In today’s Israel, contradictions no longer appear as momentary lapses in logic; they have become the fabric of national discourse. A people that once thrived on clarity of purpose now finds itself entangled in a web of conflicting instincts: a yearning for control and a longing for normalcy, faith in military strength and weariness of endless war.

Two recent surveys by the Dor Moriah Center—one in June on the Arab-Israeli conflict, and another in October on Trump’s Gaza plan—expose not just opinion splits but a profound identity fracture.

Nearly every Israeli has heard of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for Gaza, yet almost none can describe what it entails. Ninety-seven percent recognize the name; only nine percent can outline its contents. It is a kind of political shorthand: to know the brand is to feel informed.