The rise of fundamentalist, "messianic" religious nationalism threatens to engulf the liberal democratic foundations of the state. This unfolding spectacle of horrors evokes the haunting imagery of Kaputt (1944), the autobiographical novel by Italian journalist Curzio Malaparte. The title itself – Kaputt, meaning ruined, broken, or destroyed – serves as a powerful condemnation of fascism. It encapsulates both the catastrophic ambitions of fascist regimes and the shattered state of Europe in the aftermath of World War II.
A similar sense of impending ruin – caput – weighs heavily on thinkers and researchers who examine the state of Israeli society and regime. The Israeli social psychologist Eran Halperin, for instance, writes in his book Marginal Warning: "I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that some of the leading instigators of hatred and racism would become normalized, let alone accepted and influential figures in Israeli politics. I could not have conceived that those once confined to the fringes of public discourse would now occupy its very center, shaping the mainstream of Israeli society and politics."
Reflecting on this, I recall that when I first began my deep engagement with the far-right a decade ago, it was still considered a marginal phenomenon. Many dismissed its emergence as mere "sleepwalking." Yet, in recent years, this movement has gained significant governmental legitimacy, solidifying its place at the heart of political power. This shift became possible only after the so-called "gatekeepers" – those institutions and individuals traditionally responsible for preventing extremist elements from entering the political system – were weakened or ceased to function altogether.
Halperin concluded with a stark warning, expressing his shock at how "the same hatemongers, and the social and political culture they have fostered, have turned Israel into a low-functioning society – a society teetering on the brink of internal disintegration."
Such societies, characterized by instability and eroding social trust, struggle to maintain cohesion. Without mutual cooperation among citizens, they become increasingly unbalanced, their shared values and collective identity fading into ambiguity. In this vacuum, hostility festers, manifesting in acute conflicts between opposing factions and groups.
To those very instigators of division and discord, I pose the question: "Are you for us or for our enemies?" (Joshua 5:13). I stand with those critics who view Malaparte's Kaputt not merely as a war memoir, but as a sophisticated and chilling warning – a work designed to heighten awareness of Europe's moral and ethical collapse. If the current trajectory persists, it is undeniable that we, too, are walking a disturbingly similar path.
