Will a ‘New Day Rise?’ The Challenges Currently Faced by Israel

In an effort to maintain his grip on power, Prime Minister Netanyahu continues the war in Gaza. Hostages remain in captivity, and many are likely to die due to the appalling conditions they endure. A strategy of containment could have worked—if it had been properly implemented. This is one of the reasons why the current government resists the idea of a Commission of Inquiry.

The ongoing assault on Gaza is unlikely to achieve its stated objectives. The IDF risks becoming mired there for years, with a heavy toll on reserve forces and significant numbers of dead and wounded soldiers. There appears to be little serious discussion about how to prevent the future smuggling of weapons through the Philadelphi Corridor. An international force led by the United States might offer a solution, especially as Egypt has proven unable—or unwilling—to stop the smuggling.

Meanwhile, nothing is being done to address the issue of the 70,000 ultra-Orthodox men who should be serving in the military. This persistent inequality undermines the sense of shared national responsibility.

The threat to Israeli democracy posed by Netanyahu and Justice Minister Levin continues to grow. In my view, there is a real possibility that, under the pretext of national security, the 2026 elections could be postponed.

Internationally, Israel is facing increasing isolation. The war in Gaza is damaging Israel’s image around the world. Support in the US Congress, particularly among Democrats, is slipping. Young Americans and many Europeans—once natural allies—are turning away from Israel.

Calls in the US for a “one-state solution” are resurging, a concept that effectively calls for the end of Israel as a Jewish state. There are 22 Arab countries and 57 Muslim-majority nations, but for antisemites, even one tiny “postage stamp” of a Jewish homeland is too much. As former Prisoner of Zion, minister, and head of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky has said, the call for a “one-state solution” is a form of antisemitism because it delegitimizes the very existence of Israel.

Perhaps most dangerously, Iran is benefiting from the prolonged conflict. They are continuing to enrich uranium, and I doubt the Trump administration will take meaningful action to stop it. One day Heaven Forbid!,” we may wake up to the announcement that Iran has a nuclear bomb—an existential threat not just to Israel, but to Europe and possibly even the United States. In American baseball, batters are taught to “keep your eye on the ball.” Right now, it does not seem that Israel is doing so.

Is there reason for hope? Things must change—and soon!

Perhaps hope lies in Israel’s Eurovision song, written by Keren Peles and sung by Yuval Raphael “New Day will Rise” whose chorus offers a glimmer of resilience:

“New day will rise
Everyone cries, don’t cry alone
Darkness will fade, all the pain will go by
But we will stay.”

Yes, we will stay!
Am Yisrael Chai!