I think it's a very dangerous idea to suggest that criticizing or opposing one's government is 'self-sabotage'. What if the government is guilty of corruption or acting against the interests of the citizens?
Accosting citizens who oppose government policies, then threatening them with the 'mark of Cain' that awaits them for doing so smacks of authoritarianism and the kind of thinking inherent in military states. Perhaps that's what Israel is though, with its compulsory military service, and complex security/defense situation.
I think this article is trying to portray anyone critical of Israeli policy as fools who march with student activists in the US.
However, many people who oppose the government policies of Israel happen to exist in - and do so - from within Israel, as Israeli citizens. Prior to Oct. 7, Israel saw large demonstrations in opposition to government policies, and Netenyahu. After Oct. 7, these demonstrations protesting government policies and the handling of the war grew even larger:
Are these 500,00 Israeli citizens at the rally all 'self-sabotaging' Jews?
What about a former Israeli Defense Minister?
How about current and former IDF soldiers that have spoken out, and IDF soldiers that refuse to go back to fight in Gaza?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yx56ep165o
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/israeli-soldiers-break-their-silence-gaza-conflict
What if it is in fact the leader or the government sabotaging the country or putting it at risk with dastardly policies? In that case, wouldn't the 'self-sabotage' be to sit quietly and do nothing?
I think when the citizens and even military of a country begin protesting like this, it's time to take note and listen to what they are saying, rather than dismissing them all as 'self-sabatoging'.
As a US citizen and veteran, I criticized the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think after 20+ years of the US wasting life and resources in Afghanistan, it's fair to say that that mission was (and always was) going to be an abject failure. Does this make me a 'self-sabatoging' American? I guess you can call me that, but I think it is the US government that sabotaged the American public by squandering our tax dollars and troops on pointless military adventurism, all while enriching those profiting from the conflict.
It looks like the same sort of thing is now happening in Israel (with US support), using the same justifications, with the same sorts of people demanding that we should all just shut up, 'support the troops' and stop 'siding with the terrorists'. This is the same script that got us embroiled in Iraq (again) and Afghanistan for 20+ years.
IDF troops increasingly are speaking out. When the 'most moral army in the world' (according to Netenyahu) is balking, something is wrong.
I can understand not wanting to take the college kids protesting on US campuses seriously, but when prominent figures within Israel's own leadership and military apparatus start speaking out - along with 500,000 or more Israeli citizens protesting in the streets, I think maybe it's worth listening to what they have to say.
