Israel Against Itself and Israel Against All
There is a good bit of evidence that suggests Israel is unraveling from within. It now appears that Zionism, like communism, is a self-defeating project. In June of this year, renown Jewish historian, Ilan Pappé, suggested that the collapse of Zionism may be imminent. According to Pappé, “We are witnessing a historical process – or, more accurately, the beginnings of one – that is likely to culminate in the downfall of Zionism.”
In a manner eerily reminiscent of ancient Israel, modern Israel is quickly dividing into two separate states: the State of Israel and the State of Judea. The former identifies as a secular liberal democracy while the latter consists of far right religious zealots who want to establish a theocracy, and believe that God has promised them all the land between the Nile and the Euphrates.
Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich is a leading figure of this latter group. In a new documentary produced by Arte, Smotrich claimed that “the future of Jerusalem is to expand to Damascus.”
Not surprisingly, Smotrich’s vision for the State of Judea includes annexing territories presently belonging to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The members of this group, including, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Minister of National Security, believe that the events which transpired on October 7 provide the perfect pretext for them to realize their vision of Greater Israel.
Moreover, domestically things are deteriorating rapidly. There’s been a sharp increase in Israelis leaving the country with no intention to return. It is estimated that up to 60,000 small businesses will close by the end of this year. Foreign investment was down by 18% overall in the first half of 2024. Tourism declined by 80% after Oct 7, 2023, and the State’s credit rating has been downgraded, not once, but twice.
In a word, Israel is in trouble.
It’s troubles, however, are not only internal. Israel may soon be facing what Colonel Douglas MacGregor has called its “Little Big Horn moment.” According to MacGregor, Israel, like Gen. Custer, may soon find itself surrounded, not by Indians, but by Arabs, Persians, and Turks with nowhere to escape.
If this scenario does play out in the way Macgregor anticipates, one may conclude that Israel has no one to blame other than itself. This may ultimately be true, but it is not the whole truth. Other parties cannot escape their culpability in this debacle including the government of the United States, the defense industry, AIPAC and other Israeli lobbies, and Christian Zionists who are among the biggest supporters of Israel’s territorial expansion and escalation of the war.
The real irony in all of this is that those who think they are helping to save Israel may actually be contributing to its demise.
Yitzhak Brik, former commander of the IDF military colleges, observed that “The country really is galloping towards the edge of an abyss.” Brik predicts that if the war continues on its present course “Israel will collapse within no more than a year.”
If Brik’s logic is correct, then those encouraging Israel’s escalation and expansion are in actuality helping to expedite its end.
Yet, even if Israel survives the war, it is not at all clear that it will survive as a healthy state. As one headline put it: “Israel will survive the war. But what kind of Israel will it be.”
Dahlia Scheindlin wrote in Haaretz, that after just a little more than six months into the conflict, “Israel was already becoming an international pariah.”
With recent announcements coming from France, Spain, and the United States, Israel may soon be completely isolated in the international community.
President Macron of France and PM Pedro Sanchez of Spain have both urged the international community to stop sending arms to Israel. Then on October 9, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered remarks at a UN Security Council briefing which called for a “hostage and cease fire deal consistent with UN resolution 2735.”
In essence, this resolution is a three phase plan that calls for the return of all the hostages, a surge in humanitarian aid, security assurance for Israel, ending the war, return of all Palestinian civilians to their homes, and a commitment to a two-state solution.
Taken at face value, Ambassador Greenfield’s remarks represent a radical shift in American-Israeli policy. The United States has consistently used its veto power to block any resolution calling for an immediate cease fire.
However, even if the US were to vote in favor of resolution 2735, it’s hard to believe that Netanyahu would agree to it.
In his speech at the UN in September, Netanyahu vowed that “Israel will not go gently into that good night.”
In May, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Netanyahu pledged that “…no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself… If Israel is forced to stand alone, then Israel will stand alone.”
Apparently, Netanyahu is just fine with Israel becoming a Pariah state. It remains to be seen, however, if the people of Israel will share in his enthusiasm for this new prospect.
One thing is certain, if Israel is going to survive it must immediately end the war, replace the government, comply with the International Court of Justice, and return to the pre-1967 boarders.
Since this is highly unlikely, the collapse of Zionism may be inevitable.
Those who know their biblical history will recall, that at the time when the Biblical kingdom of Israel divided into two separate kingdoms, the United Monarchy had only been in existence for a meager 120 years.
Of course, the modern state of Israel should not be confused with biblical Israel. Nevertheless, the historical circumstances are somewhat similar.
As Mark Twain once quipped, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Jim Fitzgerald is a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and a missionary in the Middle East and North Africa. His articles have appeared in American Greatness, American Thinker, Antiwar.com, and the Aquila Report.
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