RSS
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.
The post Israel’s National Unity Has Faded Since Oct. 7, and Its Survival Is at Risk first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
RSS
Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
RSS
Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.