Immediately after the Oct. 7 massacre, Israelis and others began talking about Israel Victory as never before. I list the statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu separately (here); the following, in no particular order, are what others said.
Later quotes includes criticism and skepticism about victory as a goal.
 "Together we will win" tags appeared soon after Oct. 7 and quickly became near-ubiquitous in Israel. |
Smotrich, the minister of finance, announced the halt "of all budgetary outlays and redirected them to one thing only: Israel's victory." He called the goal of Israel's war with Hamas to be "a crushing victory." He explained: "We have been saying over and over in the last two weeks that we have one mandate and that is victory. What is a victory? When no child in Tel Aviv, in Haifa, or in the surrounding area of Israel will have a question mark as to whether we won or if there was a meaningful new defeat of this evil." And: Israel must not rest until it achieves "total victory."
Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet, deemed it "the time for resilience and victory."
Meir Ben Shabbat, former national security advisor: IDF "commanders and soldiers fight with great determination, showing courage and a resolve to win. They will continue until victory is achieved." And: "Israel must end [the war] with a resounding victory. ... Victory over Hamas requires creating a reality in the strip that will not allow the resurgence of terrorist elements.
A source in the War Cabinet meeting with Joe Biden: "If Israel's victory over Hamas is not total, its strategic standing in the Middle East and deterrence against its enemies will be significantly damaged."
Ohad Tal, member of Knesset: "We will stand like an iron fist in front of you until victory."
Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of the Southern Command, to troops: "Southern Command stations, commander is speaking. We are launching an attack on Hamas and the terror groups in the Gaza Strip. Our goal is one, victory. No matter how long the fighting will be, how difficult, there is no other result but victory. We will fight professionally and powerfully in light of the IDF values we were raised on. Chief among them is sticking to the mission and striving for victory."
Noam Tibon, a retired general "The people need to feel security ... they need to be sure that we are going to be victorious. I don't think [Netanyahu] can lead us to victory."
Lieut. Col. Tomer Greenberg: "The enemy will challenge us but I'm sure victory will be ours." Asked to define victory, he replies: "To wipe out as many terrorists as possible and make sure that those in the Gaza periphery will live in peace."
Lauren Friedman, an F-35 reserve technician: "There's no doubt in my mind about Israel's victory, and I don't think it will be too far away."
Donald Trump, former U.S. president: "You have to fight to win, and you have to support Israel."
Juan Vargas and Randy Weber, Democratic and Republican members of Congress: "Israel's victory must be decisive. Anything less would be catastrophic."
Daniel Elliott, the state treasurer of Indiana, explained Indiana's increased investment in Israel Bonds from $65 million to $100 million: "This bond purchase reflects the confidence we have in Israel's victory."
Gadi Taub, Hebrew University: "Biden blocked any way to an unequivocal Israeli victory picture, something that signals our enemies that we are weak and dependent on others."
Naim Qassem, the deputy chief of Hezbollah: "If necessary, we will be present at the battlefield and part of the confrontation in a bid to prevent Israel's victory."
Itzik Shmuli, CEO of the New York Federation in Israel: "We all have one goal and that is Israel's victory in this campaign."
Amotz Asa-El, Israeli journalist: "At this stage of what will surely be a protracted and excruciating war, all our minds, resources, and efforts should be aimed at one thing, and at this one thing only: victory."
Tatiana Mazor, a Ukrainian immigrant to Israel: "Israel's victory over Hamas is vital not only to Israel's security but also to the security of the entire Middle East and the world itself."
Jordan Schachtel, journalist: "The Israeli government must insist upon nothing less than a total victory for Israel."
Moshe Radman, an anti-judicial reform activist: "Netanyahu is today the only thing that stands between us and victory."
Lawrence Haas: "Nothing would reduce innocent deaths in Israel and Gaza more than Israel's total victory over Hamas. ... For regional and global peace and stability, the case for a total Israeli victory is equally robust: it centers on the impact that Israel's victory—along with parallel and supportive U.S. policies—would likely have on the aggressive aspirations of critical regional and global powers."
