In these upcoming elections, the political parties and the electorate should focus on the concept and actualization of victory.
We must support those who will present the clearest path to its realization and those who will have the strength and the power to repel those who oppose it on both the national level and in the international arena.
Those who oppose this simple but vital concept will try in every possible way to prevent us from achieving it. Therefore, it is important that whoever wins the upcoming elections is able to achieve victory against our foes, enemies and opponents in all spheres – first and foremost in the security arena.
On assuming the office of British prime minister in 1940, Winston Churchill gave a rousing speech when asking for Parliament’s confidence in his new government. Only three days into what became known as the Battle of France, Churchill wanted to signal to his foes, the Nazis, that they were dealing with a new type of British leader after Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement policy.
“Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival,” Churchill famously said, which ended in a rare unanimous approval in the House of Commons.
While the Allies would lose that particular battle, they would ultimately win the war.
They won the war because of their tenacious adherence to the concept of victory. They did not seek appeasement, nor a cease-fire or an accord with the Nazis, rather their utter defeat.
Israel is a strong and resilient nation, arguably far more than the British were on the eve of World War II. However, history has demonstrated countless times that only when one side wins and one side loses, does a war end and peace reign afterwards.
Israel faces many momentous challenges in the coming years, especially as our enemies on all fronts grow bolder and look for any perceived weaknesses in our defenses and our national psyche. The recent conflagrations on the border with Gaza, the operation to dismantle the terror tunnels on the border with Lebanon and Hezbollah’s rocket bases and the ease with which Iran now moves in Syria are outstanding examples.
Terror in all its forms must be defeated. Security, defense and above all, deterrence are absolute necessities. Risk and crisis management, prevention of escalation, and maintaining calm between attacks are short-term tactics. However, none of these will really help – and some can harm – the overall strategic goal: a victory over our enemies.
The people of Israel already understand that there is no substitute for victory. From surveys conducted in recent years and my knowledge of Israeli society, it is clear that most people in Israel seek a strong leadership that achieves victory in an unequivocal manner. The public understands and requires leaders who will achieve this in security, economics and diplomacy.
In particular, the people of Israel want a victorious army. The IDF must advance victory to the top of its value system and to the highest rung on its agenda.
It is true that many want a full victory without any casualties, and this is of course what we all wish for. Nevertheless, let us not forget that if we do not win, many will be victims of appeasement, reconciliation and pity, like the Chamberlain doctrine in 1938 vis-a-vis Adolf Hitler.
Jews and Judaism respect individual rights and considers them very important, but they do not supersede the most important human right: the right to life.
Our people want peace, but understand that peace cannot be achieved unless the enemy is defeated, is willing to recognize your existence and respects you. Never in history has long-term security been gained from purely defensive measures, funding the enemy and putting faith in worthless ceasefires. Security is gained when the enemy no longer has the will or the ability to threaten. Look at the many wars in our region and let’s start to think differently – in terms of victory and defeat.
Thus, these elections should be about moving from a policy of management, defense, restraint and appeasement to an unadulterated policy of victory.
We need to hear from all of our leaders from across the political spectrum who believe in a thriving Jewish State how they will achieve this with the enemy at the gates. We need to hear about plans of action to battle against our genocidal enemies until they lose the will to continue their fight.
We need to hear about concrete steps that our leaders will take to ensure the figurative white flag of surrender rises from our enemies’ placements.
Without victory, as Churchill said so eloquently, there is no survival.
As Israelis, it is our obligation to demand that our leaders put the people and our long-term future and security first. When you come to vote, aim for goals, for the necessary achievement and for the results: Victory, victory and once again – victory!
The writer is a former deputy chief of staff of the IDF and national security adviser and a candidate for the Likud Party Mishor Hahof (Coastal Plain) regional district.
@ Edgar G.:
About Dayan… he’s nephew of Moshe Dayan, therefore a little off-the-beam already. And I just recalled that I recently read that he was very left-wing (this was in 2008.. maybe he’s changed) and much involved in pushing through, the “Oslo Accords” which …well… we know all about THAT.
So taking this into consideration, assuming it’s true, what is he doing in Likud…unless he HAS switched his political beliefs…
@ adamdalgliesh:
In Arutz, Dayan finished #35. I was utterly surprised, expecting him to be much higher, in line for a ministerial position.
@ Bear Klein:Thanks, Bear! Very Iffy, but not out of the Question!
@ adamdalgliesh:
Uzi Dayan is in 33rd spot. Very IFFY.
Complete List:
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Yuli Edelstein
3. Israel Katz
4. Gilad Erdan
5. Gideon Sa’ar
6. Miri Regev
7. Yoav Gallant
8. Yariv Levin
9. Nir Barkat
10. Gila Gamliel
11. Avi Dichter
12. Ze’ev Elkin
13. Ofir Akunis
14. Tzachi Hanegbi
15. Haim Katz
16. Tzipi Hotovely
17. Yuval Steinitz
18. David Amsalem
19. Pinchas Idan
20. Amir Ochana
21. Ofir Katz
22. Eti Atiya
23. Yoav Kish
24. David Bitan
25. Keren Barak
26. Slomo Keri
27. Miki Zohar
28. Abraham Ngosa
29. Michal Shir
30. Petin Mula
31. Katy Shitrit
32. May Golan
33. Uzi Dayan
34. Ariel Kelner
35. Osnat Mark
Has anyone heard whether Uzi Dayan made it onto the Likud list in the primaries? The article in today’s Jerusalem Post didn’t mention him one way or another, although the Post did publish this article by him a few days earlier (clearly his campaign speech). If anyone has heard whether or not Uzi has made it onto the list, as he certainly should have, please lt us know in this space. Thanks.
