Israel has repeatedly been mugged by reality
At its core, Zionism is all about Jewish self-determination.
Ron Weiser
Whilst we all parrot those words, at the same time, we rarely fully act accordingly.
Yes, there are many reasons over the decades and acutely now, of why – Israel is at war, is too distracted, periods of disunity and many other valid considerations.
However, it is also precisely why defining what Jewish self-determination means, is a prime strategic conversation that needs to be had.
All else flows from that.
How Israel should look, what sort of constructive tension should exist between the Jewish and democratic parts of the paradigm, where her borders should be, how to ensure security and so on.
Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, understood the transformation in the Jewish condition from being a minority in the diaspora to being a majority in the only Jewish State, when he said: “It does not matter what the world thinks, but only what Jews do.”
That does not mean that Israel should ignore world opinion, or what matters to her allies. However, it does mean that Israel, in the first, second and third instance, should determine her own strategic aims and not leave a vacuum that others will fill with their own ideas of what is, or is not, good for Israel. Even friends of Israel.
It is Israel who must determine her own strategic goals in Gaza. The campaign, vis a vis the hostages. And the ‘day after.’
These goals need to be clearly defined and must be creditably achievable. Slogans are one thing – ‘complete victory over Hamas’ – but what does that look like? What achievements will make total victory declarable?
For Hamas, mere survival will be considered a triumph by the Palestinians.
Notwithstanding that President Biden has been an amazingly positive force for Israel during the war – and for many more weeks than could have been expected – some want to debate whether US behaviour towards Iran was a factor in Oct 7th. Maybe.
However, that is also a distraction and a convenient way of pushing direct responsibility away from Israel herself. Of blaming the situation on the actions of others.
Israel needs to look at the ramifications of her own policies and behaviour and to draw her own conclusions.
Facilitating the transfer of millions of dollars from Doha to Gaza for one.
For another, Yahyar Sinwar understands the Israeli mindset when it comes to hostages generally and at a very personal level, being one of the 1,027 Palestinians, himself, exchanged for Gilad Shalit in 2011.
Sinwar knows just how highly Israelis respect life and the desire to have all of the hostages returned, even at extremely high cost.
It was hoped that these actions would be beneficial and of course, things are much clearer with hindsight.
What actually happened on Oct 7th in terms how and the seemingly slow response?
The point is that blaming the policies on others is a ‘galut’ mentality.
Self-determination is all about Israel making decisions for the Jewish People.
The misnamed International Court of Justice farce taking place is an abomination.
Facing an enemy that does not want peace, that does not want any solution in which a Jewish State of any size remains, that carries out unimaginable atrocities and threatens to repeat them again and again, an enemy that publicly declares its genocidal intent – and yet it is Israel that is charged with genocide?
Ben Gurion was indeed right.
There is, however, one Israeli decision in regard to the ICJ that put the interests of the country ahead of party political considerations.
The period leading up to the clumsy attempts at judicial reform, poorly managed because there was actually a consensus for reform to swing the pendulum back in some degree from the Courts to the Knesset, were hallmarked by deep divisions and unrest.
The figure who represented more than anyone else the seeking and assuming of powers to the High Court was a previous Chief Justice, Aharon Barak. He was the bogeyman targeted by the government and pro-reform supporters.
Yet, when Netanyahu had the opportunity to nominate one of the judges in this ICJ case, he nominated the very same Barak.
A good appointment by Netanyahu and over the objections of some of his coalition partners.
Just as Israel needs to present a clear picture on the future of Gaza and internally on judicial reform, she also needs to have a vision vis a vis the Palestinians.
Let us be clear, the Americans are wrong to believe that a Palestinian state would solve all of the issues of the Middle East. Nor would it deal with Iran’s genocidal intent and actions.
Yet, a strategic plan re the Palestinians is important for Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has currently defined his premiership as of Thursday the 18th of January, as being about ensuring no Palestinian State comes into being.
“Whoever is talking about the ‘day after Netanyahu,’ is essentially talking about the establishment of a Palestinian state with the Palestinian Authority,” he said.
Netanyahu has had various positions over decades on this matter. Sometimes over the meaning of ‘state’ and sometimes over the ability to guarantee Israel’s security if one comes into being, especially under the Palestinian Authority, who like all Palestinian leadership combinations over the decades, have rejected any of the multiple two state offers made by Israel.
President Trump put forward a very detailed two-entity plan in 2020, which required Israel to cede 70% of Judea/Samaria/West Bank as part of the price of the Abraham Accords.
Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed.
He chose a Palestinian entity and separation from the Palestinians.
The Palestinians, as usual, rejected the proposal.
The problem for the Israelis, brought into stark focus once again by October 7th, is not so much whether to separate but how to do so safely.
Israel has repeatedly been mugged by reality.
As President Herzog, previously also a head of the Israeli Labor Party, said in Davos: “nobody in his right mind is willing now to think about what will be the solution of the peace agreements because everybody wants to know: Can we be promised real safety in the future?
Israel lost trust in the peace processes because they see that terror is glorified by our neighbours.”
The Israeli consensus core issue is less about the actual question of a Palestinian entity and more about what it means for Israel’s security.
October the 7th has once again shown that it is only Israel that can and should make decisions for her future security.
Israel’s allies will better understand the security side of the equation and the reasonableness expressed by President Herzog.
The State of Israel must determine her security red lines and follow Ben Gurion’s lead.
Self-determination means that after 2,000 years of powerlessness, today, the Jewish People have the ability to decide the Jewish future.
Sometimes they will be right and sometimes wrong – but they will be decisions of the Jewish State
That is both an awesome privilege and a heavy responsibility.
Ron Weiser is the Honorary Life Member ZFA Executive and Honorary Life President, State Zionist Council of NSW
This is where Moshe Dyan comes into view.:
QUOTE:
*The most important thing is to believe in your capabilities, to know and understand your enemies and have the necessary strength to defeat them.
*By combing these three elements-believe in oneself, knowledge of the enemy, and sufficient strength-success becomes not only attainable but also most likely.
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God looks for consistency.
My italics.
Such excellent discussion. And correct in analysis.