Eytan Gilboa: The war "is heading toward a decisive Israeli victory."
Seth Mandel, American editor: "Israel's victory over Hamas would be America's, too."
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of the Bnei David pre-military preparatory yeshiva: "Think about Israel's victory in battle" to sustain morale.
Rabbi Abraham Malamud: "On the home front, we need to increase our rights before our Father in Heaven, more Torah study and more recitation of Psalms, more acts of kindness, more giving and more charity, more lightening the face of others and love of Israel, less slander, less anger, less gratuitous hatred, more calm and joy in homes. Every little spiritual improvement is a huge contribution to the campaign for Israel's victory."
Tommaso Francesco, Italian journalist: "The current Israeli war cabinet is hanging on solely on the mad principle of 'revenge for victory'."
Pardeep Teji: "A Prayer For Israel's Victory."
Pavel Katz, a new immigrant from Russia: "I strongly believe in Israel's victory."
Uri Dagon, journalist: "We will emerge victorious."
Fiamma Nirenstein, former Italian parliamentarian: "Israel's usual enemies at "Human Rights Watch," the New York Times, The Guardian, and the Washington Post are on the frontlines and front pages to twist the truth of the images. ... Only Israel's victory over Hamas will prevent the memory from being buried."
Naftali Bennett on MSNBC 's Morning Joe, 9 November 2023: "Israel Victory is our only option."
Ted Cruz, U.S. senator (R-Texas.): "I am confident that Israel's victory will be decisive."
"Blow the Trumpet for Israel Victory Song!!!"
Adi Schwartz, Israeli author: "We have to win."
Nave Dromi, Middle East Forum: Israel Victory means Israel
must root out and have a zero tolerance for Palestinian Arab violent rejectionism. It must defeat all terror groups, whatever their name. Israel should be breaking the will of Palestinian Arab leaders so that they give up their Jihad, through military, economic, political or diplomatic means. They must be forced to accept the permanence of the Jewish State in its ancestral and indigenous homeland. This is the only way to finally bury Palestinian Arab violent rejectionism and end the over 100-year-old conflict once and for all.
David Horovitz, editor, Times of Israel: Israel is in "a war that simply has to be won. ... the IDF ... is not looking for victory pictures. It is looking for victory."
John Hagee, head of Christians United for Israel: "Israel's victory will come when Hamas and Hezbollah are in the ash heap of history along with Haman and Hitler. There is no substitute for victory!"
Ekathimerini (Greece) editorial: "Hamas can't be managed or contained, Hamas should be totally uprooted and broken. Only then victory will be accomplished. For Israel, after October 7, there is no other alternative but ending the war in a way that victory will be beyond doubt, decisive and sealed."
Mark Regev, senior adviser to the prime minister: "Israel's victory will be a victory for the people of Gaza and the entire Middle East, a victory for moderation and civilization."
Douglas Altabef, chairman of Im Tirtzu: "Netanyahu, Gallant and Gantz, ... Bring us the victory that we, your citizens, demand. We will accept nothing less."
Zvi Yehezkeli, analyst: "We need victory."
Alan Joseph Bauer, analyst: "Israel needs to win this war."
Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beitenu party: "Hamas will surrender, a white flag, terrorists with their hands up. This is undoubtedly what we call a victory, just as we talk about the release of all the hostages, just as we talk about the elimination of the entire Hamas leadership. This is called victory. This is how we defined it from the beginning."
Analysis by Shirit Avitan Cohen in Israel Hayom: "Netanyahu's nightmare scenario is going to elections while hundreds of thousands of IDF demobilized reservists are being demobilized home and demanding his resignation because the war goals had not been achieved as the people expected: a victory and the defeat of Hamas in the south alongside the removal of the threat from the north."
William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: "We are all united in our determination to help Israel achieve victory over the Hamas terrorist army."
