An interview with Shay Kallach on Jewish identity, Israel’s future and the importance of patience.
This interview aimed to step aside from the Israelis speaking in Hebrew, meaning to themselves while there is an important perspective to be shared with a larger audience; to bring Mr. Kallach’s ideas, regularly shared in the Israeli media while deserving a wider exposure, to the broader, English-speaking audience.
Like many, I’m deeply concerned about Israel’s situation – both internally and externally. I approached Mr. Kallach seeking a broader, clearer perspective.
Our conversation touched on Jewish identity, national consciousness, the “deep state,” military failures, judicial overreach, and the slow but necessary path toward national renewal.
Who is Shay Kallach
Shay Kallach, a former F-16 fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force, founded Pilots Against Refusal (to serve) and the grassroots movement Netzach Israel, meaning, “The eternity of the people of Israel.”
“The Eternity of Israel will not lie” (1 Samuel 15:29). This verse expresses enduring faith; that the people of Israel will prevail.
According to Mr. Kallach, “eternity” means restoring power to the people and reducing the grip of the entrenched bureaucracy, often referred to as the “deep state.” His movement calls for reclaiming Israeli sovereignty through active civic involvement and unwavering Jewish identity.
The call is: time to wake up!
Our Interview
What Is Going on in Israel?
NG: What led you to become politically involved? And what happened on October 7, 2023?
SK: I’m not officially in politics. Becoming an “activist” wasn’t planned – it was something the public drew me into.
It began with opposing the reserve pilots’ refusal [to serve] movement. Talks of insubordination were unprecedented. While volunteering to serve in the military has declined over the years, calling for refusal of orders was something new—and dangerous.
The Air Force has two main roles: to defend Israel’s skies and to act as a strategic arm of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). Yet, it never trained seriously for repelling an invasion. That failure became clear on October 7, 2023, when Hamas invaded and attacked and the Air Force was caught unprepared.
Prior to Hamas’s attack wide protests took place in Israel. The protests’ leaders used a few reserve pilots from each squadron as symbols in their campaign to topple the government. But the fact that those same pilots didn’t refuse orders after October 7th, proves they had no idea what they were in fact doing. Their threats before the war were most damaging, more than their actions during it.
For the first eight hours of Hamas’s invasion, the Air Force was essentially absent. That failure stemmed more from political distraction than from military incapability.
The Deep State – Why
NG: Why is Israel’s public diplomacy so ineffective? Why do they continue speaking in Hebrew which is among yourselves? And why does it seem that, for example, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is untouchable?
SK: The tension between Israel’s judiciary and its elected officials isn’t new. It needs reform. However, wartime is not the time to overhaul it.
Yes, AG Baharav-Miara is part of the deep state – but she is not the only one. Over the last century, real public power has been stripped away. Since the Second Aliyah, the 2nd wave of Jews who arrived in Israel in 1903, unelected, what I call elites, have gained control – in the courts, bureaucracy, and even the military.
Trying to solve a 130 year old problem is a challenge.
Take for example the Wexner Foundation*. Many top military officers trained there—in a left-leaning, anti-Zionist environment. After October 7th, only three candidates were considered to become the Chief of the General Staff – all Wexner alumni. No name of an alternative candidate was submitted. That’s a symptom of the deep-state’s seizure.
*Due to concerns about the university’s response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Wexner Foundation -“developing outstanding leaders for public service in Israel” terminated its relationship with Harvard University and the Harvard Kennedy School. The foundation, which had a 34-year partnership with the university, criticized Harvard’s leadership for what it perceived as a “dismal failure” to condemn the attack and take a clear moral stand.
NG: Can this deep state be dismantled?
SK: Yes – but only through mass awakening. That’s the mission of Netzach Yisrael. It’s not just a political movement – it’s a revolution of consciousness.
Imagine building a bridge. Before it can carry weight, it needs strong foundations. First, people must recognize how deep the problem is and how far is its reach. When society understands the supremacy mindset behind the elites, real change can start taking place. It starts with the pride in being Jewish.
NG: You refer to them as “elites.” Why not just say “leaders”?
SK: Leadership is earned through service. Elites hold power without accountability. In the Air Force, for example, only 30 out of 10,000 applicants make it to pilot training—that is called chosen on merit.
But even those pilots must choose: do they serve the country, or the elite class? That’s where the distinction lies.
