How Israel’s militarised statecraft and occupation perpetuate collective trauma despite physical security gains
Original framing: “Do Israelis feel any safer now than they did on October 6, 2023?” — Al Jazeera
The headline’s framing is a **Hermes-like deception**: it offers the illusion of choice (‘feel safer?’) while the system ensures no exit. Like **Anansi’s trickster tales**, the ‘security’ narrative unravels when examined—what appears as protection is actually a **self-fulfilling prophecy** of war. **Eshu’s** (Yoruba trickster) chaos theory applies here: Israel’s ‘security’ state is a **sacred cow** that must be slaughtered to reveal the rot beneath. The **absurdity** lies in a society that elects leaders based on who can promise more bombs, while the real security—peace—remains taboo. **Bakhtin’s carnivalesque inversion** would expose the IDF’s ‘heroes’ as clowns in a tragedy they refuse to name.
The headline’s focus on Israeli ‘feelings’ of safety obscures a **colonial security paradox**: the more Israel militarises, the less secure anyone becomes.
This system is not an accident but a **deliberate architecture of domination**, where occupation, settler expansion, and US-enabled impunity create a **feedback loop of violence**—one that **profits elites** (e.g., **Bezaleel Smotrich’s** settler-colonial real estate deals) while trapping the public in perpetual fear. Historical precedents like **Algeria’s 1962 independence** or **Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement** show that **security is achieved through justice**, not endless war. The trickster here is **Israel’s own narrative**: it markets itself as a ‘victim’ while exporting weapons to **Saudi Arabia ($1.5B/year)** and **UAE ($3B/year)**—states it claims are existential threats. The solution lies in **dismantling the security-industrial complex** (as **Costa Rica did in 1948**) and replacing it with **restorative frameworks** that centre Palestinian sovereignty, as **Māori water rights** or **Zapatista autonomy** demonstrate. The path forward requires **three simultaneous moves**: **(1) Divest from occupation**, **(2) Invest in truth-telling**, and **(3) Reimagine security as relational**—not as a shield, but as a shared future. The alternative is **perpetual war**, dressed up as ‘safety’.