Yoav Gallant, defense minister, in a news conference with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin: "Our common enemies around the world are watching, and they know that Israel victory is the victory of the free world, led by the United States of America."
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem: "Lord Jesus, we thank You for the release of over 100 hostages. We pray that You would save the remaining hostages, rid Gaza of Hamas, and grant Israel victory!"
Zvi Hauser, a former member of Knesset, digs into the meaning of Israel Victory in Gaza:
The Israeli leadership must make a public decision that the idea of "toppling Hamas" is first and foremost about removing the remaining living members of Hamas' military wing from Gaza. Removing them in a manner similar to that used to expel the Palestine Liberation Organization forces from Beirut in 1982.
This is a clearly defined goal, which would reflect a clear Israeli victory. To this should be added two additional goals: The demilitarization of Gaza from heavy weaponry and rockets – a goal that the prime minister has only started repeating in the last two weeks – and the establishment of a security buffer within the Gaza Strip.
Letter from U.S. national security specialists: "Israel's victory in its war to eradicate Hamas and other terrorist proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran is critical for Middle East peace and stability."
Letter from the Gevurah Forum, an organization of families who lost relatives in the war on Hamas: "We trust in our forces to bring victory, with God's help. The nation is strong and its spirit is resolved, both on the front and at home. The citizens and heroic soldiers are determined to reach total victory. ... There is no substitute for victory! All of Hamas must die, to the last of them."
French analyst Michel Gurfinkiel: "A complete Israeli victory over Hamas would be the opposite of a Palestinian, Arab or Islamic defeat."
Israeli journalist Ariel Kahana: "Hamas must be brought to absolute defeat, not just a 'decisive blow'."
Israeli politician Moshe Feiglin: "The definition of victory is to conquer the land, evacuate all the people from Gaza, and rebuild the whole Gaza Strip as the new greater Tel Aviv; Gaza should be a big city like Tel Aviv. Of course, Gush Katif must be built again. We should have an airport over there. We should have hotels. This should be the new Israeli Riviera. That should be the vision; nothing less than that. That's a victory."
Tom Suozzi, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives: "we have to destroy Hamas."
Israeli coffee company Strauss added "The Victory Generation" to some of its Elite product packaging.
"About 50 Israel Defense Forces reservists gathered in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on Tuesday to demand that the fighting in Gaza not stop until Hamas is defeated. Government ministers and members of Knesset joined the reservists at the protest site, including Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli and lawmakers Hanoch Milwidsky, Danny Danon and Moshe Saada of the Likud Party and Yitzhak Kreuzer of Otzma Yehudit."
Middle East expert, Eliahu Yosian: "The victory is to annex. The victory is that if the enemy does not want us on this land, we will take this land from them. This is the victory."
Member of Knesset Dan Illouz: "we have a historic task to defeat Hamas unequivocally and with a very clear image of victory."
Senior advisor to the prime minister Mark Regev: "Israel's victory over Hamas will be a victory for all who seek peace in the Middle East, and a crushing defeat for Iran and its terror proxies."
Former IDF chief of staff and current War Cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot: "Whoever speaks of absolute defeat is not speaking the truth."
Israeli reservists returned equipment and vehicles to a military base with signs of protest: "We, too, were released without victory."
Knesset member Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism):
we have to understand that there's only one result for this war; a complete and clear victory for Israel over Hamas. We have to eradicate Hamas. ... We have to make sure that Israel will win this war. ... the 9 million citizens of Israel have to ... know that there will be no more missiles launched and targeting their homes, that there will be no more people who will be kidnapped into Gaza in the next few years. It has to be very clear. This is why we have to end this war with a victory.
Col. (res.) Shay Shabtai:
the IDF, security apparatus, and other critical systems – particularly healthcare – [have] managed to lead Israel to a clear victory. That victory is not yet complete, but what has been achieved so far is significant in every respect. ... at the conclusion of the first hundred days of the war we can begin to discuss a clear Israeli military victory. ... A civilian reconstruction plan for Gaza operated by locals and guided and funded by external entities would constitute a clear Israeli victory.
