Bibliography – My Writings on Israel Victory

In 1990, I offered an "outside-in plan" for the Palestinian issue based on the idea that "when the Arab states give Israel something it wants, Israelis should then - and only then - be expected to give something in turn to the Palestinians." However good an idea, the Oslo Accords of 1993, which focused exclusively on Palestinian-Israeli relations and ignored the Arab states, shunted it completely aside.

By 1997, seeing that the "peace process" had become more of a "war process" that incited Palestinians to violence more than it encouraged them to good neighborliness, I began to develop an alternative approach that reached full formulation by 2001: the Israel Victory concept. It accepts that sidelining of Arab states and focuses on Palestinian-Israeli relations. But it rejects the constant "peace process" pattern of Israel making unilateral concessions to the Palestinians, replacing that with Israel taking advantage of its economic and military power to force the Palestinians to acknowledge their weakness, accept defeat, and live in harmony with the Jewish state.

Israel Victory calls not for more counterproductive negotiations leading to more Israeli concessions that spur Palestinians hopes to eliminate the Jewish state, but a return to the historic default scenario of despair leading to defeat and peace (think 1865, 1945, 1975, 1989).

This initiative fits the Middle East Forum's more general approach of "finding the path to victory."

I have written often on this topic since then; now, a day ahead of the launch of the Congressional Israel Victory Caucus devoted to promoting these ideas, collect those publications here. (The listing will be updated.)

Sep. 7, 2020 update: Starting in 2017, the Trump administration signaled impatience with the Palestinians and the endless "peace process" farce. Instead – lo and behold – it adopted the outside-in approach. Article #57 contends with this new situation.

