From Bunkers to Broadcasts: Israel’s Dual Reality in a War Without End

Watan-There is a studio war and a bunker war. Studios see war as a “historic event.” But the war from the bunkers isn’t so glorious—it’s disturbing, it spoils the narrative of achievements, and it reminds us of the hostages. At first, we pity their victims, then we ignore them, and in the end, we get angry at them. Why are you dying like this? Is this Gaza? You always ruin things and interrupt our celebrations.

“They’re showing unprecedented resilience,” the president said (immediately, the slogan machine producing his speeches collapsed under overload). The hostages can’t protest his words, nor can the soldiers in the bunkers—because the hostages and the dead are Netanyahu’s dirtiest remaining card, a thorn in the side of the so-called “historic events.” No one represents them in the studios.

They’re exhausted from sleepless nights, worried about earning a living, and they have no tales of heroism. They die when a wall falls on them. In the studios, there is joy; in the bunkers, panic. In the studios, euphoria; in Petah Tikva, rage. This is not their war. The war in Gaza is not their war. Behind it are the same rejected motives and the same lies. But now, we are the victims. No government has done everything it could to rescue its hostages—so it calls it a “historic event.”

The Lies of “Historic Victory” and the Shelterless Reality

The news that a quarter of the population has no access to shelters doesn’t factor into their considerations. The lie of “unprecedented resilience” is taken as truth. They are disconnected from reality. They believe this “historic event” will make people forget October 7 and the hostages. They are wrong. Netanyahu doesn’t realize that despite the “historic event,” everyone in the shelters curses him. The naked king is never told his clothes are fake. “Look, children,” he says, “our planes are over Tehran!”

But it doesn’t help. We’re not children anymore. We know him well. You wouldn’t buy a used car from him—let alone a tissue. We don’t believe the “historic event” he boasts about, nor his claim that “we struck them before they struck us.” We have a long list of grievances with his lies and with the goals of his fabricated war.

His goals in this war are just like those in Gaza: in other words, no goals, other than staying in power. On the contrary—let him tell us what “total victory” over Iran even means. Or what “we’re one step away from it” looks like. When he destroys the Iranian nuclear program? (That won’t happen—maybe in two years.) When we reach a 250:1 kill ratio in our favor? When we change their regime? Wait—that’s another idea! Hang on—soon, we’ll be neck-deep in urine, and then we’ll send five brigades to liberate Mordechai’s tomb. Go on.

As usual, maybe the goal is just buying time. The war in Gaza hasn’t ended. So what? The Iran–Iraq War lasted eight years and killed about a million people. We’ve got time—and plenty of victims to spare (92 million of theirs, 10 million of ours). Now he wants to trap us with him and Miri Regev. He’ll restrict our movement even when there’s no reason. He’ll impose capital controls.

No Tomorrow: Fear, Fanaticism, and the Collapse of a Future

The more time passes and the more power he holds, the deeper our panic. And look at Iran: it’s up against an irrational government, a corrupt leader, fanatical clerics, and public figures as disposable as dirty rags.

A country where calls to behead the attorney general are tolerated. A country led by incompetents. In my opinion, the media should censor their names. Knowing that our lives are in the hands of Katz, Ben Gvir, and Smotrich undermines national morale and damages military spirit.

Think about it: these are the kinds of people who hold a nuclear bomb. God help us.

What happens the next day? There is no next day. Not on any level—personal or national. We’ve erased it. Not in Gaza. Not in Jerusalem. We live day by day, wasting them in the wind. Our fate lies in the hands of a turbaned man in Tehran or a sleepless fanatic in Bnei Brak. At a time like this, you can’t plan to buy an apartment, pursue an education, or even bring children into the world. Will we destroy Tehran? Great. But then what?