In an important analysis, Zvi Hauser returns to this topic, looking at Israel's loss of deterrence and bringing Hezbollah into the picture:
Israel now needs a victory. Decisive victory. A draw would be a dangerous defeat. The Israeli leadership must internalize that we can no longer be content with a "sense of victory" among the Israeli public. The focus must be on the feelings of the millions around us, who must have the Israeli victory seared into their consciousness. We must not create a situation where no one fears us in the region, as this would lead to chronic instability, which would ultimately lead to wide-scale bloodshed in the region. Anyone who wants peace and stability must strive for a clear Israeli victory at this time. ...
It is doubtful whether victory in Gaza is enough to restore the fear of Israel to the levels we had vis-a-vis our enemies. A victory that boils down to just the release of the captives and confidence-building measures to establish a Palestinian state would not be enough in shoring up Israel's image. ...
If the quagmire of the Gaza tunnels, US pressure, and the issue of the captives bring the leadership to the realization that there is no ability to present a clear victory on this front, one that will lead to a strategic change in the region, they must consider switching fronts and reasserting Israeli deterrence through the removal of the strategic threat in Lebanon.
Initiative and victory against one of the richest and most powerful terrorist organizations in the world, Hezbollah, can restore deterrence in the region in general, and vis-à-vis the pro-Iranian axis in particular. ...
Israel must remove the threat from the north and dismantle the power structure Hezbollah has built in Lebanon regardless of the situation in the south; but without victory in the south, a significant achievement in the north becomes that much more important. ...
Today one cannot be content with anything less than victory, at least on one front. And if there is no victory in Gaza, it is time to prepare the public for a campaign in the north.
Jonathan Spyer of the Middle East Forum: "Israel wants a total victory over its enemies so that the events of 7 October can never be repeated."
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser: "A decisive victory in the complex campaign against Iran and its proxies requires a clear outcome in Gaza, as well as Israeli unity."
MK Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism): "[Yahya] Sinwar and Hamas do not need a lot in order to win. If we stop at a stage which still leaves terrorists in Gaza, and the money flows, then that is a victory, from their perspective. Only at the price of land and Jewish settlements will they see defeat."
Caroline Glick, JNS columnist, in an article titled "Victory is more important than US support":
the Biden administration is not Israel's ally. It is the greatest obstacle to Israel's victory. ...
it is Israeli power, not U.S. largesse that will bring us victory in this war for our survival. If forced to choose between support from Washington and victory, the choice is an easy one.
The ruling Likud party: "Yair Lapid is pushing for the immediate end of the war without a decisive victory — we will not agree to it."
Speakers encountered during a Middle East Forum-sponsored trip to Israel, as collected by Laurie Regan:
- Parents of a fallen soldier: "This war needs to be the last war. We need deterrence and fear across the world...The rest of the world needs to know the power of Israel – for future generations. We want to see Hamas annihilated and Gaza turned into a parking lot. This has to be the last war."
- Father of hostage: "These barbarians are on their way to Europe and the U.S. It's better to stand with Israel to crush them for the future and our children and grandchildren." "We need patience and strength against the world that forces ceasefires and pressures Israel... We have to be strong and patient and stay strong in the negotiations."
- Officer at command center in Sderot: "If we don't finish it, it's going to happen again because we'd appear weak. We must finish it."
- Former MK (Druze) Shachiv Shnaan: "October 7th is a day that changed all of Israelis minds. They never believed that could happen but it did. We don't like blood; I don't know anyone who likes to kill, who wants that. But its been 75 years of war. 10/7 means we can't stay here if we will not win in the war....They don't want peace; they want all of Israel. So we must be strong enough to defend ourselves. We have no choice...We must say goodbye to Sinwar."
