In a Haaretz opinion piece, Ofri Ilany explores the psychological toll of Israel’s war in Gaza, describing a personal encounter with a friend that devolved into argument — rooted, Ilany believes, in suppressed collective guilt over the ongoing destruction in Gaza.

Though not discussed directly, he argues, that guilt manifests in defense mechanisms like self-glorification and victimhood.

Drawing on psychoanalytic theory and historical parallels — from postwar Germany to modern Japan — Ilany suggests that Israeli society is entering a state of moral denial similar to other nations after committing atrocities.

Despite the near-100,000 reported deaths in Gaza, Israeli media and public sentiment remain entrenched in national righteousness.

Ilany warns that this denial may shatter over time, but for now, only a few — traumatized soldiers and critical artists — are likely to confront it.

With horrors ongoing, he concludes, true reckoning remains distant. “How will we pay for our crimes,” he asks, “and will we ever live a human life?”

Read the full opinion here.