What is Israel fighting for?

Submitted by Itamar (United States), May 10, 2010 at 13:53

"Israel fights to win acceptance by its enemies, while those enemies fight to eliminate Israel."

I don't inherently oppose the thesis that victory creates peace, but Pipes claims Israel is simply fighting for acceptance while the Arabs are fighting to eliminate Israel. Obviously some Arabs are fighting to eliminate Israel, but are we really fighting for acceptance? Is any war ever fought for "acceptance"? What does acceptance even mean? In war (according to Pipes' own thesis) it can only mean defeat, surrender, loss of power - physical, economic, psychological.

If this was about acceptance, war wouldn't be necessary. The Arab Peace Initiative and the Palestinian Authority would be more than enough. The problem may just be that we have already gone beyond achieving our aim of "acceptance" but we're not confident in the result so we're fighting for more. But what is it we are fighting for? Is it unchallenged military rule over Judea and Shomron? Because that will never happen and would only lead to our own long-term defeat.

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