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Israel’s National Unity Has Faded Since Oct. 7, and Its Survival Is at Risk
An Israeli soldier stands during a two-minute siren marking the annual Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day, at an installation at the site of the Nova festival where party goers were killed and kidnapped during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, in Reim, southern Israel, May 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
In 67 BCE, with the death of Queen Salome Alexandra, the golden age of the Hasmonean dynasty collapsed into a bloody civil war. The prolonged struggle exacted a heavy toll, but the true beneficiaries were Judea’s enemies — especially the Romans, who exploited the chaos to bring the kingdom under imperial control. Internal strife led to the loss of Jewish sovereignty, and Jewish independence would not be restored until the 20th century.
More than 2,000 years have passed, yet the lesson remains painfully relevant. The events of October 7, 2023, shocked the people of Israel, who had been consumed by intense internal divisions. The debate over judicial reform had polarized Israeli society to an unprecedented degree. Yet, within hours of Hamas’ brutal attack, those differences faded — Israel stood united as one against a ruthless enemy.
On October 8, 2023, we witnessed a different Israel: unified, resilient, and invincible. Political squabbles suddenly became secondary to the urgent need to defend the nation. Volunteers flooded combat zones, donations poured in, and the entire country rallied behind soldiers, hostages, the wounded, and the displaced.
Now, as time passes, we find ourselves slipping back into historical patterns reminiscent of the Hasmonean civil war. Just weeks after a fragile ceasefire with Hamas, public discourse has once again turned to bitter disputes over reforms, legislation, and political interests. Power struggles between the coalition and opposition have resumed, and the atmosphere feels increasingly fractured. Have we truly learned nothing?
Social media is rife with venomous rhetoric, with each faction accusing the other of betraying national values and causing the chaos that led to October 7. Once again, we are forgetting a painful historical truth: our enemies are not waiting for us to resolve our differences — they are simply waiting for us to be weak enough to strike again. They do not care who supported judicial reform and who opposed it. They see us as one people — and sometimes, we need to remind ourselves of that, too.
Yet, those most responsible for acknowledging this reality — our leaders — continue to act as if nothing has changed. Instead of fostering unity, members of the Knesset, from both the coalition and opposition, are fueling the flames. They are not working to mend divisions but to deepen them, driven by a desperate chase for likes and shares on social media.
Instead of leading toward reconciliation, they pit citizens against each other, adding fuel to an already raging fire, reducing national unity to a cheap political tool.
It is time for new leadership — leadership that prioritizes the welfare of the people above all else. Leadership that is open to fresh ideas and unafraid to make bold decisions. Leadership that unites rather than divides, that seeks the greater good rather than petty victories.
True unity does not mean uniformity — it means embracing diverse perspectives and finding common ground. We need leaders who will listen to all sectors of society, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or background, and create a true national home. Leaders who serve the people rather than themselves, from both coalition and opposition, and who act with a sense of duty and responsibility. Leaders who will learn from history — both its triumphs and its failures — and guide us toward a future of hope, prosperity, and security. A future we deserve.
Itamar Tzur is the author of The Invention of the Palestinian Narrative and an Israeli scholar specializing in Middle Eastern history. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Jewish History and a Master’s degree with honors in Middle Eastern studies. As a senior member of the “Forum Kedem for Middle Eastern Studies and Public Diplomacy,” he leverages his academic expertise to deepen understanding of regional dynamics and historical contexts.
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Trump Picks Lawyer Who Called Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Psyop’ to Lead Federal Watchdog Agency
Paul Ingrassia. Photo: Screenshot
Paul Ingrassia, a 29-year-old lawyer who was recently nominated by US President Donald Trump to lead a federal agency dedicated to combating corruption and protecting whistleblowers, seemingly dismissed the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2o23, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel as a “psyop,” or “psychological operation, in resurfaced social media posts.
“This ‘war’ is yet another psyop to distract Americans from celebrating Columbus Day,” Ingrassia wrote on X/Twitter on Oct. 8, 2023.
“I think we could all admit at this stage that Israel/Palestine, much like Ukraine before it, and BLM before that, and covid/vaccine before that, was another psyop,” he posted a week later. “But sadly, people fell for it. And they’ll fall for the next one too.”
On the actual day of the Oct. 7 massacre, Ingrassia compared illegal immigration into the US to the Hamas-led onslaught.
“The amount of energy everyone has put into condemning Hamas (and prior to that, the Ukraine conflict) over the past 24 hours should be the same amount of energy we put into condemning our wide open border, which is a war comparable to the attack on Israel in terms of bloodshed — but made worse by the fact that it’s occurring in our very own backyard,” he posted. “We shouldn’t be beating the war drum, however tragic the events may be overseas, until we resolve our domestic problems first.”
Trump announced last week that he picked Ingrassia to serve as head of the US Office of Special Counsel, a position that requires confirmation by the Senate.
The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal ethics agency that works to ensure fairness and accountability within the government. Ingrassia’s role, if he is confirmed, would involve investigating claims of wrongdoing, such as retaliation against whistleblowers or improper political activity in the workplace. The official can recommend disciplinary action and reports serious findings to Congress, helping to protect federal employees and uphold the integrity of the civil service system.
Ingrassia also maintains a relationship with and defends alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate, who has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media. Tate wrote on X/Twitter that he refuses to “listen to women, Mexicans, or Jews” and that Jewish people are “subverting Western populations into mass genetic suicide” by advancing what he described as misguided immigration policy. Tate has also accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza against Palestinians and engaged in Holocaust denialism.
