Israel going through unprecedented situation, close to its collapse: Bennett

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says Israel is "facing a real test" as it is experiencing an unprecedented situation and teetering on the brink of its collapse.

“Our unified sovereignty has disintegrated twice in ancient times due to internal conflicts. The first break-up took place 80 years after its foundation, whereas the second one came about 77 years later. We are now living in the third era, and are approaching the 80-year mark. We are all facing a real test, and wondering whether we will be able to preserve Israel,” Bennett said in a message circulated on social media networks on Friday.

He pointed to chaos, repeated elections and the continued paralysis of Israeli administrations in recent years, adding that the Tel Aviv regime has reached one of the most difficult moments of its decline.

“A few days ago, we were heading towards the fifth election campaign that could split up our land. I took the most difficult decision of my life, which was to form a national rescue cabinet to save Israel from chaos and to restore it. I partnered people who had completely different views from mine,” he said.

Opinion poll: Nearly 70% of settlers concerned about Israel’s future

Meanwhile, a recent opinion poll has discovered that nearly 70 percent of extremist Jewish settlers living in hundreds of illegal settlements in the West Bank and occupied East al-Quds are worried for the Israeli regime’s future.

According to the survey published by the Hebrew-language Israel Hayom daily newspaper, at least 69% of settlers are worried and maintain that Israel’s future looks bleak.

The poll also showed that 67% of Israeli settlers support possession of firearms and imposition of fines “in order to prevent skirmishes and confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians inside the occupied territories.”

It highlighted that a great proportion of Palestinians, around 75%, living in the territories occupied by Israel since 1948 believe that settlers do not have the right of sovereignty over those areas.

The opinion poll also showed that 66% of settlers do not trust Israeli security forces.

Last month, a survey of young Israeli adults found that nearly half of the population in the occupied territories is not optimistic about the future of the Israeli entity, while more than one-third of people are thinking about immigration to find jobs and improve their lives.

The Israel Hayom daily newspaper described the findings as “worrying” and wrote that 33% of Israeli youths are considering immigration from the occupied lands. 

Issues such as rising living costs, security situation and social divisions are among other reasons for young Israeli adults to mull over leaving the occupied territories.

The poll highlighted that 40% of the respondents have cited rising costs for such a potential decision, while 22% of those asked have blamed poor security situation.

Social divisions have been described as the main immigration reason for 18% of those surveyed.

Many scholars and writers have already pointed to the theory of “Collapse from Within” regarding the future of Israel, considering the three factors of economic crisis, poor security situation and social divisions.

There has been intense public anger in recent months in the Israeli-occupied territories over rising costs, after the price of both gasoline and electricity, as well as basic goods, went up.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living index, the coastal city of Tel Aviv is ranked the most expensive city in the world.

Tel Aviv rose to the top spot from fifth place last year, beating out Paris and Singapore, which were tied for second place.

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