Analyst Shlomo Filber's New Book Argues 'It's Not Bibi' But a Wider Ideological Divide

Shlomo Filber, a political analyst and strategist associated with Channel 14, is releasing a new book titled "It's Not Bibi: The Rise of the National Camp." The book, set to be published soon by Sella Meir, examines the evolution of Israeli society and its political factions since 2015, as well as the events leading to the 2026 election results.

Filber, a former Director-General of the Ministry of Communications and a key figure in the Likud's 2015 election victory, began writing the book a year ago. He initially believed the "Anyone but Bibi" campaign would fail, and the Likud did indeed emerge as the largest party. However, in the book's epilogue, written after the election, he warns the victorious camp against emotional reactions and urges strategic consideration of the political reality. He cautions against retaliating against parties that boycotted them by excluding them from the coalition or imposing conditions that marginalize them.

A central theme of the book addresses the relationship between the National Camp and the "Change Camp" parties. Filber argues that even with a significant political victory, the country cannot be governed by a perpetual division between winners and losers. He contends that the Change Camp's voters will not accept being excluded from decision-making for long. He believes the new political era emerging from recent elections means these voters will not serve as a mere appendage to a national coalition or accept being a permanent minority excluded from leadership.

Filber places the responsibility for initiating reconciliation on the leadership of the National Camp, not on a specific prime minister or political figure. He advocates for a broad Zionist and national bloc that fosters cooperation between voters and parties from both camps, free from political boycotts. He proposes developing shared formulas and principles to enable both sides to participate in governing the country.

Conversely, Filber presents a particularly dangerous scenario: the failure to form a new, unified Zionist and national bloc could lead to an "Red-Green coalition." He describes this as an alliance between the progressive left and Palestinian nationalism, which he warns could promote anti-Zionist and progressive values, potentially harming Israel from within. This warning gains particular relevance given the book's depiction of a political reality where coalition composition and inter-camp cooperation are central debates.

The book also delves into Filber's personal experiences, including the pressures he faced during investigations related to the legal proceedings against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Filber, a former close advisor to Netanyahu who later became a state witness in "Case 4000" before changing his testimony, recounts an interrogation where he claims a questioner urged him to "say it was Bibi." This incident, among others, illustrates his view of attempts to influence the political system through legal, media, and bureaucratic channels. Filber's thesis is that the struggle for power in Israel since 2015 has been misrepresented as a personal battle against Netanyahu, rather than a broader conflict of worldviews, values, and identities. He argues that many in the national camp recognized this deeper conflict, which is reflected in the book's title and the 2026 election outcomes.