- Odet Forer, member of Knesset: "Had Israel adopted the Victory Caucus ideals, 10/7 may not have happened." "When you win, everyone knows you've won." "If the government of Israel won't go all the way to win against Hamas, we'll have a huge problem." "The loser needs to pay a price and the price is territory giving Israel a secure space in Gaza and in Lebanon. Eventually we have to do it and if not, we'll be starting the next war/violent confrontation." "The Gulf nations want to be friends with us as long as we are strong... If we prepare for war we will have peace... If the war doesn't end with a clear win for Israel, no one will want to be our friend."
- Almog Cohen, member of Knesset: "The U.S. and Israel have shared values of a bright future; peace from power, not weakness." "Hamas brought blood; fire and destruction is what Israel needs to get in Gaza. The world is watching. And if Israel doesn't get this, the EU, US and West will face the same thing."
- Dan Illouz, member of Knesset: "Israel came into existence saying Never Again. So the response to 10/7 has become critical. We're at a critical point in U.S. history and Zionist history. Did we really mean it?" "Victory will bring peace; weakness strengthens enemies." "The whole world is at stake." "To change policy, we need to change the mindset. Westerners had educated themselves not to win. Winning is not an idea anymore....We have to wake up. We must have victory and kill their ability to destroy us." "The minimum for victory is to move the border 10km south."
JNS reports on a five-day cross-country march in Israel, called the "Victory March: Keep Going Until IDF Victory," going from near Gaza to Jerusalem.
"For 20 years, we have been engaging in wars without defeating Hamas. We entered the Gaza Strip, lost friends and family members, went out and then allowed Hamas to rebuild and become stronger," said [Gilad] Ach, the CEO of the Ad Kan ("It Stops Now") organization. ...
"We decided to organize the march two weeks ago. The movement itself was established about a month ago when reserve soldiers started being released from the front," said Matan Wiesel, a member of Reservists Until Victory.
"There is talk of ending the war, establishing a Palestinian state. We hope that the country's leadership will come to its senses and understand that the State of Israel must not end this war as if it were just another round of fighting."
In a message released ahead of the rally, Reservists Until Victory explained: "During their service, soldiers experienced great frustration at concessions that undermined military achievements. We are returning to a strategy that could lead to further Hamas attacks soon."
The message also included a video featuring Itzik Bunzel, the father of Sgt. Amit Bunzel, 22, a paratrooper from Shoham who was killed in action in central Gaza on Dec. 6. Bunzel relates in the video that he found, among his son's belongings, a notebook in which Amit wrote: "This time we must win. We must end it [the war in Gaza] with a crushing victory."
"This is not what victory looks like." David Hacham criticizes Israel's conduct of the war.
So does National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir:
Mr. Prime Minister, I know that you are at a crossroads today. You can and must decide.
There is one way, which is the way of the smaller Cabinet, the misconception, the containment, the lack of decision, the way that accepts a Palestinian state as a matter of fact, the way that has proven time after time how mistaken it is.
There is another way, the way of Otzma Yehudit, of victory, of decisiveness, the way of destroying Hamas, of stopping fuel shipments for them, the way that any other choice would have found acceptable.
Minister without Portfolio Benny Gantz:
The return of the hostages is an integral part of our victory and does not replace our duty to remove the threat of Hamas. If we achieve this goal, it will be a step on the way to victory.
To which the Likud party replied:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for our ultimate victory. Anyone who thinks that bringing Palestinian Authority officials into the Gaza Strip will defeat Hamas is wrong. There is no substitute for our ultimate victory.
David Horovitz, Times of Israel editor:
On the one hand, we have Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly insisting that the war will not end without "absolute victory" over Hamas and the return of all the hostages. And on the other, we have Hamas conditioning the return of the hostages on an end to the war in which it is anything but defeated. ... Endless bluster about "absolute victory" is meaningless without the practical political and military tools to attain it.
"Aviva Seigel, 62, who was taken captive from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, thanked the public for the support it has shown the hostages and their families, and said that the people of Israel are 'one country, one family, [with] one destiny.' If the hostages are saved, "we'll have saved the State of Israel and that will be absolute victory," said Siegel, whose husband, Keith Siegel, is still captive in Gaza."
