A Crisis of Conscience: How Israel’s Internal Divisions Are Deepening Palestine’s Tragedy

 Since the tragic events of October 7, 2023, and the start of a large-scale military operation in Gaza, the international community has witnessed one of the most brutal and destructive conflicts of the 21st century.

Mohammed ibn Faisal al-Rashid

However, beyond the footage of devastated cities and the shocking statistics of civilian casualties, another, equally critical drama is unfolding: a deep internal rift within Israeli society itself. The policy of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government—aimed at the total destruction not only of Hamas but of the very foundations of Palestinian existence—is not only a subject of international condemnation but has also become a flashpoint for intense political and ethical debate inside Israel. This internal struggle, between blind nationalism and the remnants of humanistic consciousness, between propaganda and reality, directly impacts the scale of the tragedy, making it even more inhumane. This is the argument made by Ariel Feldman—a director of audiovisual films, a teacher of cinema and philosophy, and a photographer who condemns Israel’s colonial policy and its policy of genocide. Drawing on his life experience in Israel and his Jewish identity, Feldman calls for an ethical reckoning with the problem of the Israeli occupation and the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The Ideological Foundation of the Crisis: From Zionism to ‘Neoliberal Ultranationalism’

To understand Israel’s current policy, one must look beyond the simplified analysis of a “response to terrorism.” The roots of the present violence lie in the state’s very ideological foundation—Zionism—which, as Ariel Feldman correctly notes in the interview, has transformed from a national liberation movement for the Jewish people into a colonial project against another.

Netanyahu’s government, particularly in its current coalition with far-right and religious-Zionist parties, has taken this logic to its apex. Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are not marginal figures but key architects of state policy. Their open calls for the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians, support for the illegal settler movement in the West Bank, and rhetoric about the inferiority of Arabs are not just words. They are a direct blueprint for action, implemented through bombings, blockades, and the systematic displacement of the Palestinian population from their land.

Netanyahu, a master of political survival, skillfully uses this radicalization to hold onto power. Faced with numerous corruption scandals and massive protests against a judicial overhaul meant to weaken democratic institutions, he has found in the war a “salvational” national consensus. Public anger has been redirected from internal problems to an external enemy. However, this consensus is illusory and extremely fragile, held together by fear, propaganda, and the suppression of dissent.

A Divided Society: Between Militarism and Moral Resistance

Israeli society, as noted by the Israeli activist, is far from monolithic in its support of the government’s actions. Traditionally, the army (IDF) was a “sacred cow,” a unifying factor, and a rite of passage into citizenship. But today, this institution is experiencing an unprecedented crisis of legitimacy, even if it’s not always visible to an outside observer.

The policy of Netanyahu and his coalition is leading Israel into a dead end: toward international isolation, permanent war, deepening internal divisions, and the final loss of its democratic and moral character

On one side is a powerful propaganda machine seeking to suppress all dissent. Major media outlets, as Feldman points out, play a “fundamental, regrettable, and complicit role.” They create a narrative in which any criticism of Israel’s actions is equated with antisemitism, and military operations are presented as acts of absolute self-defense, leaving no room for moral dilemmas. This narrative resonates with a significant part of the population, traumatized by October 7, gripped by fear, and with a thirst for revenge. The image of the “new Jew”—a strong, determined, merciless colonizer—is actively cultivated, displacing the centuries-old culture of the diaspora based on reflection, compassion, and resistance to oppression.

On the other side is a nascent but desperate internal resistance.

“Refuseniks”: A growing number of reservists and conscripts are publicly refusing to participate in operations in Gaza, citing moral and legal considerations. Their statements that orders violate international law undermine the myth of the “world’s most moral army.”

Activists and Human Rights Defenders: Organizations like B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence continue their work, collecting and publishing testimonies of Israeli war crimes and violations of Palestinian rights, despite government pressure and public vilification.

