“The Palestinian goal was and remains not the end of the conflict, but the end of Israel’s existence.”
Finding a solution to any conflict or disagreement between two sides demands the will and mutual understanding. It cannot be accomplished unilaterally.
This is just as true for the so-called, “two-state solution,” which on a practical level was never more than a “two-state slogan” or a theoretical idea – and not an especially successful one at that.
It is unsuccessful even theoretically, because Israel cannot live with the inevitable outcome – the loss of control between the River and the Sea in two crucial aspects: security and demography.
What can we learn from history? And in our case we are talking about a history of 100 years.
It never worked. At the crucial moment, the Palestinians always said “no” to any solution based on this idea, regardless of where the lines were drawn or how the land was divided.
We saw this all the way back in 1937, when the Peel Commission made their proposal, and again in 1947, when the UN Partition Plan was passed – even though the Palestinians were offered the majority of the country.
The same goes for the generous offers made by former prime ministers Ehud Barak (in 2000) or Ehud Olmert (in 2008), even though both of them accepted most of the Palestinian demands.
So what is the reason behind this rejectionism? Very simple: The Palestinian side never wanted to end the conflict. Their goal was always to carry on the conflict with a better hand.
The Palestinian goal was and remains not the end of the conflict, but the end of Israel’s existence.
In this regard, there is no difference between the various Palestinian factions, such as Hamas and Fatah, but rather in how effective their different methods are in achieving their goal. When we understand this, we understand that almost every Palestinian achievement damages Israel, and vice versa (with very few exceptions).
When we understand this, we also understand that Palestinian achievements have worsened our situation, without bringing us any closer to a solution.
IT IS ALSO important to understand that all the achievements of the Palestinians are as a result of our actions. For example: Territory: They did not acquire one meter militarily.
The Palestinian Authority was established on land that was handed over by Israel under the Oslo Accords. This was after Israel returned the PLO gangs from Tunis (expelled from Lebanon in the First Lebanon War in 1982). And another area given after a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza as the result of an Israeli decision.
Political status: The Palestinian’s political status as a so-called “state” at the United Nations, and other international institutions, was granted only after Israel accepted the model of two states – that is, the acceptance of their right to a state between the Sea and the Jordan River. As long as Israel opposed a Palestinian state, that didn’t happen.
Since the early days of the conflict, Ze’ev Jabotinsky proposed an alternative approach to the left-wing idea, centered on the understanding that there is no possibility of reaching an agreement against their will. Jabotinsky wrote about the concept of the Kir Barzel (Iron Wall). This is the correct basis for understanding today’s reality also.
What he said remains relevant: “This does not mean that there can be no agreement with the Arabs of the Land of Israel; only that it is not possible to have an agreement against their will. As long as the Arabs have one spark of hope to get rid of us, they will not give up that hope, not in exchange for sweet talk and not for different promises… The only way to reach such an agreement is the Iron Wall… In other words, the only way to reach an agreement in the future is to completely relinquish attempts to reach an agreement in the present.”
Of course, according to Jabotinsky’s view, the type of understanding or agreement that would be possible to reach in the future would be quite different in nature.
If we accept this analysis, we must move to a binary approach – to the concept of “zero-sum game” in the struggle between us and the Palestinians, in all its different aspects.
The victory paradigm assumes – like the Iron Wall – that an agreement may be possible in the future, but only after Israel’s victory is clear and absolute. In other words, when there is a lack of choice on the part of those who do not want compromise (i.e., the Palestinians).
But we must understand that moving to the “Israel Victory Paradigm”, requires the abandonment of the Oslo concept.
That is, the concept that peace and security will be achieved through two states between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
AT THE END of the day, the only way to find a solution is to find a way to link Palestinian autonomy in Judea and Samaria to the Kingdom of Jordan.
Don’t forget that the Palestinians of Judea and Samaria were Jordanian citizens until 1988, when the King, unilaterally and illegally, took their citizenship away.
Israel must return to the classic Zionist idea of creating and securing critical mass between the Sea and the Jordan River.
What does this mean? Well, let me give you some examples: On the political side, I praise Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to bring more embassies to Jerusalem. I would add that the Jewish majority in Jerusalem must be strengthened, and there is a need to promote large-scale construction in the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
The future of Jerusalem will be determined, first and foremost, by the facts on the ground – by the clear Jewish demographic majority, which has begun to be challenged.
The Victory Concept requires a clear Israeli claim to Area C. It needs us to set the objective of Israeli sovereignty in this territory, including in the Israeli settlements of Judea and Samaria and in the Jordan Valley.
The Victory Concept requires Israel to take action to stop the Palestinian attempt, supported by the European Union, to take control over lands in Area C.
The classic Zionist approach understood the importance of, and the need to take action in order to see positive change – especially in the demographic balance. It did not attempt to create a false conflict between our territorial and demographic interests.
We must return the issue of aliyah, Jewish immigration, to the very heart of the national agenda. We must take advantage of the opportunities that exist today to support and realize the dream of bringing the Jewish people back to their homeland.
All of these important policy points are guided by the principle of ensuring an “Israeli victory.”
Such a policy must also see a change in the way Israel conducts its public relations around the world, and talks about its principles.
Instead of continuing to swear allegiance to a dangerous and unrealistic idea, Israel’s representatives must begin to tell and explain to the world the truth – the reality and our real interests. We have many friends waiting to hear it – and they are waiting to hear it from us.
