When the Right Wins - and the Hegemony Refuses to Lose | Col. Amir Noy

An opinion piece by Col. (res.) Amir Noy argues that the political struggle in Israel has shifted from a debate over policy to a battle over the very legitimacy of right-wing rule. The author warns against using the term "dictatorship" to describe an elected government, the infiltration of politics into the military, and the danger that one side may conclude that the other is not entitled to win. The article also refers to October 7 as a multi-system failure and asks whether there were factors that aided the enemy.

An opinion piece by Col. (res.) Amir Noy, published in Maariv, argues that the political struggle in Israel is no longer about policy, but about who is entitled to define the boundaries of the state's legitimacy. The author distinguishes between two elites: the elected government versus institutional power centers (judiciary, media, academia, security) whose influence does not depend on election results. He claims that since the political upheaval of 1977, the right has won political power, but the old elites have retained positions of influence. The danger, he says, begins when these institutions see themselves as a shield against the public's decision. The article warns against delegitimization of the right, using the term "dictatorship" as a political weapon, and warns against the infiltration of politics into the military. The author refers to October 7 as a multi-system failure and asks whether there were factors that aided the enemy, while emphasizing that there is insufficient public basis to determine a conspiracy, but also no justification to close off the possibility. The conclusion: the real danger is not the external enemy, but the day when Israelis begin to see each other as the enemy.