly revived Bill to address the issue of Haredi military conscription remains an open sore that threatens Israel’s security, unity and the IDF’s medium to long term defensive capacity.
Other issues of concern include ensuring speedy financial and psychological supports for those detrimentally impacted by recent conflicts and an end to police harassment of law abiding protesters.
But there is one essential bottom line. If, in the aftermath of the Iran/ Hezbollah conflict, Israel’s government continues to foster internal division, ignore fanaticism or fails to end police and security force misconduct, it will lead to a greater disaster than October 7. That is a lesson from Jewish history. There will be further internal conflict, increasing numbers of alienated Israelis will likely emigrate, financial and political support from the Diaspora will decline, Israel’s adversaries to a greater extent than at present will exploit government dysfunction as demonising weapons to Israel’s international detriment, Israel’s allies will become increasingly distant, increasing numbers of Jewish young people in the Diaspora will be alienated and Israel risks resembling a fanatical Jewish replica of today’s Iran. That is not the Israel I love nor the Israel I ever want to see.
8th April 2026