Part of the victory would be created by building new settlements.
http://www.israelhayom.com/2019/02/05/right-wing-officials-commit-to-plan-to-settle-2-million-jews-in-judea-and-samaria/
@ adamdalgliesh:
There’s no doubt but that the late Rabbi Levinger fully deserved his estimable position. He worked very hard to get there. I recall the very first time I saw him on a newscast. He was being interviewed, and I suppose he’d been chosen because he reputedly spoke English. Well that didn’t stand the pressure of the simple questions.
I saw a bushy mop of hair, thin, straggling whiskers flying at all angles, black heavy horn-rimmed glasses, and from the middle of all that, came a spluttering like that of a water tap wth air in the pipe. The questioner must have had a shower-bath right there.
I couldn’t understand more than a word or two and was truly appalled. But years later I had the good fortune to hear him again, and not only was he looking like a mensch but he spoke very understandable English. His sincerity was very apparent. A true Jew who wanted to “settle the Land”
We could do with many more Rabbi Levingers..
From today’s Israel Hayom::
Beware of a repeat of ’92!
The late Rabbi Moshe Levinger was a great man. In the 1970s and 1980s, he became known for his contribution to the renewal of Jewish life in the historic land of Israel, particularly Hebron – the city of the Patriarchs. But from 1992 until his death in 2015, Levinger stayed out of public life. One reason for that was the part he played in the national camp losing the 1992 election.blockquote
That year, no fewer than six parties were vying for right-wing votes, both religious and secular: Rafael Eitan’s Tzomet; Tehiya, led by Yuval Neeman; Moledet under Rehavam Ze’evi; the National Religious Party; and the parties of Rabbis Eliezer Mizrahi (Geulat Yisrael) and Levinger (Torah Ve’eretz Yisrael), who planned to take votes from the NRP.
At the time, some warned that votes would be wasted and Knesset seats lost, but the party leaders didn’t heed their warnings. Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir wasn’t good enough for them and they started splitting ideological hairs. Certain that the Right would win, the parties stayed in the election until the end, which led to disastrous results. Tehiya, Mizrahi, and Levinger failed to reach the minimum electoral threshold, which cost the Right precious seats and led to the establishment of a left-wing government and – two years later – the return of PLO founder Yasser Arafat.
It’s been 27 years, and it looks as if the national camp, particularly the wing that is more to the Right than the Likud, is on the same path. In 2019, we’re also seeing six parties jockeying for position in the small sector to the Right of the mother party: Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked’s New Right; Habayit Hayehudi under Rafi Peretz; the National Union under MK Bezalel Smotrich; Zehut and Otzma Yehudit, led by far-right activists Moshe Feiglin and Baruch Marzel, respectively; and former Shas leader Eli Yishai’s Yachad party. Every one of these party leaders is convinced that he can draw enough support to make it into the even though the minimum electoral threshold (3.25%) is higher now than it used to be, and it takes about 150,000 votes to reach it.
This situation will undoubtedly lead to a loss of votes on the Right. Even if some of these parties were to merge, it wouldn’t be enough, because too many players are crowded onto too small a field. In the 2015 election, Yishai and Marzel ran together but didn’t make it over the minimum threshold, which led to the Right losing at least four seats. This time, with more parties competing in the exact same sector, it will be even more complicated to arrange a joint ticket.
And we haven’t even discussed Shas itself, under the leadership of Aryeh Deri; Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu party, and MK Orly Levy-Abekasis’ Gesher – all three of which will also take votes from the national camp and are also hovering around the minimum threshold. This is the first time since the 1999 election that we’ve seen this happen and like it did then, the Left is hammering a wedge into the Right by putting up a candidate with security credentials and who has the support of the media.
Given that, anyone who sees himself as a public leader and is running for the Knesset must demonstrate responsibility to the values he represents and to the voters who support him. They expect him not to waste their votes, and mainly not to turn their ballots into a card with which to beat their political rivals.
So even it entails concessions and compromises, any leader of a right-wing party must think about the big picture and not just his personal aspirations, however important they might be. If the Left wins, anyone who doesn’t do that will be permanently tainted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing the right thing by attempted to unite the Right. However, his public attack on Likud member Gideon Sa’ar doesn’t quite square with the message of unity he is espousing.
According to the Jerusalem Post today, Bibi is openly trying to undermine and defeat Saar in the Liud primaries. Madness. And he is supporting the candidacy of one of his aides whom Mandelblit has said he is likely to indict along with Bibi. Crazy. He appear to be trying to defeat Uzi Dayan, too because he seems to be backing his indictable friend for the same district that Dayan in running for. Even crazier. Bibi seems to have developed illusions of omnipotence and should be replaced. Th eproblem is this should not be done by an attorney general using fake charges. And he should be replaced by someone in his own party. Obviously he is trying to prevent that. Crazy.
@ adamdalgliesh:Perhaps the most likely was Saar but Bibi has been trying to diminish him as he does to any potential Likud replacement for him. If gets indicted I am afraid Bibi and the right are in trouble in the election. I bet he makes good on his promise not to step down. Getting him to step down would be an internal Likud war.
Excellent. Perhaps Dayann should replace Bibi as the Likud candidate for Prime Minister if Mandelblit forces Bibi’s resignation. It would be good to finally have a PM committed to victory. And he even has a bit of brass on his shoulder, which the electorate seems to want in its leaders.