Is Israel a Democracy?
NG: People abroad often say that Israel is “the only democracy in the Middle East.” But lately it appears to be more like a judicial dictatorship. Even Mark Levin – an American broadcast news analyst, columnist, lawyer, political commentator, radio personality, and writer with a large audience – called it a “judicial tyranny.” Your thoughts?
SK: Israel is a democracy – but a compromised one. The High Court, with its 15 unelected judges, holds outsized power.
We need reforms. But reforms begin with education and a shift in the national consciousness.
NG: How long will the reforms take?
SK: We need to restore national patience. After all we are Am HaNetzach – the eternal people. Once, we embraced long-term vision, today we want instant results. That’s a dangerous approach which could yield a consequential outcome.
But the shift has already begun. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already taken bold steps: he replaced the Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, reinstated Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and dismissed an insubordinate navigator, all done during war time. These are good signs that sovereignty is being regained.
On October 7th 2023 And The “Konseptziya”
NG: What went wrong on October 7, 2023?
SK: The army was stuck in what we call in Israel “konceptziya,” in English it is conception that can bear different meanings. It is the flawed belief that no real threat existed across the border [with Gaza]. That the enemy is not interested in a war.
Top IDF brass believed that large-scale wars were a thing of the past, at least not conventional wars. So they shut down armored brigades and kept Air Force squadrons parked an hour flight time from Gaza. They ignored contingency plans like “Jericho Wall,” [refers to a Hamas battle plan, codenamed by the IDF that detailed a large-scale invasion of southern Israel from the Gaza Strip].
When the fighter pilots finally took off, instead of bombing Hamas infiltrators, pilots guarded offshore gas rigs and nuclear sites. They weren’t mentally or tactically prepared.
NG: But aren’t these officers supposed to be the best thinkers? How did Wexner training override that?
SK: Because they believe in something else – a global village in which Jewish nationalism is seen to be a problem.
Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, for instance, is close to George Soros who is involved with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and not a friend of Israel. Barak even proposed canceling the Law of Return* – and bringing into Israel the descendants of the 1948 Arab “refugees,” those who fled Israel during its war for Independence. That’s betrayal—not leadership.
* Israel’s Law of Return, enacted in 1950, grants the right to immigrate and become a citizen of Israel to all Jews and their spouses, and their children and grandchildren. The law codifies the principle of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people and facilitates the “ingathering of exiles” from around the world.
Military Recruit
NG: What about Haredi (ultra-Orthodox–Hareidim) who don’t serve in the army?
SK: You can’t force cultural shifts. But changes are taking place. The Haredi sector is slowly becoming a more nationalistic and interactive part of the nation.
Just as the Torah law can’t be imposed on secular Israelis, military service can’t be forced on the ultra-Orthodox. Internal change takes time.
Egypt, Turkey, A Concern
NG: What about Egypt? Isn’t it in violation of its peace treaty agreement with Israel?
SK: Egypt was complicit in the October 7th Hamas’s attack on Israel. Hamas’s weapons have passed through Egypt into the Gaza Strip for years. We need to be ready—for war if necessary.
NG: Does the army now understand this?
SK: Yes. That’s one of the few benefits of October 7th. Awareness has grown. Thankfully, we weren’t attacked simultaneously from the north.
NG: What about Recep Erdoğan , the president of Turkey, a NATO member?
SK: Turkey reminds us of the age-old truth: in every generation, they rise against us. We’re aware and prepared. We must win this war – and we are. Hamas and Hezbollah leaders are being eliminated. Assad’s regime in Syria is collapsing.
On Trust in the Authorities
NG: Do people still trust the government?
SK: That trust is returning. Elections are coming in 2026, and campaigns will begin within this year. I’m optimistic.
On Political Inclination and Judaism
NG: Do Israelis understand Judaism?
SK: With God’s help – they’re starting to.
NG: What’s your political ideology? What are your hopes for 2026?
SK: My politics go deeper than left or right. It’s not about political parties – it’s about truth.
Being “right” today means understanding that Israel isn’t just a place of refuge – it’s a mission. After 2,000 years scattered in the diaspora, we didn’t return home just to be safe, but to be a light unto the nations.
That requires confidence, faith, and long-term vision. But it’s happening – slowly, with God’s help.
NG: Thank you.
My interview with Mr. Shay Kallach was concluded as he was dashing out to another media appearance.
