BERLIN -- Retired Israeli Major General Itzhak Brik has warned that Israel is approaching an irreversible breakdown involving its military, economy, political institutions and society, raising questions about whether the illegal entity can survive in its present form over the coming years.

In an article published by the Hebrew-language daily Maariv, Brik described the recent parliamentary election results as the death certificate of the Israel that existed before the current crisis.

Comparing Israeli television commentators to an orchestra playing aboard the Titanic, he accused the political establishment of ignoring a much deeper catastrophe while concentrating on coalition negotiations.

Brik warned that Israel has lost international legitimacy and allies and cannot withstand prolonged isolation. He also described the ground forces as structurally deteriorating, with exhausted soldiers, declining morale and insufficient capacity to confront simultaneous threats.

He warned that the departure of doctors, scientists, technology entrepreneurs and other professionals was further weakening the country's foundations.

His latest warning follows an even more explicit prediction in February 2026, when Brik questioned whether Israel would survive until its centenary in 2048.

In an article titled Israel Is on the Road to Destruction, and There Is Only One Way to Save It, published by Maariv, he identified internal divisions, international alienation and failures of political leadership as existential threats.

The warnings are not confined to retired military commanders. In March 2026, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir reportedly warned the security cabinet that the Israeli military could collapse under mounting manpower shortages and operational commitments.

According to The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post, Zamir raised ten red flags, warning that the military would eventually become unable to perform routine missions and that the reserve system could become unsustainable. He called for urgent legislation addressing military conscription and reserve service. His warning was particularly significant because it came from the serving head of the military rather than a former officer commenting from outside the establishment.

Another striking warning came from former Israeli supreme court president Aharon Barak, who warned in March 2025 that Israel was heading towards bloodshed and civil war.

The seriousness of the concern was subsequently documented in the Jewish People Policy Institute's 2026 Annual Assessment. According to the institute, approximately six in ten Israeli settlers believed the entity faced a risk of civil war.

The assessment identified internal polarization as one of the illegal entity’s most serious challenges, with many Israeli settlers considering domestic divisions more dangerous than external security threats.

In January 2026, Al Jazeera published an extensive report titled Is Israel's Current Path Setting It on Course for Collapse? The report examined warnings from Israeli and diaspora analysts who argued that political polarization, declining investor confidence and demographic changes were undermining the country's long-term sustainability.

It cited concerns that the existing model of the Israeli regime could become increasingly difficult to maintain over the coming decades.

The concern about Israel's ability to survive in its present form also reflects the growing economic and demographic pressures facing the country.

The departure of highly skilled professionals, declining confidence in the illegal entity’s political direction and the financial burden of prolonged military confrontation have become recurring subjects of warnings by Israeli commentators.

The common thread connecting these assessments is the possibility that Israel's internal divisions could become increasingly difficult to overcome.

The military conscription dispute, confrontation over the judiciary, growing ideological divisions and the widening gap between secular and religious communities have all contributed to fears about the future cohesion of Israeli society.

Brik's latest intervention therefore belongs to a wider debate that has been developing for years and has intensified during 2026.