On October 7th, Israeli society was significantly altered in light of the unprecedented trauma. As a direct result, the Israeli political system, which has never excelled in developed civil discourse, also pushed aside the little that was left to the margins, as military discourse became almost monopolistic, including in the Israeli political center.

The right wing is appropriating the security discourse, despite the clear conclusions from the October 7th failure that their failed policy of avoiding diplomacy exploded in our face, and that a distorted perception of “Hamas is an asset,” along with the military and intelligence failure rooted in that same policy, resulted in our sophisticated army being unable to provide security. The “full-right” government talks a lot about security but does not provide it.

The leadership of the centrist parties is also huddled around the military tribal campfire, afraid to talk about a political solution, lest it diminish the perception of “security above all else” that it seeks to project to the public. Thus, Israeli discourse is becoming increasingly monotonous, 50 shades of olive green, with every argument thrown into the air immediately dressed in metaphorical uniforms, lest it not “resonate” with the Israeli public.

The Israeli center-left has been blessed with outstanding leaders who came from the ranks of the military – Yair Golan, Nimrod Sheffer, Gadi Eisenkot, and Noam Tibon – all brave officers who have become, or are on their way to becoming, political leaders. Precisely because they came from the ranks of the military, they understand the need to broaden the security discourse. They understand, perhaps more than others, that there is no........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)