Israel’s own deep-state problem: Undermining Netanyahu and preventing victory - opinion

There was an explosion outside of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s residence on Saturday night.

A few weeks ago, the son of a major Israeli newspaper owner was arrested for possession of explosives. He admitted to the authorities then that he planned to use them to fire at Netanyahu’s house. At the time, the judge released him, saying, “It must be understood that he had them in order to protest.”  The same explosives were the ones that were just shot at Netanyahu’s house.

Every day, we see more headlines about violence against Netanyahu, allegations against Netanyahu, and crazy actions or inactions by the justice system – against Netanyahu. In this case, an Israeli judge’s decision directly endangered the prime minister. Yet, we have major media personalities dismissing this event and instead criticizing the justice minister for highlighting this dangerous corruption as more evidence of the need for judicial reform.

Sadly, there are powers in Israel that have been working for years to topple Netanyahu and weaken the Israeli Right even when it has been the clear preference of the people. The minority that has been manipulating the public this way is terrified by the amount of change they disagree with that can be accomplished with Trump and Netanyahu in power simultaneously: change that the people in Israel and the United States have mandated. 

Israel, like America under Trump, contends with a “deep state” – an unelected faction within government, military, intelligence, and media that operates independently, obstructing elected officials and advancing its own agenda. Just as the US has a small minority interested in stopping the development of a strong and proud America, Israel has a similar minority with a similar agenda to stop it from being a strong and proud Jewish Israel. This deep state poses a serious threat to Israel’s unity, democracy, and ability to confront existential enemies.

The judicial system

One glaring example of the deep state is Israel’s activist, anti-Netanyahu judiciary. Recently, Sheffi Paz, a 72-year-old activist against illegal migration, was imprisoned for 45 days for graffiti, while anti-government protesters who acted violently during judicial reform demonstrations faced no comparable consequences. This hypocrisy reveals a justice system manipulated to serve the deep state’s interests, enforcing one set of rules for right-wing activists and another for their left-wing counterparts.

At the same time, the attorney-general has demanded that Netanyahu attend court proceedings three times a week, diverting his focus from managing the existential conflict. These legal battles, based on crumbling cases, are designed to delegitimize and weaken his leadership at the most critical time.

Divisive tactics: The ultra-Orthodox draftThe deep state also manipulates societal issues, such as the ultra-Orthodox draft, to sow division and weaken government coalitions. This is a legitimate societal issue, one that needs real and thoughtful solutions. Instead, it’s being cynically weaponized to divide the ultra-Orthodox and National Religious political factions, with the clear aim of toppling the government.

Challenges in the military

The influence of the deep state extends into the IDF. Senior commanders in the Achim Laneshek (Brothers in Arms) organization openly called for mass refusal to serve, even during wartime, yet faced no repercussions. Meanwhile, Chezi Nechama, a senior reserve officer with extensive combat experience, was dismissed for offering constructive criticism on how to win the war. This double standard undermines military effectiveness and morale.

Additionally, recent arrests of IDF officers accused of sharing documents with the Prime Minister’s Office highlight a troubling pattern. These documents were Hamas material, not classified leaks. Yet, officers are being subjected to harsh solitary confinement while significant leaks of sensitive information to Israel’s media – endangering soldiers and security – were ignored! This selective enforcement appears designed to destabilize Netanyahu’s leadership rather than safeguard national security.

“It hurts us very much that the lives of young people are being destroyed with libelous claims aimed to harm the right-wing government,” the PMO said in a statement, “In a democratic country, people are not arrested and kept for 20 days in a basement without legal consultations because of a leak – just to extract from them false statements against the prime minister. 

“After a year of the deluge of criminal leaks from the cabinet discussions and the prisoners-and-missing-persons discussions – which provided valuable intelligence to our enemies,” the statement said, “the only two investigations that were opened were directed against the Prime Minister’s Office and not against the other leakers, none of whom were investigated, and who caused tremendous damage to the abductees and Israel’s security.”

The media’s role

The media and the establishment blew up the latest document transfer “scandal” as “the most damaging leak in history,” when in reality, no investigation has even begun on the very real leaks by senior officials to the media. These daily leaks risked our soldiers and gave our enemies critical insights – all to destabilize Netanyahu’s leadership.

Israel’s establishment media exacerbates the problem, consistently amplifying voices that urge Israel to capitulate. Former officials like Yisrael Ziv and Ehud Barak and opposition figures such as Benny Gantz frequently appear on news programs advocating for a halt to military operations. At every crucial stage, these “pundits” have opposed decisive action – urging Israel not to enter Gaza, not to conquer Rafah, not to secure the Philadelphi Corridor, and to avoid confronting Hezbollah. 

The message they broadcast on the nightly news to the nation is always the same: we’re losing soldiers, we’re losing the war, the government is at fault for the captives dying, and we should surrender to a ceasefire without securing many of the critical war objectives. 

Their messaging – aligned with demands from the Biden-Harris administration – demoralizes the public and pressures the government toward premature ceasefires, undermining Israel’s strategic goals.

Public resistance

Despite these challenges, public trust in establishment media has waned. Many Israelis now prefer the patriotic Channel 14, reflecting a growing rejection of deep state narratives.

The path forward

Israel’s deep state comprises a very small minority within senior security, justice, and media circles, but their impact is profound. Israelis must recognize this threat and remain united. The physical battles in Gaza and Southern Lebanon are being won, but internal unity is equally vital.

With Trump’s upcoming administration, the potential for a strong Trump-Netanyahu partnership could reshape the region and the world positively. However, the deep state will intensify its efforts to topple Netanyahu’s government. This is not a struggle we can afford to lose. Israel’s future depends on overcoming both external enemies and internal subversion. United, we will prevail.

The writer is the host of the Pulse of Israel daily video/podcast and the CEO of 12Tribe Films Foundation.