Israel's Secular and Religious-messianic Publics See October 7 Very Differently. Is Civil War Looming?
Israeli society is confronted by two clear and irreconcilable visions – of the secular and messianic-right publics. The latter is exploiting the government's so-called judicial reform and the war raging in Gaza to pursue its dreams of redemption
Since the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel has been caught up in an internal struggle: between those who see the territories conquered as a temporary deposit for a resolution of the conflict with the Arab world, and the messianic nationalists who see Israel's victory as a step on the road to redemption. The manifestations of the struggle became more acute over time, when Israel returned territories as part of peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, and above all in the wake of the Oslo Accords it signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The future of the government's plan to overhaul the judiciary and the consequences of the events of October 7 will determine whether Israel will take the last step and plunge into a violent civil war.