Thirty years after the murder of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Haaretz published a stark appraisal: the political heirs of the forces that helped erode the consensus behind Oslo are now at the levers of power in Jerusalem. The observation is more than historical lament; it arrives amid a war in Gaza that has exposed strategic and moral fractures in Israeli politics and society.

The Gaza conflict has produced a cascade of human suffering — hostages held in Gaza, significant Israeli casualties and mounting Palestinian deaths — and has become the measuring stick for the current government's competence. Haaretz contends that a contemporary leadership shaped in part by years of delegitimizing the peace process faces unusual difficulties in mounting a coherent military and diplomatic response. At the same time, the prime minister’s latest political scandal has provided a political distraction from battlefield setbacks, deepening public frustration and political fragmentation.

The domestic fallout has been acute. Large sections of Israeli society, including families directly affected by the war, are reassessing their relationship to the state. Some Israelis seeking safety or respite relocated abroad, notably to Greece, only to find that conflict and its reverberations followed them. On the occupied West Bank, Haaretz and other outlets have documented a surge in violence by settlers against Palestinian communities, a pattern human-rights groups warn amounts to systematic intimidation and dispossession. These dynamics complicate any near-term prospects for de-escalation or negotiation.

Abroad, the Gaza war has opened a moral chasm between many American Jews and the Israeli government. Longstanding political solidarity is fraying as diaspora communities weigh their commitments against the conduct of the war, civilian tolls and policies in the territories. The rift carries potential diplomatic costs for Israel, particularly with the United States, where political influence depends on a broad base of communal support.

Even culture has entered the fray. International artists and public figures who voice support one way or the other face career repercussions and polarized audiences; the rock band Disturbed announced a hiatus after its lead singer publicly expressed support for Israel, illustrating how cultural diplomacy and domestic politics have bled into one another.

Amid the turmoil, day-to-day life produces quieter contrasts: archaeologists in northern Israel reported the discovery of a lavish Assyrian-period tomb, a reminder of the region’s deep and contested past. Yet archaeological marvels offer little balm for families grieving lost loved ones or those living under occupation.

Haaretz’s indictment is not merely retrospective. It is a warning about the long shadow cast by political delegitimization: when civic discourse is weaponized, it can unsettle institutions and norms for generations. As Israel grapples with a traumatic war, a polarized polity and strained international ties, the country faces a pivotal test of whether democratic resilience can outlast the bitter legacies of its domestic schisms.