The author is the Former Education and Interior Minister and a former member of the Security Cabinet. Based on a speech given at the annual conference of the Israel Victory Project of the Middle East Forum.
@ Bear Klein:
I agree. The policy known as “Area C plus status quo” could be implemented immediately but for Bibi who isn’t going anywere anytime soon because of his well-earned popularity for the way he’s handled war, diplomacy and the economy. I was referring to the rest of Yesha. Areas A and B plus Gaza from which the terror is mainly emanating, flaming kites at the moment. Talking about a victory strategy is talking about that. Area C is inhabited by and run by Jews now. It’s just a question of switching of ending martial law there.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
If we have a bold PM taking charge I believe the populace will support applying Israeli Civil Law to Area C. I also believe the population would support squashing the terrorists.
People answer the questions asked in the poll. Israelis in my view are ready to follow a strong leader to change the paradigm. Large majority do not believe in the Oslo Concept. The Victory Concept is just being started to be discussed by many people. Oslo was around for 25 years.
Israel in the large majority do not want to incorporate large amounts of Arabs into Israel.
@ Bear Klein:
“…Half would prefer to treat the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership as an “enemy” and scrap the principles of the Oslo Accords, with the rest evenly divided between opposing the suggestion and expressing no opinion…” – From article you cited.
Does that sound like a rousing consensus to restore the status quo ante Oslo? This is citizen army. These are the people who are going to have not just vote but get their hands dirty and experience war and counter-insurgency. Can’t have another Peace Now arise to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again.j
They are still dealing with the Palestinian Arabs as a collective entity when the goal must be to re-dissolve that entity, restore their status as refugees, not just the ones in camps, and incentivize them to leave and assimilate elsewhere after their environment is once more under — this time permanent — IDF military protection and control minus Ottoman and Jordanian legal precedents.
This is, in my view, a necessary albeit not sufficient condition for victory.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
Erdan is possibly the likely successor to Bibi in the Likud (he is mainstream Likud) and Bennett is the leader of Bayit Yehudi.
A majority of Israeli Jews no longer believe in Oslo and believe in victory.
Seventy-seven percent of Israeli Jews, a majority across the political spectrum (with only Meretz voters dissenting) believe that the Israeli military should be allowed to “win” the next time Israel is attacked by Hamas or Hezbollah — even if these groups request a ceasefire.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/178461-180701-poll-israelis-say-victory-necessary-for-peace-with-palestinians
Bear Klein Said:
I wonder if anyone has tried to figure out what proportion of the relevant population they comprise, as well as what standards to use to decide who is a terrorist. Would they include inciting mullahs and other terror propagandists such as mass media and educators? would they include PA functionaries, police, members of the governing terror organizations? How would they prioritize and what would they do with them after disarming them?
Moreover, the consensus among the Israeli public would have to change. Occupying and policing these atavistic murderous savages would have to be made popular. It can’t be like the way it was with Lebanon.
There must be strategies for combating Vietnam syndrome. This is an army in which nearly everyone serves, with the new draft law, maybe it will be everyone, every able-bodied Jew, anyway, as well as the Druze.
Erdan concept is similar to Bennett’s.
1. No PA State
2. Israeli Security until the Jordan River
3. Sovereignty to Area C which includes the Jordan Valley
4, Arab “autonomy” in Areas A/B (I wonder if either Bennett or Erdan
actually believe this will really work). Neither one talks bluntly
about getting rid of the terrorists but both realize it needs to be done.
Sort of like Pipes.
5. I believe Erdan is talking about the Jordan connection but only as argument that their citizenship is Jordanian, and under autonomy they can run their own lives on a municipal level but their nationality is Jordanian. This does need clarification.
6. Good News it is now common place for mainstream politicians to say Oslo is
dead and we need to work from a victory platform. Progress in the right
direction.
The term “2 stats solution slips wonderfully fast off the tongue of an Arab, whose language is rich in sibilants….like a snake, in many ways….
A strong Diaspora is just as important as Aliyah. It has proved vital in the past and needs to be encouraged and strengthened. Increasing discouragement of abortions would more than make up Aliyah, which anyway, will never stop. So it would be a double success.
Not taking control of Area C has been a bugbear for Israel until today, and I think that Netanyahu’s tip-toeing (through the tulips) around this vital decision has much to do with Israeli inaction and complaisance, whilst watching Arabs increasingly filter into this Area. As for A and B, an encouraged emigration HAS TO BE INAUGURATED “toot sweet”, and pursued with ever increasing strength. The Arabs MUST leave, many of them are prepared to do. And Israel must be prepared to tell the EU to desist, that they are infringing on Israeli Sovereignty. This is a polite way of expressing my favourite comment to the RU…to “Bugger Off…”
Israel could also tell the EU that as far as Israel AND the Arabs are concerned, the “Oslo Accord” is dead, that it never lived, and was stillborn at birth, only kept in a pseudo-life by the EU and it’s Jew-Hating supporters
I won’t comment on the rumour that after the Rabin-Arafat handshake, Rabin used to daily steep that hand in disinfectant, right up to the time his life ended.
Oh yes, also, I am against bringing Jordan into a position where it can legitimately revive it’s illegal occupation of Judea & Samaria. It would be conditional on bringing the YESHA Arabs into Jordan, where they largely came from to get those free goodies from UNRWA-and where they should be.