Our last chance to stop the madness

The moment of truth has arrived. No more demonstrations that inspire headlines but change nothing; no more tweets, slogans and empty chatter. It is time to leave the stands and step onto the field – into the only game that can still alter reality and perhaps rescue us from Netanyahu’s destructive path.

This appeal is addressed to all of us, but especially to those who keep this government breathing: the leaders of industry, the bank and insurance executives, the fuel giants, contractors, importers, retailers, logistics firms, and transport companies.

You hold the switch that powers Israel. Responsibility is no longer an abstract idea – it is here, now. The government is pushing for a full conquest of Gaza, endangering IDF soldiers and the hostages, dismantling public trust, and driving the economy toward isolation. The political system is deaf, the opposition paralyzed and exhausted.

We are left with one last civilian weapon: an economic shutdown, standing shoulder to shoulder with the families of the hostages.

Not another “polite protest,” not another carefully worded letter or meaningless petition. What is needed is a general strike led by the business sector: one week in which Ben Gurion Airport is silent, the ports idle, shipping centers locked, fuel distribution frozen, buses halted, malls shuttered. A coordinated action, devoid of violence and backed by support infrastructure. Its purpose: to make clear to the government that the public will not grant a mandate for a destructive move that will drag us years backward and bury the hostages’ chances of returning alive.

Do say this is “not your place” or “this is not the time.” When the government has at best become a rubber stamp, or a rag fluttering in Ben Gvir’s wind, when the cabinet is dragged by political calculations, you are the ones how can assess the risks and tabulate the harm. You see the contracts that are frozen, the investments on hold, the partners pulling away.

You know the economy cannot withstand another strategic blunder born of political survival. Responsibility now rests with you.

And so that this is not miscast as a strike against the public, do it properly: announce in advance, guarantee full pay for employees, create a bridging fund for small businesses and day-workers, and keep essential services for health and security running. This is civil resistance, not tribal warfare. Do not expect the Histadrut Labor Federation to do it for you; it is shackled to interests, enslaved to Netanyahu, who has masterfully taken control of it as he has of other power centers – as seasoned dictators do.

You are free of politics; therefore, you are bound to public wisdom.

This is also the public’s mission: a voluntary “economic Yom Kippur” – a week of restraint: delaying purchases, avoiding unnecessary travel, reducing consumption. Not to “harm the economy” but the opposite: to save it, and to send a direct signal to those who understand only one language, stopping the flow of money. This is a warning signal, not suicide; a temporary act intended to prevent permanent damage.

Some will claim a shutdown hurts morale. The truth is the opposite: nothing is more inspiring than pausing to save lives, bring home the hostages, and get the country back on course. A government that terrorizes its citizens with despair, spin, and distractions understands only limits – limits set by mature citizens, even at the cost of a day’s work.

To ensure it does not last a moment longer than necessary, set clear exit conditions: a government commitment to an agreement clarifying the timetable for the hostages’ return; withdrawal from plans for full conquest and presentation of a regional framework for civilian rehabilitation and demilitarization; initiation of a process to establish a state commission of inquiry; and a timetable for elections. You are not asking to replace the government, you are demanding proper governance. This is not politics; this is national risk management.

Do not fear, and do not deceive yourselves. For nearly two years, silence has numbed us – like the frog lulled in slowly boiling water.

For nearly two years, the country has been bleeding while you captains of industry profited: from citizens forced to vacation domestically, from inflated local consumption, from soaring prices on flights, food, and fashion. All of it has swelled your pockets.

For nearly two years, you have played the game and gained enormously.

Now is the time to give back to Israeli society, to show solidarity, to draw a red line and tell the government: enough. These are the moments that measure leadership – the moment to rise, brush off the dust of fence-sitting, and take a stand. Who will be first?