They’re really just looking in the mirror.

It’s too early to say how exactly the failed assassination attempt against former U.S. President Donald Trump will impact American politics and the 2024 election. Still, here in Israel, it’s already clear how the Government is trying to use it cynically for political purposes: Netanyahu and his loyalists are trying to draw parallels between the attack on Trump and the supposed threats they face, painting a picture of a beleaguered right-wing under siege. But let’s be honest, this is projection at its finest.

Do you know what projection is? In psychology, someone attributes their unacceptable feelings or desires to others. Freud talked about it, Jung expanded on it, and politicians like Netanyahu exemplify it. Take Moshe Katsav, ex-president of Israel and member of the Likud party. Katsav was all about family values and public morality. Yet, in 2011, he was convicted of rape and other sexual crimes and started a seven-year prison sentence. The man who preached integrity turned out to be a predator. Katsav often accused his critics of smearing his reputation for political gain, a classic case of projection.

Now, apply this to the political scene here. The extreme right, led by Netanyahu, loves to project its violence and corruption onto the left. They fear violence because it’s part of their playbook. They accuse the left of incitement and lacking character, but they’re the ones using words as weapons and ideologies as ammunition. When they scream about threats, they’re just looking in the mirror.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Amichai Chikli, Yoav Kisch, Miri Regev, and their extremist cohorts don’t just tolerate brutality; they encourage it under the guise of “security” and “ideals.” They cultivated the climate that led to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. All these current government figures bear direct or indirect responsibility. They created an atmosphere of hatred that drove a man to pull the trigger. They are accomplices in the worst sense.

Yitzhak Rabin, a man of war and peace, dedicated his life to Israel’s security. In 1993, he signed the Oslo Accords with Yasser Arafat, a historic step toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. But to the extreme right, which saw any territorial concession as betrayal, Rabin became a target.

The rhetoric was inflamed. Rabin was branded a traitor, compared to a Nazi collaborator, and depicted in SS uniforms on posters. Netanyahu, then the opposition leader, marched in protests where crowds chanted “Death to Rabin.” This incitement reached a boiling point on November 4, 1995, when Yigal Amir, an extremist from the right, assassinated Rabin at a peace rally in Tel Aviv. Amir pulled the trigger and ended the life of a man striving for a better future for our people. But who was the inspiration?

Amichai Chikli, with his comparison of cynical and stupid, as in everything he does, tried to equate the protests against Netanyahu to the dark days before Rabin’s assassination. Besides being fantastical, the comparison is an insult to Israeli history. Conveniently, he forgets the countless times the extreme right incited violence, whether against Palestinians or fellow Israelis. Chikli is a pyromaniac trying to extinguish fires with gasoline, a morally bankrupt incendiary. The current protests could never be compared to those against the peace agreements. Or am I wrong?

Yoav Kisch, in his boundless hypocrisy, ties violence to leftist rhetoric while ignoring how his political faction has crossed every line of human decency. Kisch is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, falsely howling for peace while sharpening his claws for the next prey. He’s nothing more than a mediocre manipulator, a charlatan of morality.

Miri Regev, with her theatrical victimhood, supports policies of segregation and marginalization, twisting narratives to fit an exclusionary agenda. Regev is a pawn in building an extremist and populist society. Her blind obedience and willingness to play any part make her a pathetic accomplice in the power game. She’s a tragic and pitiful figure, wallowing in her disdainful theater.

And what about Itamar Ben Gvir? His terse tweet, “God bless Trump,” with a broken heart emoji, epitomizes the superficiality of his commitment to justice and peace. This is the same man who glorifies violent settlers and perpetuates occupation as a divine crusade. Ben Gvir is the smiling predator, feigning empathy while feeding the endless cycle of violence and oppression. He’s a disgusting example of humanity’s worst. He kept a photo of Yigal Amir, Rabin’s assassin, on his wall until recently. That says everything about his character.

Bezalel Smotrich, with his prayers for Trump’s health, is nothing but an opportunist whose policies are destructive. The Israeli and American flags in his tweet are a bitter reminder of how he subverts the values these flags should represent. Smotrich is the disguised patriot, praying with open eyes and dirty hands. His hypocrisy is a poison that erodes any trace of dignity.

At the center of it all is Benjamin Netanyahu, the conductor of this discordant orchestra. He masterfully orchestrates a symphony of fear and division. His ability to turn legitimate criticism into existential threats is a sleight of hand that has fooled many, but not all. Netanyahu, in his insatiable quest for power, has become the very enemy of the people he claims to protect. He’s the snake charmer, poisoning the nation with empty promises and incendiary rhetoric. His legacy is a trail of moral and social destruction, a shadow over Israel’s future.

What happened with Trump is criminal, and, to no one’s surprise, the shooter was a right-wing radical. So stop projecting. The extreme right, with their paranoia and hysteria, projects their violent tendencies onto the left. They fear violence because it’s integral to their strategy and identity. They accuse the left of incitement, but they’re the ones who weaponize words and ideologies with hate. When they scream about threats, they’re looking in the mirror.

Violence is ingrained in Israel’s extreme right. This faction doesn’t hesitate to use fear, threats, and violence for their goals. Israel’s real war isn’t against external enemies but against the internal demons the extreme right nurtures and exacerbates. This grotesque theater of accusations and victimhood is a smokescreen for an agenda of domination and division.

The Israeli left, in contrast, is committed to peace, negotiation, and justice. That’s why, despite all the incitement, we continue to fight for an Israel that welcomes, not excludes, that builds bridges, not walls. And don’t be mistaken: we will resist every attempt to silence us with fear and hate. Unlike these charlatans and arsonists, we know true strength lies in building, not destroying.