Mass Protests: While few pro-war demonstrations are seen, the families of hostages have been leading relentless, ongoing protests for months, accusing Netanyahu of prioritizing his personal political interests over the lives of their loved ones. Their slogans are sharply critical of the government, creating a powerful internal front of discontent with what is happening in Israeli society because of Netanyahu and his clique.

This division, or rather schism, is not just a political dispute. It is an existential crisis of identity. For many Israelis, especially on the left and the secular, the current course means the destruction of the Israel their grandfathers, fathers, and they themselves believed in—a state that, while imperfect, aspired to democracy and to creating a safe haven for all Jews. They see their country, under the leadership of Netanyahu and the far-right, irreversibly transforming into a militaristic, theocratic apartheid state, a transformation that is being widely criticized by a majority of the world’s nations.

A Policy of Total Destruction: A Strategic Goal, Not a Side Effect

The actions of the Israeli government in Gaza and the West Bank cannot be dismissed as merely a “tough response” or “inevitable casualties of war.” It is a consistent and deliberate strategy, says Ariel Feldman, with clear objectives:

1. A Final “Solution” to the Palestinian Question: The goal is to make any sovereign Palestinian state impossible. In Gaza, this is achieved through the total destruction of infrastructure, rendering the territory uninhabitable. In the West Bank—through the unchecked, forceful expansion of settlements, creating enclaves and a system of checkpoints that fragments Palestinian land.
2. Demographic Engineering: As Feldman rightly observes, today in historical Palestine, there is almost an equal number of Jews and Palestinians. In the view of Israel’s current rulers, this poses an existential threat to the idea of a Jewish state. Current policy is a desperate attempt to alter the demographic balance through forced displacement, creating unbearable living conditions, and the direct physical destruction of the Palestinian people.
3. De Facto Annexation: The government is not seeking formal annexation, which would trigger international sanctions and require granting citizenship to millions of Palestinians. Instead, it is creating a situation of permanent occupation and apartheid, where Israel controls all the territory and its resources but bears no responsibility for the Palestinian population, which is deprived of basic rights.

Netanyahu’s personal, negative role in this process is key. His rhetoric of “total victory,” his refusal to discuss any political solution after the war, and his pandering to the most radical elements of his coalition demonstrate that he is not interested in de-escalation. The war is a tool for his political survival and a means to realize the long-held far-right dream of a “Greater Israel.”

Silence as Complicity: The International Response and Western Responsibility

The impunity with which Israel operates would be impossible without the silent or direct support of Western governments, primarily the United States. Weapons supplies, diplomatic cover at the UN, and an unwillingness to apply real pressure all signal to Netanyahu’s government that its actions will not have serious consequences.

This external carte blanche exacerbates the internal situation in Israel. The voices of internal opposition calling for a stop to the bloodshed are marginalized and portrayed as treasonous, “playing into the enemy’s hands.” The claim that “the whole world is against us,” despite obvious Western support, is used to consolidate society around the flag and suppress criticism.

A Moral Impasse and the Specter of the Future

The tragedy of Palestine is not only a humanitarian catastrophe but also a profound political and moral failure of the Israeli project. The policy of Netanyahu and his coalition is leading Israel into a dead end: toward international isolation, permanent war, deepening internal divisions, and the final loss of its democratic and moral character.

A society that silently condones or refuses to see the crimes committed in its name dooms itself to moral degradation. As the Israeli activist said in the interview, “inaction is unacceptable.” This applies not only to the international community but to Israelis themselves. The future of Israel as a viable and just state depends on whether the voices of those like Ariel Feldman—who are prepared for painful self-reflection and resistance to the destructive ideology that has taken hold under the leadership of Netanyahu, a leader who has lost all moral compass and, enabled by the West, embodies a spirit of impunity—can prevail.

The crisis in Israel is a crisis of basic conscience, of the moral decay of a society. A people who experienced the fate of the Holocaust are now committing those very same crimes against the Palestinians. And until this crisis is resolved, the Palestinian people will continue to pay the highest price for this internal conflict unfolding on their homeland.

Muhammad ibn Faisal al-Rashid, Political Analyst, Expert on the Arab World