Israeli exceptionalism reaches its end

(MENAFN) Israel has been engaged in continuous regional conflict for nearly two years, beginning with the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. Its military response has grown into a wide-reaching campaign affecting much of the Middle East, even drawing in Iran—a country historically careful to avoid direct clashes. Backed by the United States, Israel’s confrontation with Tehran has significantly raised the stakes. Yet, the more pressing issue isn’t Iran, but the direction Israel itself is heading.

For decades, Israel served as the West’s strategic outpost in the Middle East—a hub for Western influence in a volatile region. This role was underpinned by two main strengths: unwavering U.S. support and strong internal institutions, including its military and a vibrant, innovative society.

However, the second pillar—Israel’s internal strength—is weakening. A surge in outward migration is a key indicator. In 2024, nearly 83,000 people are expected to leave Israel, many of them young and educated. These are the very people critical to the country’s continued development and resilience.

Like other advanced economies, Israel is suffering from the strain of an outdated neoliberal system. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed these weaknesses, leading to a political shift toward “emergency governance”—a system centered on perpetual crisis and militarization rather than structural reform. Across much of the West, global conflicts have become a way to postpone or disguise the need for real change.

In Israel, this trend is especially visible. Since late 2023, war has become not just a strategic tool, but a central organizing principle. The state now treats conflict as a method for preserving unity and political power, rather than pursuing peace. In this sense, Israel reflects broader Western patterns—engaging in proxy conflicts with powers like Russia and China instead of pursuing reform at home.

Globally, nuclear deterrence imposes limits on how far wars can escalate. But in the Middle East, those boundaries don’t exist for Israel, allowing it to use direct military force more freely. While this may offer short-term political relief, it comes at the cost of long-term stability.

War cannot conceal the symptoms of economic decline or social breakdown forever. Although conflict often consolidates elite power, it also saps national resources and weakens social cohesion. Israel is now pouring increasing energy into sustaining its war footing, even as its model of democratic and technological success falters.

Some Israeli leaders may hope to reshape the region through military dominance, believing it will bring decades of peace. But such victories are uncertain—and crushing a rival doesn’t eliminate threats, it often multiplies them. Israel’s most serious problems lie within: political dysfunction, demographic shifts, and social fragmentation.

History shows that nations defined by perpetual war—like Sparta or North Korea—tend to become isolated and brittle. War alone cannot replace sound governance or diplomacy.

Israel now faces a fundamental question: is it evolving into a truly independent and sustainable state, or simply surviving as an extension of U.S. foreign policy? If it continues down this path of endless conflict and nationalist politics, it risks losing even its favored status with the West. It could become a heavily militarized, politically rigid state—cut off, fragile, and increasingly alone.

MENAFN21062025000045015687ID1109703235