History Repeats Itself | Nathan Zahavi
It is enough to read the accusations that the prophets leveled against the leaders of the Jewish people in the biblical era to understand that thousands of years later, the next generation is at the same level as some of our historical leaders.
- Tuesday morning, "twice good" according to those who believe in superstitions, looks bad. I checked the news: a toddler drowned, another child died after being forgotten in a car, grenades in residential areas, murders, fatal accidents. There is no peace.
In the West Bank, Jewish terror is defeating Arab terror; in the pre-election battles, stupidity and meanness are reaching new levels. The record-holder this week is Defense Minister Israel Katz, whose propaganda videos are terrifying. As a reward, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reserves him a top spot on the Likud list. To illustrate the grim situation, I collected dozens of clips of violent events, preventable disasters, and dirty politics. In a moment of weakness, I opened the Tanakh, fell upon the Book of Joshua, and changed the direction of this column.
I recommend reading the Book of Joshua. Remember him? The biblical commander. It is not just a story of heroism, but a narrative about the destruction of cities, the murder of women, the elderly, and children, and the confiscation of property for the "treasury of the house of God." In modern terms, it is violent armed robbery.
In Jericho, they destroyed everyone who breathed. Then, like an accountant's footnote, comes the list of loot: gold, silver, copper. People were destroyed, the city ruined, but the gold survived. Only Rahab the harlot and her family, as collaborators, entered a form of "witness protection program."
One chapter later, the Tanakh softens: now it is allowed to keep the loot. The journey continues, and every soul is "devoted to destruction." This is not a modern commentator's invention—the text speaks for itself. One can debate whether these events were historical, but this is how the Tanakh describes the conquest.
Now, jump 3,000 years forward.
- Israel conquers the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Since then, we have had a reality of control, settlements, outposts, and a dual legal regime. In this environment grows a phenomenon called "hilltop youth": ideological guys, many living in illegal outposts, involved for years in violence against Palestinians.
UN reports show a sharp increase in settler violence in 2026: arson, theft of livestock, and the displacement of residents. In late July, the UN Human Rights Office warned that the situation is worsening: 18 Palestinians have been killed this year, more than in all of 2025. On August 6, the State Attorney's Office indicted settler Yinon Levi for the death of activist Odeh al-Hadhaleen. He denies the charges.
I read the biblical descriptions of conquest and look at today's reality. The similarity is disturbing: "Devote them to destruction," "left no remnant," "plunder the loot." The difference is that today this happens in the 21st century, with lawyers and indictments.
I admit I sin by reading the Tanakh. It is full of criminals, swindlers, and rapists. If Buki Nae had lived then, his career would have soared. Many biblical figures created a halo of heroism, but they were certainly not saints. It is enough to read the prophets' accusations against the leaders of that time to understand: history repeats itself.
- Two short poems by two of our best writers regarding the occupied territories and divine promises.
"Here is the Whole Land" (Hanoch Levin):
Here is the whole land that God promised to Abraham, but I am not the sand of the sea, and I do not keep promises given to Abraham. I never dreamed of Hebron and I do not worry about Shechem; I want to pass through life whole. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob rest in their graves, and I have no desire to dig mine next to them. Let God fulfill his promises at his own expense; I will not give my soul for this.
"God is on Our Side" (Bob Dylan, Hebrew version by Yehonatan Geffen):
I live in Israel, and in school I learned: God is on our side, not theirs. History books are full of glory, we defeated Rome, and the last soldier shouted at Masada: God is with us. WWII ended, we forgave Germany—apparently, God is now a bit on their side too. When we arrived, we found others living here, and we built our future with fire and blood, and Allah is with us. I am worried: what will be the end? After another war, only one will remain, and with him God, watching from the side.
