When “Law and Order” Becomes a Cover for Illegal Power: Žižek on Israel, Mossad, and the West Bank
In this essay, Slavoj Žižek responds to reports that Roman Gofman, a proposed future head of Mossad, cited Žižek as an intellectual influence. Žižek argues that the deeper issue is not whether his work was misunderstood, but how Israeli state and military power can use the language of theory, law, and order to justify actions that break the law and intensify oppression in the West Bank and Gaza. He contrasts this with voices from within Israel’s security establishment and legal system who warn that security depends on Palestinian rights, coexistence, and adherence to law. The piece concludes that when state organs themselves violate the legal order they claim to defend, “law and order” can become a cover for illegal violence rather than a safeguard against it.
Žižek’s reaction to Gofman’s reported reference
Žižek opens by discussing reports that Roman Gofman, an IDF colonel proposed as head of Mossad, claimed his approach had intellectual grounding in Žižek’s writings. Žižek says he is unsure whether the reference was meant seriously or ironically, but he takes it literally and examines what it reveals about Israeli power.
State power, law, and the violation of law
The essay argues that Gofman’s outlook reflects a system in which Israeli state organs and settlers break Israeli law while continuing to present themselves as defenders of law and order. Žižek says the disturbing point is that victims are not only subject to occupation and legal domination, but also to illegal violence carried out or tolerated by the state itself.
Settler politics and official duplicity
Žižek invokes Daniella Weiss to describe a duplicity between civic settler activism and official policy: settlers do what the state publicly disavows, then help make those actions politically normal and later accepted. In Žižek’s reading, Gofman’s stance shows that the state is now openly adopting this method itself.
Alternative voices within Israel
The essay highlights former security and legal figures such as Efraim Halevy, Ami Ayalon, Yuval Noah Harari, and Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. Žižek uses their statements to emphasize that some Israeli insiders argue for coexistence, Palestinian hope, respect for law, and recognition that Israel’s security depends on Palestinian rights.
Theoretical appropriation and its limits
Žižek broadens the discussion by noting that military and political actors often appropriate critical theory for their own ends. He references earlier IDF use of Deleuze and Guattari, as well as examples involving Peter Thiel, Gramsci, and others. His point is that such appropriations strip ideas of their critical force and repurpose them for domination.
Key takeaways
- Žižek says the troubling issue is not just misreading theory, but the use of theory to justify illegal domination.
- He argues that Israeli state power increasingly violates its own legal order in the West Bank and Gaza.
- The essay contrasts hardline military-settler logic with Israeli voices calling for coexistence and mutual recognition.
- Žižek warns that “law and order” can become a slogan for oppression when the state itself breaks the law.
- He sees the appropriation of critical theory by power as a recurring political pattern.
Source: Slavoj Žižek, “WHEN TO OBEY LAW AND ORDER IS A TRUE SUBVERSION,” published on Substack (https://slavoj.substack.com/p/when-to-obey-law-and-order-is-a-true-ba1), May 20, 2026. Read the original post on Substack.