The furor surrounding Ingrassia is the latest dustup the Trump administration has had regarding controversial personnel and antisemitism.
The Trump administration’s appointment of Kingsley Wilson as deputy press secretary at the Department of Defense also sparked widespread criticism due to her history of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and extremist views. Wilson, formerly associated with the Center for Renewing America, has a documented history of social media posts endorsing white supremacist ideologies, including claims about the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank — a Jewish man whose wrongful conviction and subsequent murder galvanized the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. In 2023, she tweeted that Frank “raped & murdered a 13-year-old girl,” a statement aligning with neo-Nazi narratives.
Late last month, the Pentagon announced that Wilson will be promoted and serve as the department’s new press secretary.
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US Congress Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaking at a press conference about the United States restricting weapons for Israel, at the US Capitol, Washington, DC. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Members of the US Congress are moving quickly to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as an official terrorist organization.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced on Tuesday that he will reintroduce an updated version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act.
“In the coming days, I will be circulating and re-introducing a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which I have been pushing for my entire Senate career,” he posted on X/Twitter. “The Muslim Brotherhood used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen their influence, but the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) sent a letter to the White House on Tuesday asking US President Donald Trump to open an investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that the group maintains “a documented history of promoting extremist ideologies.”
“Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all declared the Muslim Brotherhood an FTO [foriegn terrorist organization] over a decade ago, and France is considering its own action. Following suit would help the US disrupt the Muslim Brotherhood’s ability to recruit and finance terror around the globe,” Moskowitz wrote on X/Twitter.
The push to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood gained momentum last month, when the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) organized a meeting to help members of Congress develop “strategies to ban the growing threat of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States,” the research group said in a press release.
“The Muslim Brotherhood appears to be the intellectual inspiration behind all Islamist groups (and their jihadist offshoots) that operate today, such as ISIS, al Qaeda, and Hamas,” ISGAP wrote in a 2023 report. “Sunni jihadist groups are grounded in the firm ideological roots that key MB [Muslim Brotherhood] ideologues pioneered in the last century.”
Hamas, the internationally designated terrorist group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades and perpetrated the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust with its invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both Cruz and Moskowitz noted that Hamas is a “branch” and an “affiliate” of the global Islamist movement.
While several countries in the Middle East have already classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, the United States has yet to do the same, despite several attempts by Congress over the years. During Trump’s first term in office, officials in both the White House and Congress took initial steps toward sanctioning the group’s international branches, but a formal designation was never finalized.
US lawmakers believe they have identified multiple pathways to economically cripple the internationally designated terror organization. Congress could combat the Muslim Brotherhood by designating it a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) or placing it on the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list. Both options would levy heavy penalties on the group through methods such as freezing its assets or sanctioning its leadership.
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Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Leader in Beirut as Tehran Tries to Ramp Up Support for Weakened Terror Proxy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem in Beirut on Wednesday, as Tehran moves to bolster its weakened terror proxy and maintain its presence in Lebanon.
During their meeting, Qassem expressed gratitude to the Islamist regime in Iran for its regional influence and “steadfast support of Palestinian resistance factions.”
According to local media, he also emphasized his commitment to Lebanon’s “progress, stability, sovereignty, and the expulsion of occupation from its territory.”
The Iranian-backed terrorist group has been struggling to maintain its political grip in Lebanon as it continues to reel from the devastating consequences of its war with Israel — a conflict that erupted after Hezbollah expressed “solidarity” with Hamas following the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
As part of his trip to Beirut, Araghchi also met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — a key Hezbollah ally.
During those meetings, the top Iranian diplomat stressed the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to providing economic, political, and social support through enhanced cooperation.
“I expressed my full support for Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and reconstruction in light of Israel’s occupation,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “Our goal and hope is to open a new chapter in our centuries-old relationship, built on mutual respect and shared interests.”
سررتُ بالعودة إلى بيروت الجميلة. خلال اجتماعاتي مع الرئيس، ورئيس مجلس النواب، ورئيس الوزراء، ووزير الخارجية، أعربتُ عن دعمي الكامل لاستقلال لبنان وسيادته وسلامة أراضيه وإعادة إعماره في ظل الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.
هدفنا وآملنا هو فتح صفحة جديدة في علاقتنا الممتدة لقرون، والمبنية على… pic.twitter.com/Gnv2sQeNaA
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 4, 2025
For his part, Aoun emphasized the importance of dialogue in “resolving differences” and highlighted post-war reconstruction as a top priority for his government.
According to local media, Araghchi also said that Iranian companies are prepared to contribute to the country’s post-war reconstruction efforts.
Since Lebanon’s US-backed army commander took office earlier this year and a new cabinet with reduced influence for Hezbollah was established, the terrorist group has faced mounting calls for disarmament as the new government seeks to assert full control over the country’s territory.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah. Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from Lebanon’s southern border, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
Although Jerusalem has withdrawn most of its ground forces since the war ended, Israeli officials have said it will retain control of five strategic positions in the south of the country until the Lebanese army demonstrates it can maintain security there.
Last fall, Israel decimated much of Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, which ended with the ceasefire.
Tens of thousands of residents in northern Israel were forced to evacuate their homes last year due to relentless attacks from Hezbollah, which expressed solidarity with Hamas amid the Gaza war.
Last month, the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement to disarm all 12 Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon. Both leaders pledged that Palestinian factions would refrain from using Lebanese territory as a launchpad for attacks against Israel and that all weapons would be placed under government control.
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