israel Victory Project - continued

Submitted by Prof. yair Tene (Israel), Jul 19, 2017 at 08:24

Dear Daniel Pipes

Thank you for your kind response. I have read (again) the article

While I agree with most of the background and reasoning behind forming the IVP, I mostly disagree with the proposed actions listed under: II. The Hard Work of Winning

Here are my comments:

-Territorial retreat from the West Bank or territorial compromise within the West Bank.

Another Gaza retreat?

-Lease the land under Israeli towns on the West Bank.

From whom? We won the 1967 war, we conquered the land. The Palestinian or foreign "owners" got it from the biblical Jewish people by someone conquering it from us. Why should we recognize their ownership by war and not ours?

-Finding creative ways to divide the Temple Mount.

Temple Mount was "given" to the Waqqf guardian in the latest peace agreement with Jordan. Their action in destroying all non Muslim architectural evidence and their failure to keep it as a historical and religious monument open to all religions and using it as a base for terrorist acts against Israelis definitely violates their commitments as guardians. Guardianship should be given to an international historical ( non religious) organization. Security should be handled by Israel - the side who won the war.

-Developing the Palestinian economy.

There is no Palestinian economy. Economical issues should be handled by Israel and by local counties and municipalities.

-Encouraging Palestinian good governance.

Again - there shouldn't be any "Palestinian" entity.

-Deploying international forces.

What for?

-Raising international funds (on the Marshall Plan model).

If Victory is the policy, Marshal Plan was a huge mistake. US is paying the price for it since then

Unilateralism
definitely
building a wall
may not be necessary).

-Insisting that Jordan is Palestine.

Palestinians living in the West Bank (and may be even some Arabs living in Israel) who identified themselves with any terror organization or act should not become Israeli Citizens. Jordan or any other Arab state should accept them as citizens (exchange for the Jews who fled those countries). Those who will abandon any ties to terror could get a permanent resident status and ownership of their homes and land. Those who continue to support terrorism and refuse to accept the results of Israel Victory should be expelled.

-Excluding disloyal Palestinians from Israeli citizenship

See above

-Expelling Palestinians from lands controlled by Israel.

See above

Trouble is, none of these plans addresses the need to break the Palestinian will to fight.

We are supporting and encouraging their will to fight by not acting as Victors. Their fight, including terror and their refugee status makes it very beneficial for them to stick to their will to fight.

They all manage the conflict without resolving it. They all seek to finesse victory with a gimmick. Just as the Oslo negotiations failed, so too will every other scheme that sidesteps the hard work of winning.

Winning and remaining just and human is extremely hard work. There aren't many historical examples to follow. However, the Marshal Plan and the West approach of feeling guilty, understanding and justifying terror is the wrong way to go.

If we continue to be apologetic and look for "Palestinian" or "World" sympathy. Acceptance or justification, we miss the point of using Israel's Victory as the way to better life for Israelis, refugees, Arabs living west of the Jordan River and the population of Arab countries that joined the "Palestinian" cause.

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