Like a rotting tree trunk... Haaretz newspaper predicts a bleak future for Israel

Israeli writer Rogel Alpher warned in an article published in Haaretz that Israel may be on the brink of total collapse, likening its condition to a tree trunk that appears solid from the outside, but its internal links have eroded until “the rot threatens to collapse.”

Alpher explained that there are 6 main links that pose an existential threat to Israel, the most important of which is that Israel lives in the shadow of a war that seems to be eternal and unstoppable, and that the current situation may make the Israeli people unable to imagine periods of calm, as they have come to expect to live amidst explosions and shelters on a permanent basis.

The writer pointed out that this war and its repercussions began in 1947 and never stopped, as he sees it, noting that Israeli society has not known true peace since then, and that it has become accustomed to a life of war, shelters, and living under constant threat.

While the Israeli writer forgot to mention the situation in which the Palestinian people live under occupation and their ongoing tragedies, he did not fail to point out that “occupation and apartheid” constitute the second link of those 6 links.

He explained that the occupation of the West Bank, and perhaps "soon northern Gaza", creates an unstable environment and feeds a culture of death, explaining that the occupation is not satisfied with geographical expansion, but extends to distorting the structure of society itself, as internal division increases and the risks of conflicts erupting increase.

Alpher also addressed what he called the “rising dictatorship,” warning that the shift toward one-man rule and “Jewish supremacy” constitutes the third link in the chain of collapse. He stated that these shifts contribute to the destruction of the democratic system, noting that the so-called “judicial coup” carried out by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government paves the way for the consolidation of power in the “hands of dictatorship.”

As for the demographic structure that includes the religious Jewish category, the "Haredim," he believes that it represents the fourth link in the chain of Israel's collapse, warning of its "destructive" effect on the Israeli economy, because this category evades work and basic education, which constitutes a huge economic burden, according to him.

Alpher linked the demographic crises to the potential economic collapse, which he considers the fifth link in a series of collapses, saying that Israel's credit rating could deteriorate as a result of increasing economic burdens and excessive dependence on a few taxpayers, warning that the cost of this crisis will fall on the shoulders of ordinary Israelis.

The Israeli writer addressed "environmental degradation" as the sixth and final link, noting that overpopulation, which is also fueled by what he called "extreme Orthodox demography," along with government neglect, could lead to a serious environmental collapse, stressing that the "population threat" exacerbates the erosion of Israeli society.

"inevitable fall"

While the writer saw that the protest movement against the “judicial amendments” launched by Netanyahu’s government before October 7 of last year pointed to the third ring, which is keeping “power in the hands of dictatorship,” he concluded by emphasizing that the ring of eternal war in which Israel lives is the most dangerous to its existence, pointing to the irony that some of those protesting the judicial amendments are the ones who are flying the fighter planes for the destructive eternal war.

The writer considered that the six links are linked, and getting rid of one of them will not save Israel. He gave an example of this with the possible return of Israeli prisoners from the Gaza Strip. He said, “The return of the hostages in the deal will not heal Israeli society and will not provide a healthy vision for the future. Their return will be like the greening of one leaf on the tree, but the number of dead leaves on the tree’s leaves is constantly increasing.”

The writer argued that those who make mistakes, who show confidence in the return of prisoners and detainees or the overthrow and replacement of the Netanyahu government, look at the context only from the outside and refuse to acknowledge its internal links, concluding his article by saying that "Israel is currently living in the midst of these six links, and is heading towards self-extinction and inevitable collapse."

Source: Haaretz