Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday that Israel is witnessing a dangerous defection that threatens to undermine it from within, echoing fears expressed by some leaders of the Jewish state that was established on occupied Arab land in 1948.
In a speech to the Conference of Local Authorities for Modernity, Herzog expressed his hope that Israel will reach its 80th year more united, and called on politicians and the public to act responsibly.
Herzog added that the destruction of the Temple twice throughout history was due to the intolerance among the people of Israel.
Israeli leaders have recently expressed their fears of the collapse of their state, despite the support provided to them by the United States and Western countries in general.
Earlier, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak expressed his fears of the imminent demise of Israel before the 80th anniversary of its founding, citing "Jewish history according to which the Jews did not have a state for more than 80 years except in two exceptional periods."
In an article for the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Barak said, "Throughout Jewish history, the Jews did not have a state for more than 80 years except in two periods: the period of King David and the Hasmonean period, and both periods marked the beginning of its disintegration in the eighth decade."
He added, saying that the current experience of the Zionist Hebrew state is the third experience, and it is now in its eighth decade, and that he fears that the curse of the eighth decade will descend on it as it descended on its predecessor.
It has been since the establishment of Israel on Arab land 74 years.
It boasts that it has one of the strongest and most advanced armies in the world, and that it has a strong economy and world-renowned defense industries.
However, it faces great challenges, as the Palestinian people are still resisting the occupation and insisting on restoring their occupied land and establishing an independent state with occupied Jerusalem as its capital.
With the enormous destructive power of Israeli weapons, this force appears fragile in front of the rounds of conflict with the Palestinian resistance that fires its missiles at Israeli cities and communities, forcing residents to enter shelters and paralyzing life in important facilities, including airports.
Israel also faces internal conflicts between its disparate Jewish currents, which threatens its disintegration, according to a book and politicians.