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Retired Israeli Maj. Gen. Itzhak Brik warned Sunday that Israel was facing what he described as an irreversible collapse across its military, economy and public institutions, arguing that the country had lost international legitimacy and allies.
Writing in an opinion article for Israel’s Maariv daily, Brik said the situation went beyond a political crisis and amounted to a broader national breakdown.
He described the results of last Tuesday’s parliamentary election as “the official death certificate of the State of Israel as we knew it,” criticizing television commentators for focusing on mandates and coalition negotiations while, in his view, ignoring deeper problems.
Brik compared the coverage to an orchestra continuing to play aboard the Titanic as it approached disaster.
Brik, a former commander of military colleges and former Defense Ministry ombudsman for soldiers’ complaints, said Israel had become internationally isolated.
“We have lost legitimacy and allies,” he wrote, warning that Israel could not withstand complete isolation for an extended period.
He also said the country’s ground forces were undergoing structural and morale-related deterioration and warned that an exhausted military could struggle to respond to simultaneous threats or protect civilians in a wider regional conflict.
Brik said prolonged warfare had pushed Israel’s national debt to 1.4 trillion shekels, or about $445 billion, while sanctions, arms restrictions and financial isolation were adding pressure.
He criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to use cryptocurrencies to counter possible European sanctions, calling the idea naive and absurd and warning that further deterioration could threaten Israelis’ savings.
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Brik also described divisions within Israeli society as a “silent civil war,” saying doctors, scientists, technology entrepreneurs and other skilled professionals were leaving the country.
He accused the political leadership of weakening the rule of law and state institutions, arguing that political appointments and loyalty were increasingly taking priority over competence and integrity.
The Oct. 27 election left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot and 19 for Arab parties.
Neither of the two main blocs secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
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