Post-war challenges: Rebuilding trust and vision in Israel’s future - opinion

In July 1945, just two months after Victory in Europe Day, which marked the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, seen as a large part of the Allies’ victory, was unceremoniously removed from power by the British people in a general election.

Despite Churchill’s seeming popularity, his opposition, the Labour Party, achieved one of the biggest British electoral swings of the 20th century.

Political commentators and historians have long tried to understand this puzzling swing. Most point to the fact that Clement Attlee’s Labour Party had a broad, holistic vision for the future after a bruising war, including plans to deal with education, welfare, housing, and the economy, while Churchill thought the cult of his personality plus his military achievements would be enough for reelection.

This is all mentioned because politicians, especially those leading the country during wars, have to remember that there are other issues that require urgent attention. The public wants to see a victory on the battlefield, but that will not feed their children, educate the youths, ensure the underprivileged have a sustainable future, and prevent the next generation from sinking under a rising cost of living.

It is clear that the IDF is militarily winning this war, and at this point, Hamas is on its way to defeat, and will not be able to pose a significant threat to Israel in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, however, the people of Israel remain extremely pessimistic about their future.

Not going to get any better

According to a recent Israeli Society Barometer poll, conducted by the Center for Jewish Impact in cooperation with Geocartography Knowledge Group (GCKG), 71% of the public disagree with the statement that in the coming months, living in Israel will be better.

The war itself is a factor, but it is also largely due to a feeling that the future does not bode well, and there’s a lack of trust in the authorities.

Since the start of the war, including on October 7, Israelis felt abandoned by the various authorities, whether security, political, social, or welfare.

They witnessed a vacuum that was filled by many civil society organizations and other NGOs that stepped up to support the soldiers on the frontlines, help those directly impacted by the war, and see to the needs of the tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis from the North and South.

This was Israeli society at its finest, bringing together Israelis from the Left and Right, religious and secular, Jew and non-Jew, in an impressive show of unity.

However, by doing their important work, they exposed a government and various authorities that were not functioning as they should precisely at a time when they were most necessary, and the people have taken note.

This has exacerbated a sense of mistrust in the government and the various authorities.

The same poll found that 59% of the public believe that civil society organizations contribute more to the victims of October 7 and the Swords of Iron war compared to the Israeli government and its institutions.

While this is all positive news for Israel’s civil society, it is extremely bad news regarding trust in its official authorities.

The day after

Many are debating what the day after the war in Gaza should look like, but I am far more concerned about what the day after the war in Israel will look like.

Israelis will be beleaguered and anxious, unsure of their future under the new security reality.

A strong response from the Israeli government is necessary to help a nation that is psychologically traumatized, exhausted from fighting, and financially weakened.

Our democratically elected leaders will need to repair the trust that was broken and start to restore the social bond that has been frayed.

Educational, social, and welfare services will need to be improved and up to the job of repairing society’s cleavages, and the shrinking resources will need to be divided evenly – with priority given to those who need them most and not according to their background.

Our leaders need to end even the perception of the politicization of government services and resources.

We cannot go back to October 6th, not in terms of our security and not in terms of our trust in the government and our leaders. The first steps must be taken by those institutions.

We need a clear plan for the day after the war to rebuild trust and rebuild our country. We must hear and see plans for education, welfare, housing, and the economy.

It is vital that we militarily win the war, but it is equally important that we win the war for Israel’s future. We can ill afford Israelis leaving the country, but we must provide a better outlook to persuade them to stay.

As Churchill learned almost 80 years ago, victory over foreign enemies is not enough. Elected leadership is also about building a positive, unifying, and effective vision for the challenges at home.

The writer is the chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact (CJI). He is a former CEO of the World Jewish Congress and former CEO and Chairman of World ORT.