Israeli writer Ben-Dror Yemini warned in an article published in the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" that Israel is on a path of rapid "collapse".
Ben-Dror Yemini argued that the crisis facing Israel is no longer limited to the political sphere, but has extended to the academic, economic, and diplomatic fields, and may develop into the imposition of international sanctions, delays in arms shipments, and even exposure to a military strike if current policies continue.
The writer began his article by stating that the common saying in Israel that "the whole world is against us" is inaccurate, adding that the real problem lies in the fact that "Israel is against itself," and that what he described as "folly" and "political collapse" is of the Israeli leadership's own making. He cited what he said was a statement by US President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "everyone is fed up with you," considering this statement to reflect the extent of the decline Israel has reached.
Yemini stressed that the collapse he is talking about is not only political, but extends to the academic arena, and may turn into an economic collapse as a result of sanctions and delays in arms supplies, stressing that this path is still stopable, but it requires a radical change in the current approach, considering that the ruling coalition may lead Israel “from one collapse to another.”
The writer believes that the October 7 attack revealed a “double blindness” within Israel; the first, as he describes it, was the disregard for the public statements of Hamas leaders regarding their intention to attack Israel and eliminate the Jews, despite their repeated announcements of this and their stockpiling of weapons, and the second was the disregard for the movement’s readiness to wage a parallel propaganda war aimed at delegitimizing Israel at the international level.
The writer accused Qatar of investing billions of dollars, over the years, in what he described as a "deception industry," arguing that these efforts focused particularly on Western universities, while Israel believed that American public opinion would automatically stand by its side after the October 7 attack.
He noted that the anti-Israel protests began, according to him, on the day of the attack itself, and that the justifications presented by Hamas supporters were ready in advance, foremost among them considering Israel a "colonial state" and that the Gaza Strip represents "the largest prison in the world," thus justifying the movement's attack as part of "decolonization."
The author listed the names of academics who he said contributed to providing intellectual cover for the anti-Israel narrative, including Professor Ian Lustick, who, according to the article, justified the October 7th attack, and Professor Raz Segal, who accused Israel of committing genocide a few days after the attack. He argued that the fact that both figures were Jewish, and one of them Israeli, gave this campaign added impact, alongside the growing street protests, forming what he described as a "two-headed propaganda machine," one head on the ground and the other in academia.
Yemini revealed that he had warned since October 8 that international sympathy for Israel would not last long, and that global public opinion would quickly begin to change its position, as had happened in previous confrontations, noting that he had written at the time that the war would be fought on two fronts; the first military, and the second in the field of public opinion, and that the latter could have a disastrous impact on Israel.
He added that he did not limit himself to writing articles, but also contacted several members of the Israeli government, warning them that the country was heading toward "political collapse." He said that a number of senior politicians continued to make statements about "crushing," "destroying," and "wiping out" the Gaza Strip, statements which he said severely damaged Israeli interests and contributed to accelerating its international isolation.
The writer concluded his article by saying that the political collapse that Israel is experiencing has become, in his opinion, a matter of time, holding decision-makers, foremost among them Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responsible for choosing this path "blindly," and for the serious repercussions that may result for the future of Israel.
