Divisions in Israeli politics reappear after 80 days of unity

Photo: Concerned about the cracks within the Israeli government, Israeli President Isaac Herzog in a public address on Dec. 24, 2023, urged the Israeli public to leave their differences aside and unite as a people while the IDF wages a battle to eliminate Hamas and free the hostages. Herzog stressed that eliminating Hamas and freeing the Israeli hostages would take time to achieve

Divisions in Israeli politics are starting to reappear after 80 days of unity in the face of the conflict, said FRANCE 24’s Luke Shrago, reporting from Jerusalem.

A special session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, was attended by many more people than usual, including a certain number of families and relatives still detained in Gaza. 

US and them

In a speech on Sunday night, President Isaac Herzog implored the Israeli public to leave their differences aside and unite as a people while the IDF wages a battle to eliminate the Hamas terror forces following its gruesome Oct. 7 massacre. 

Herzog stressed that eliminating Hamas and freeing the Israeli hostages will take time to achieve and that Israelis must be strong and “not break.”

 “The enemy is just waiting to see the cracks within us, for us to start fighting one another. They also see the conflicts, the arguments, the struggles between egos, the political conflicts – both in the days before and in the days after,” the president said. 

“They celebrate when they see the cracks between us. And precisely because of this, I would like to convey the fitting request of the hundreds of grieving and bereaved families, and with them, the voices of our soldiers on the frontlines and the multitudes [of] Israelis standing behind them that I have met in the last months – and call on everyone, especially the elected officials: End the internal struggles and division.”

Herzog said the painful divisions that were so visible in Israeli society prior to Oct. 7, with almost multiple consecutive weeks of protests due to the government’s judicial reform proposals, turned the situation into an “us and them” and that it must not return.

“Yes, arguments and debates are part of our DNA. It is perfectly allowed – even necessary – to dispute and criticize, even in wartime, but there is a way to argue.,” he said.

“We must not return to the discourse of October 6. We must not return to the poison online. We must not return to the discourse of ‘us and them’. In particular, I want to caution that anyone who seeks to bring us back to the discourse of October 6, is harming the war effort and the security of the citizens of the country,” Herzog warned.

The president urged Israel’s government leaders to refrain from political and internal strife during this critical moment in Israel’s history.

“I appeal directly to the leaders of the people – to the senior leadership and, in general, everyone who works in the political system and in the public sphere – and I say ‘stop.’ Show responsibility. If not for your own sakes, at least for our children on the frontlines, for whom we care, and pray for their wellbeing and success.”

“Hold off just a little more with the campaigns and with the political messages… at this time there is one imperative – and that is for unity, determination and mutual responsibility. We are in a war – not a war of choice, but a justified, correct and moral war. The justness of our path prevails over everything. Everything. This moment is a test: We will not break, nor blink, nor fall apart, and we certainly will not tear ourselves apart from the inside. We shed a tear – and we shoulder on together,” Herzog said.

During his speech, the president praised Israel’s military for its bravery.

“Our sons and daughters fight with supreme bravery. They risk their lives in the alleys, tunnels, and shafts…They fight with heroism, responsibility, with determination, morality, to achieve two interrelated goals: to eradicate a bitter and cruel enemy, and bring home the hostages, and rescue them from the abyss. They protect our collective home in a war we did not choose, against brutal terrorists so that we will not see a return of these bloody rounds, again and again and again.”

Herzog also praised Israel’s fallen heroes, whose lives were sacrificed in battle, and promised that Israel would not rest until the hostages are returned home.

“Each time we hear the words ‘cleared for publication,’ our hearts shudder with renewed pain and grief. Behind the name of every fallen soldier in the fighting in Gaza, there is an Israeli hero. A member of a family. A parents’ son. A partner. A father. A brother. A grandson. A loved one…The fallen and wounded are the best of the best. The beautiful and cherished.”

Herzog sought to comfort the Israeli public, especially those with family members still being held captive in Gaza, the thousands of displaced Israelis from southern and northern Israel, the mothers whose husbands are at war, and the hostages who have already been returned to Israel.

“My sisters and brothers. Precisely in these difficult moments, I want to tell you that I wholeheartedly believe that victory will come. The amazing Israeli spirit – the spirit of mutual responsibility, of mobilization above and beyond the call of duty – is the civil and true victory that will help the military achieve victory over the enemy on the battlefield.”

France 24, News Agecnies