It was the summer of 2023 that the words ’Civil War’ loomed at the forefront of almost every Israeli conversation. The country of Israel was, indeed, broken and ripped in pieces politically—left versus right. Judicial reform was promised by the right-wing government versus a left-wing block, which controlled Israel’s Supreme Court. There were cries of a “Netanyahu Dictatorship” versus a “True Democracy”.
Originally instigated by a small, well-organized, funded, and very vocal left-wing minority, it grew into a national movement that threatened to split apart the very fabric of the nation of Israel. Banners hung from every freeway overpass. Demonstrators clogged all the major routes and intersections bringing the country to a standstill for weeks. Members of the Knesset were even assaulted in the streets as their addresses were doxed and protestors showed up at the door-fronts of their homes. In the military, reservists vowed they would not show up for active military duty until there was another election.
The rift had economic implications, as well. Israeli leaders in Big Tech threatened to move out of the country, pulling all their industry and money with them. The shekel (monetary unit in Israel) took a nosedive. Labor unions went out on strike, bringing the economy to a major slowdown. Service unions followed, with hospitals left with minimal staffing and all non-emergency procedures were being rescheduled. Teacher unions called for picket lines and many schools were closed through the High Holy Days.
