Avinatan Or, a 33-year-old Nvidia engineer, recounts his 738 days as a Hamas hostage in Gaza, including a daring escape attempt that resulted in torture and confinement. He argues that peace is impossible until Hamas is permanently defeated, a goal unmet despite three years of war. This failure stems from two deep divisions: one within Israel between the "spirit of entitlement" and the "spirit of service," and another between Israel and the world.
The entitled side includes ultra-Orthodox leaders seeking military exemptions, far-right Messianics claiming divine rights to the West Bank, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who critics say avoids accountability for Oct. 7 while claiming credit for military successes. The service side consists of hundreds of thousands of reservists, their families, and citizens who have borne the war's heavy toll, including former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, who lost family members in Gaza. This internal rift, Or suggests, mirrors ancient Israel's collapse from internal strife.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing