The Most Violent Chapter of Israel and Palestine

Peter Zeihan 11 min

The current extreme violence is driven by a unique convergence of strategic emptiness, political incentives for war, and a broken information system. There is literally no place for the Gazans to go if they were to be relocated, so extreme violence will continue.

  • Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Tulsi Gabbard
  • Barack Obama
  • Donald Trump
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene
  • Marco Rubio
  • Bashar al-Assad

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    The Current Conflict

    Israel has launched a major invasion of Gaza City using tanks and artillery to drive Palestinians into smaller zones.

  2. 1:47

    Strategic Shifts

    Israel faces no conventional threats because Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, and Iran are no longer capable of fighting.

  3. 4:27

    Israeli Politics

    Prime Minister Netanyahu maintains power through a coalition that seeks to make the conflict as hot as possible. The Trump administration has gutted the national security apparatus, preventing accurate information from reaching the president.

  4. 8:42

    Media Influence

    Organized anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism are blending to create a destructive narrative that ignores facts. There is no solution for the Gazans because there is literally no place for them to go if relocated.

Key points

  • 0:00

    The conflict has seen more violence in two weeks than at any stage since Israel's creation in 1948.

  • 1:47

    More Jews died in a single 24-hour period during Hamas's initial attack than had died since the Holocaust.

  • 1:47

    Israel has been the superior military power for over 60 years but now faces an empty strategic map.

  • 1:47

    The Syrian government is gone, and the replacement cannot hold together or fight Israel effectively.

  • 1:47

    Iraq is no longer a conventional threat because of American actions.

  • 1:47

    Egypt and Jordan are allies with Israel through peace deals.

  • 1:47

    Libya has fallen apart and is no longer an irritant.

  • 1:47

    Iran's ability to defend itself with air defense was destroyed earlier this year.

  • 4:27

    Netanyahu keeps power by forging a coalition that wants to kill everyone who isn't a Jew.

  • 6:48

    The US president does not have an accurate view of the situation due to gutted security apparatus.

On the map

Map of the places in “The Most Violent Chapter of Israel and Palestine”

Who and where

Places · 14

  • Israel 21
  • Gaza City 8
  • United States 13
  • Palestine 6
  • Gaza Strip 3
  • Middle East 2
  • Jerusalem 2
  • West Bank 2
  • Egypt 2
  • Jordan 2
  • Libya 1
  • Syria 1
  • Iraq 1
  • Iran 1

People · 7

  • Drawing of Donald Trump

    Donald Trump 4

    President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)

    Photo 1

  • Drawing of Benjamin Netanyahu

    Benjamin Netanyahu 3

    Prime Minister of Israel (born 1949), (1996–1999; 2009–2021; 2022–present)

    Photo 2

  • Drawing of Tulsi Gabbard

    Tulsi Gabbard 2

    American politician (born 1981)

    Photo 3

  • Drawing of Barack Obama

    Barack Obama 2

    44th President of the United States (2009–2017)

    Photo 4

  • Drawing of Marjorie Taylor Greene

    Marjorie Taylor Greene 1

    American politician

    Photo 5

  • Drawing of Marco Rubio

    Marco Rubio 1

    72nd United States Secretary of State since 2025

    Photo 6

  • Drawing of Bashar al-Assad

    Bashar al-Assad 1

    Syrian convicted fugitive and former President of Syria from 2000 to 2024

    Photo 7

1. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Donald Trump)

2. Photo: Avi Ohayon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Benjamin Netanyahu)

3. Photo: Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Tulsi Gabbard)

4. Photo: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Barack Obama)

5. Photo: House Creative Services, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Marjorie Taylor Greene)

6. Photo: U.S. Department of State, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Marco Rubio)

7. Photo: khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Bashar al-Assad)

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