The Media Line: ‘The War Is Over,’ Says the Opposition; ‘The Peace Has Begun,’ Answers the Coalition 

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‘The War Is Over,’ Says the Opposition; ‘The Peace Has Begun,’ Answers the Coalition 

As Israel prepares to open its winter parliamentary session, lawmakers from both sides see the postwar era through sharply different lenses. 

 By Gabriel Colodro / The Media Line 

The echoing hallways of the Israeli parliament are unusually quiet these days. Within hours, the silence will end. Lawmakers will return to the plenum, speeches will rise and tempers will flare, and the Knesset’s winter session will begin—the first since the implementation of the 20-point Trump plan that formally ended the Gaza war. 

For some, this moment marks the beginning of repair. For others, it represents the confirmation of victory. What unites both sides, however, is the understanding that the coming months will test not only the government’s stability but also the nation’s ability to transform military triumph into political renewal. 

“The war is over. That is a stage in repairing Israeli society,” opposition parliamentarian Naor Shiri of Yesh Atid told The Media Line. “The government brought upon Israel the most horrific massacre in Jewish history since the Holocaust,” he said. “We need a state commission of inquiry and, after that, the dissolution of the Knesset. Only then can we rebuild trust between the public and its leaders.” 

That same call for accountability was echoed by Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who told The Media Line that the opposition’s mission in the new session would be two-fold. “The opposition will be focused on two tasks in the coming Knesset session: bringing an end to this government and ensuring they do not do any more damage before the elections,” Lapid said. “Just like in the last Knesset session, we will do everything we can to prevent any attempts to pass laws undermining the judiciary. While the ceasefire is in place, the work is not yet done. All the bodies still being held in Gaza must be returned. The government cannot simply ignore that issue and go back to fomenting division in society.” 

Across the political aisle, the tone could not be more different. Likud lawmaker Moshe Saada described the current atmosphere as one of profound national pride. “It was a historic event,” he said, referring to President Donald Trump’s recent speech to the Knesset. “It felt like the second Balfour Declaration. My hands hurt from clapping, my eyes filled with tears. It was the kind of moment that comes once in a lifetime.” 

Speaking with The Media Line, Saada said the Trump plan “gave full legitimacy to the State of Israel,” calling it “the proof that peace is achieved through strength, with the right moral and military determination.” 

According to Saada, the coalition’s priorities for the session are clear: to consolidate peace, rebuild the economy after two years of conflict, and prepare for national elections expected later next year. “Israel left behind two years of war. There are families still rebuilding, soldiers still serving. But I see a strong, prosperous Israel—militarily, diplomatically, economically—and yes, moving toward peace,” he said. 

In contrast to the celebratory tone, Israeli parliamentarian Sharon Nir of the right-wing secular party Israel Beiteinu, who previously served in the defense establishment, told The Media Line that Israel’s security policy “must dictate operational conduct in Gaza and give real substance to the framework outlined by President Trump.” She warned that “Israel must enforce the agreement uncompromisingly and respond to every violation by Hamas with clear sanctions and pressure mechanisms.” Nir added that it was time to establish an Israeli-American enforcement body, “similar to the one that monitors Hezbollah in Lebanon,” and to guarantee “full operational freedom for the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].” 

Inside the Knesset, optimism and suspicion mix in equal measure. Coalition members praise Netanyahu’s leadership and the Trump administration’s bold diplomacy, while the opposition insists that victory abroad cannot erase failure at home. “We are still counting the kidnapped and the fallen,” Shiri said. “Nineteen hostages are still unaccounted for, and the wounds—moral and social—are far from healed.” 

Lapid, for his part, situates the coming months within a broader democratic struggle. “The number one priority for the country remains the implementation of the deal,” he told The Media Line. “After that, we need a new government with a positive vision for the future, a government that will not try to undermine our democratic system.” His words, measured but firm, reveal the opposition’s intent to define this period not only by what was won militarily but by what must now be rebuilt institutionally. 

As regional alliances take shape under the Trump plan, Nir said these partnerships represent both “an opportunity and a test.” “It is time for the Arab states to take responsibility for Gaza and for Israel to disconnect from the Strip,” she told The Media Line. “The Trump framework created a real opportunity to build a regional mechanism, led by the United States, that ensures Egyptian and Arab control over Gaza and works toward disarmament and the dismantling of Hamas.” She emphasized that the Knesset “must ensure that the government advances these principles while strictly safeguarding Israel’s security interests.” 

For many lawmakers, the new session is not only about legislation but also about narrative: who gets to define what Israel has become after the war. The coalition frames it as a period of recovery and expansion, a time to stabilize the country and entrench its new regional standing. The opposition calls it a time for accountability and democratic restoration. 

“The government’s only interest is survival,” Shiri told The Media Line. “It is not about the Israeli people, not about rebuilding the country. It is about clinging to power at any cost.” 

Saada, by contrast, insists that even critics understand the magnitude of what has been achieved. “You saw it in the plenum,” he said. “Almost everyone stood and applauded—first for President Trump, then for the prime minister. Even the opposition leader’s speech was statesmanlike, and I respect that. For once, we were united as Israelis.” 

The Likud lawmaker believes this unity will carry into the parliamentary process. “Some of the peace agreements will come before the Knesset for approval, and they will pass by an overwhelming majority,” he said. “There is broad consensus on the main goals: bringing back all hostages and fallen soldiers, dismantling Hamas completely, and reaching sustainable peace.” 

From her position on defense matters, Nir views the challenge differently. “The implementation of the Trump framework will require the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to focus not only on monitoring the agreement itself but also on ensuring that every violation by Hamas or other organizations is met with an immediate response,” she said. “Israel must set clear red lines and guarantee effective enforcement of Gaza’s demilitarization. The country must act from a long-term strategic vision that prevents the next massacre—never again means now.” 

Beneath the rhetoric of strength and repair lies a hint of tension. The coalition knows that early elections could upend its agenda, while the opposition sees in the coming months a chance to regain momentum. Both camps are aware that Israeli society—scarred, polarized and weary—is still processing what two years of war have done to its identity. 

“People talk about unity,” Shiri said, “but real unity can only come when there is justice. Until then, we remain in the process, not the result, of healing.” 

Saada, for his part, sees no contradiction between force and reconciliation. “When Israel was weak, no one wanted peace with us,” he said. “Today, even our enemies understand that Israel’s strength is what guarantees peace. That is the true legacy of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump.” 

The returning session will test these competing visions. Bills related to veterans’ benefits, judicial oversight, and the integration of reservists into civilian life are expected to dominate early debates. Economic reconstruction, particularly in the country’s southern regions, will also be a focal point as lawmakers seek to translate wartime solidarity into long-term stability. 

Across Jerusalem, anticipation is building quietly. The coming weeks will reveal whether the return to political routine can also mark a return to collective purpose. The war is over—at least on paper. What remains uncertain is whether Israel’s leaders can now turn survival into renewal.