Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that “there will be no civil war” in Israel. But he might be wrong.

Netanyahu’s statement was made in the context of the growing popular protests in the country, especially following the long-anticipated resignations of several members of his war Cabinet, including Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot — both former chiefs of staff in the Israeli army.

These resignations did not necessarily isolate Netanyahu, as his popularity rests almost entirely on the support of the right and the far right. However, the move further illustrated the deep and growing rifts in Israeli society, which could ultimately take the country from a state of political upheaval to an actual civil war.

The divisions in Israel cannot be viewed the same way as the political polarizations that are currently rife in Western democracies. This assertion is not necessarily linked to the legitimate view that, at its core, Israel is not an actual democracy but is, rather, due to the fact that Israel’s political formation is unique.

The story began long before the current Gaza war. In February 2019, the leaders of three Israeli parties formed a coalition known as “Kahol Lavan” (Blue and White). Two of Kahol Lavan’s founders, Gantz and Moshe Ya’alon, were military men, widely respected in the country’s powerful military establishment and, thus, society at........

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