Israel Today – Adapted

In Lebanon, things are escalating, and there are fears of a new civil war as sectarian tensions are growing. This can exist in parallel with a non-functioning government and a severe economic crisis that has never been seen before. Not only this, but the current annual financial crisis, which reaches more than 170%, and a collapsed banking system.

The New York Times senior analyst Tom Friedman recently made the following statement in a video that was posted on social media: "Lebanon and Israel are very similar to each other. They are both very small states, and they have very diverse populations." "In the two states, there was a social order based on the principle of living and letting others live," he continued. However, the moment one side and the authority of authoritarianism say in their hands, "Now it's my turn because I dedicate what happens here, and I will do it because I can. The whole system is crashing, and the chaos is spreading."

He adds: "The hard-line religious element is to blame for the breakdown of the two States. Hezbollah in Lebanon, the extremists like Smotrich, and Ben Gvir, along with Hardies in Israel."

Although I disagree with his resemblance of Haredis to Hezbollah, Friedman hasn't entirely made a mistake. When the religious partner in the government publicly declares that he will not bear the burden, not even in national service. Moreover, in parallel, he supports unilateral and expansive legislative measures that split Israeli society. All of these factors will lead to Israel's unity eroding, the idea of peaceful coexistence being distorted, and the country heading toward chaos, following Lebanon's example.