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The smartest people are losing it. Our lives have been taken over by the TikTok algorithm. Chinese mathematicians developed it to encourage 11-year-old girls to do ridiculous things online—dance to the silliest songs and post them for clicks. Yet that same algorithm is now shaping Israel’s public discourse.
Events of recent days have proven that even the most intelligent individuals—those in the most influential positions affecting our lives: the prime minister, lawmakers, the chief justice of the Supreme Court and a former deputy chief of the IDF—are behaving like children. Everything is portrayed as absolute, extreme and one-dimensional. If we, the public, absorb these attitudes, they could become our reality.
Former Chief Justice and world-renowned jurist Aharon Barak told Ynet that Israel is on the brink of civil war. I have disagreed with most of his rulings, but there’s no doubt he is a highly intelligent man. Still, with all due respect, Your Honor—you are out of touch with reality. Yes, there is tension and stress, but there is also the unique Israeli sense of solidarity.
Who exactly would fight in this so-called civil war? Try finding a single battalion or military unit willing to go out and kill their own brothers and sisters—you won’t. They don’t exist. About 7% of the population represents the extremes of the political spectrum, making the most noise. But if we don't come to our senses, that number might grow.
And you, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—what about you? This week we learned that your spokesperson, Eli Feldstein, received payments originating from Qatar, a known state sponsor of terror. You heard it from Feldstein himself—via his attorney. And your reaction? To post a four-minute video claiming the existence of a deep state?
Yes, the judicial system in Israel likely needs more diversity and reform. The civil service does too. But your own spokesperson—whom you hired despite his failure to obtain security clearance—is he the deep state? Instead of doing what any responsible leader would do—acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations and prioritizing national security over political survival—you chose to lie and sow even more division.
And you, Likud MK Nissim Vaturi—what is wrong with you? Your recent post included a photo of two former prime ministers, two IDF chiefs of staff, two Shin Bet directors, a former Mossad head and a former police commissioner, branding them as the leaders of a terrorist organization, the "operational arm of Hamas." Are you serious?
We are living in a time when it's legitimate—even necessary—to question long-held assumptions about Israel’s security. Those individuals you smeared share some responsibility for failed policies and can be criticized for them. But how does your ingratitude for their years of service and your vulgarity change anyone’s mind? Do you think you’re persuading people who disagree with you—or just performing for those who already agree?
And what about you, The Democrats Party leader Yair Golan, the former deputy IDF chief? You wrote that the soldiers fighting Hamas in Gaza are pawns in Netanyahu’s political survival game. Really? Is that what the tens of thousands of soldiers on the front lines need to hear? Or their mothers back home? Do you honestly believe Netanyahu would sacrifice hostages just to stay in power? Is that what the families of those hostages need right now?
Israeli democracy will not collapse if Netanyahu fires the head of the Shin Bet—as long as it’s done legally. Nor will it fall because demonstrators fill the streets to protest. They are not destroying democracy, nor are they terrorists working for Hamas.
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Israel needs leaders who bring moderation, regardless of their political alignment. We need public servants who can engage in thoughtful discourse, present intelligent arguments and try to persuade others—instead of deepening rifts that bring us closer to the edge. Not everything needs to be extreme.
It’s up to us, the citizens of Israel. Our past and current leaders—lawmakers, judges, politicians—have lost their sense of balance. We must take responsibility for our own thinking. If we blindly follow these voices, we risk falling for their delusions. We may start to believe our country is teetering on the edge of civil war, or dictatorship, or that a deep state controls our lives.
But we are a smart, compassionate people. We know how to act responsibly. We are surrounded by danger and threats from bloodthirsty enemies on every border. We do not have the luxury of losing focus and poisoning our society from within. The real danger is in believing those who seek to spread fear and discord.
They do not reflect reality. Despite the lofty titles they hold, they’re operating under the influence of a Chinese algorithm.