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1. "Don't Despair - Middle East Peace Is Still Possible." Wall Street Journal, 15 June 1990. A pre-Oslo proposal to work with the Arab states as well as the Palestinians.
2. "On Arab Rejectionism." Commentary, December 1997. A first formulation seeks U.S. support for an Israeli "policy of firmness."
3. "...Too Bad Their [Israeli] Minds Are Made Up." Forward, December 25, 1998. Holds that eventually "Israelis will realize that ... they must resume their deterrence posture of old. They will have no choice but to stick to the dull but effective policy of making sure that anyone who threatens them pays dearly for his aggressiveness."
4. [My first talk focused on the subject of Palestinians losing took place for the Detroit chapter of the Zionist Organization of America on March 27, 1999.]
5. "There Is an Alternative [to Israel Making Concessions: It's Called Deterrence]." Jerusalem Post, November 8, 2000. Advocates a "policy of deterrence" instead of the weakness Israel was displaying.
6. "No Longer a Weakling: Steps Israel Must Take to Shed That Image." Jerusalem Post, November 22, 2000. Suggests four changes in Israel policy to reverse its "weakling image."
7. "Lift the 'siege' [on the Palestinian Authority]?" Jerusalem Post, March 14, 2001. Argues that economic aid for Palestinians should only follow after they "give up their hostile wars"; until then, it merely prolongs the conflict.
8. "The Left's Ongoing Oslo Delusion." Jerusalem Post, April 25, 2001. My first full articulation of the Israel Victory idea argues that Israel, "to end its problem with the Palestinians" must "convince Palestinians not of its niceness but its toughness"; raises the parallel with Germany in the two world wars; notes that "Palestinians will not give up on their aggressive ambitions vis-a-vis Israel until fully convinced that these cannot succeed"; points out that Palestinians benefit from losing, as "Only then can they build a polity and an economy commensurate with their dignity and talent"; and concludes that "Palestinians need almost as much to be defeated by Israel as Israel needs to defeat them."
9. "Preventing War: Israel's Options." Jerusalem Post, July 18, 2001. Argues that "Unless Israel sends clear signals of strength, the current bout of saber-rattling could, 1967-style, lead inadvertently to another all-out war." Offers steps Israel can take to show strength.
10. "[Building a Wall and Israel's] Quick-Fix Mentality." Jerusalem Post, August 29, 2001. Decries the Israeli unwillingness to take the hard steps needed for deterrence.
11. "First, Accept Israel." Los Angeles Times, August 31, 2001. Israel's burden "is to be strong and to persevere, until Arabs eventually recognize the futility of rejectionism and give it up."
12. "Arabs Have Never Accepted Israel. Wall Street Journal Europe, December 3, 2001. "Israel has the unenviable task of convincing its enemies that their dreams of its destruction will fail; translated into action, this means it must show resolve and toughness. ... Such lethal intentions as one finds widely in the Arabic-speaking countries can only be defeated with strength."
13. "Israel May Be Winning." New York Post, December 17, 2001. An optimistic interpretation of Israeli policies.
14. "Arabs Still Want to Destroy Israel." Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2002. "Israel now has the unenviable task of convincing the Arabs that their dreams of destruction will fail. Translated into action, that means resolve and toughness. It means becoming feared, not loved."
15. "The Only 'Solution' [for Israel] is Military – I," New York Post, February 25, 2002. The first full exposition of the Israel Victory idea.
16. "The Only Solution [for Israel] is Military – II." New York Post, April 2, 2002. Same title but different article; it looks at ways to avoid victory.
17. "Daniel Pipes: First a Change of Heart, Then Peace." Jewish Voice and Opinion, May 2002. Coverage of my stump speech at this time.
18. "Lost Diplomats Just Step on the Gas." New York Post, May 6, 2002. U.S. policy should focus on Palestinian rejectionism of Israel.
19. "Israel is Winning [1]." New York Post, August 6, 2002. Argues that the policies implemented by Ariel Sharon were working.
20. "Does Israel Need a [Peace] Plan?" Commentary, February 2003. After reviewing the many "peace" plans swirling around in 2002, I give the first detailed explanation of "inducing the Palestinians to surrender their murderous intentions vis-à-vis Israel."
21. "An Israeli Military Victory?" DanielPipes.org, June 15, 2003. Takes issue with Victor Davis Hanson's argument that all depends on the United States, not Israel.
22. "Why Oslo's Hopes Turned to Dust." New York Post, September 9, 2003. Offers "radically different approach for the next decade."
23. "Sharon Loses His Way On Israeli 'Settlements'." New York Sun, February 10, 2004. About the issue of Jews living on the West Bank: "Instead of focusing on this political triviality, [strategists and would-be diplomats] should devise ways to induce the Palestinian Arabs to accept the existence of a sovereign Jewish state called Israel."
24. "Negotiations with the Palestinians Keep Failing Because the Arabs Still Think They Can Win." Jewish Voice and Opinion. April 2004. A report on Israel Victory by a journalist.
25. "Israel Shuns Victory." New York Sun, March 28, 2006. None of the candidates for prime minister in Israel seek victory.
26. "How Israel Can Win." New York Sun, April 4, 2006. Follows up on the column a week earlier, with further explanations.
27. "Further on Israel's Winning Its War." DanielPipes.org, April 4, 2006. Thoughts that could not fit the main article of the same date.
28. "Israel's Unnecessary War." New York Sun, July 18, 2006. Portrays the current hot war with Hezbollah as the result of Israeli distraction from the goal of victory.
29. "Zakariya Zubeidi's Crushed Will To Fight." DanielPipes.org, April 14, 2008. An example of one Palestinian jihadi who abandoned the cause out of a sense of defeat.
30. "Israel's Strategic Incompetence in Gaza." Jerusalem Post, January 11, 2009. Contrasts the failings of actual Israeli policy in war against Hamas with the better idea of Israel Victory.
31. "Victory – An Obsolete Concept?" DanielPipes.org, July 23, 2009. A compilation of quotes from Thucydides forward on the need for victory in war.
32. "Peace Process or War Process?" Middle East Quarterly, Fall 2009. My first comprehensive statement on the topic.
33. "My Peace Plan: An Israeli Victory." National Post, April 29, 2010. One in a series of articles commissioned by the newspaper on "What's Your Peace Plan?"
34. "Ending a Century of Palestinian Rejectionism," Washington Times, October 27, 2015. Explains the long and "dark legacy" among Palestinians of Amin al-Husseini (1895-1974).
35. "From the Decline of Islamism to Israel's Victory: A Conversation with Daniel Pipes." JBS, October 20, 2016. An hour-long discussion.
36. "The Way to Peace: Israeli Victory, Palestinian Defeat." Commentary, January 2017. My second comprehensive statement on the topic.
37. "A Palestinian Defeat Is Good for All." JNS, December 28, 2016. A short preview of the Commentary article.
38. "This Is the Moment for an Israeli Victory." National Review Online, December 31, 2016. Why the time is ripe for this approach.
39. "Is There a Palestinian People? Can It be Defeated?" Arutz Sheva, January 15, 2017. A response to criticisms.
40. "How Israel Wins." Commentary, March 2017. Published correspondence about the January 2017 Commentary article.
41. "Breaking the Palestinians' Will to Fight." Mosaic, April 10, 2017. A response to Daniel Polisar's analysis of 400 polls of Palestinian opinion.
42. "Achieving Israel Victory with Martin Sherman." Israel National News, May 14, 2017. Responds to three articles by Sherman that agree with the general approach of Israel Victory but take issue with several specifics.
43. "Palestinian Statehood Is Acceptable ... Eventually." Israel National News, May 21, 2017. Response to a fourth article by Martin Sherman, this one focused on the issue of accepting in principle a Palestinian state.
44. "Israelis Want Victory." Jerusalem Post, July 12, 2017. Reports on a poll of Israeli opinion commissioned by the Middle East Forum.
45. "Why Palestinian Delusions Persist." Israel Hayom, November 13, 2017. Blames "a toxic mix of Islamic doctrine, international succor, and Israeli timidity."
46. "Achieving Peace Through Israeli Victory." FrontPageMag.com, January 2, 2018. Video and transcript of the Israel Victory Project at the David Horowitz Freedom Center.
47. "Why Palestinians Need an Israel Victory." Australian, March 24, 2018. Recapitulates the argument, calls for Australian support.
48. "Israel Victory Gains Strength." Israel Hayom, July 3, 2018. Reports on a new, favorable survey of Jewish Israelis.
49. "Why Israelis Shy from Victory." Middle East Quarterly, Fall 2018. Offers four reasons – a widespread Israeli belief that prosperity undermines ideology, awe of Palestinian resolve, Jewish guilt, and timid security services – to explain why Israelis do not seek victory over the Palestinians.
50. "Pushing for an Israeli Victory Is the Only Way to End the Conflict with the Palestinians." Ha'aretz, December 2, 2018. Notes the flurry of debate over victory among Lieberman, Netanyahu, and Bennett, suggests this shows Israel Victory has become central to the Israeli political debate.
51. "Tectonic Shifts in Attitudes toward Israel." Washington Times, December 27, 2018. Given that (1) the Left is ever more hostile to Israel and that (2) its hostility is tied to the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza, (3) Israel needs urgently to address that problem, (4) which can only by instilling a sense of defeat among those Palestinians.
52. "Poll: Israelis Find the Security Establishment 'Too Timid'." Jerusalem Post, July 23, 2019. "The poll finds that a plurality of Jewish Israelis now support that once-marginal idea about Palestinians needing to experience the bitter crucible of defeat."
53. "Should Israel Invade Gaza?" Washington Times, September 23, 2019. Criticizes the current Israeli debate for focusing on tactics rather than on goals.
54. "Reservations about the Trump Peace Plan." Washington Times, January 29, 2020. Critiques the new plan for yet again holding out hope for the Palestinians, though this has always failed, rather than despair.
55. "Annexing the West Bank Would Hurt Israel." New York Times, May 7, 2020. Despite appearing to forward Israel Victory, annexation "buoys the anti-Zionist cause and renders a resolution of the conflict more distant."
56. "A Reply to My [NYT] Critics." JNS, May 10, 2020. Goes over the prior article, making even more explicit the argument for "a smart Israel Victory that goes for the jugular" rather than annexation of the West Bank, which "at this time [is] dumb, [is] going for the extremities."
57. "Explaining Israel's Timid Security Establishment." Israel Hayom, June 27, 2020. A briefer, updated version of #46.
58. "Convincing Anti-Zionists that the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Is Over." Washington Times, September 7, 2020. "Only defeat will convince Palestinians like [Hanan] Ashrawi, and through them Iranian, Turkish, Islamist, leftist, fascist, and other anti-Zionists, that the century-plus conflict is over."
59. "Is Israel Victory Still Needed?" Jerusalem Post, October 7, 2020. The UAE-led shift in policy by the Sunni Arab states still leaves Turkey, Iran, Russia, China, the Israeli Left, and the Global Left propping up rejectionist Palestinians; so, yes, Israel Victory is still needed almost as much as before.
60. "The IDF Opts for Victory." Jerusalem Post, November 25, 2020. The new "Momentum" approach enshrines victory in Israel's military doctrine; time for it to become political doctrine too.