Meir Ben Shabbat, Israel's former National Security Advisor: "Up-to-date opinion polls in the Arab world (conducted on behalf of the Washington Institute) have indicated a worrying decline in the image of Israel's power following the brutal Hamas attack. Total victory (attaining all the objectives in full) is essential to rebuilding that deterrence."
My account of the war in Gaza: why so few IDF casualties why such high Hamas losses. Unbelievably, Hamas leaders thought that Israel would not dare to invade Gaza. This war is reviving the idea of Victory as a war aim. https://t.co/huZiqbXH69
— Edward N Luttwak (@ELuttwak) February 10, 2024
Bezalel Smotrich: "The way to bring the hostages home is through victory and the destruction of Hamas. ... we must complete the occupation of Rafah and complete victory with the destruction of Hamas as soon as possible."
Anjuli Pandavar, writer: "Israel's victory is a victory for civilization as a whole."
John Hagee, the head of Christians United for Israel: "Israel's victory over Hamas will make the world a safer place."
Stephen J. Harper, former prime minister of Canada: "I say to Israel's friends, stop asking it to stop short of victory. Instead, bring pressure to bear on Hamas, directly and through its allies and partners, to force its capitulation."
In contrast, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell: "Hamas is an idea and you don't kill an idea. You have to provide an alternative which is better. And certainly the only alternative is not to destroy Israel as Hamas wants to do."
In response to Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated statements calling for "victory," "total victory," and "absolute victory," (I count 40 separate mentions since Oct. 7) the Israel Democracy Institute conducted a poll asking about the likelihood of "absolute victory" and found that most Israelis think it will not happen. For details, see the screenshot.
Edward Luttwak, strategist: "Victory remains Israel's war objective — and it is far from a distant prospect. ... Victory is Israel's aim — and it's not going to give up on that."
Hanan Goder, Israeli ambassador to Nepal: "Israel's victory over Hamas is not just desirable but an absolute necessity for the security and well-being of the entire region."
Oren Anolik, Israel's ambassador in Cyprus: "Israel's victory over Hamas is not just desirable but imperative for the security and well-being of the entire region."
Lauri B. Regan, writing in JNS: "Victory is not just finding and killing Yahya Sinwar. It is another music festival with dancing and singing, bringing the lush fields back, opening the schools for children to safely attend, bringing critical factories back online, fixing the fence, rebuilding the military's defenses and bringing life back to people's homes."
Gadi Eisenkot, former IDF chief of staff and current War Cabinet observer, in a reported letter to Netanyahu:
I am convinced that all cabinet members are interested in achieving total victory. Together with the prime minister's comment that total victory will be obtained within months, and with the understanding [this remark] was not only meant for propaganda purposes, it's right to seriously deliberate this concept and clarify it operationally.
B. Michael, "How Israel Lost Its 'Total Victory' in the Gaza War":
"Total victory," so it seems, is something like the Israeli equivalent of King Arthur's Holy Grail. The prize ... has vanished. Everyone is in search of the grail of victory. ... They are searching and have failed to find it. A little more than five months ago it seemed within their grasp, but their stupidity has pushed it away. ...
within 36 hours, without an iota of preparation and planning, without a clue about what its purpose was or an exit strategy, Israel embarked on a savage war – a war dictated by bile, delusions of grandeur, a wounded ego and its nakedness exposed. A sane country would not go to war like this. This is how you conduct a lynching.
The next day, October 9, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a "total blockade" of Gaza – no water, no food, no electricity, no medicines would reach it. This was the moment when we deprived ourselves forever of "total victory."
If Israel had exhibited a modicum of common sense, it would have contained its raging passions. ... If we had acted properly, Israel would have found itself in its favorite position of all – the victim, the persecuted, the sufferer, the unfortunate. ...
But Israel is not given to common sense. Its instincts got the better of it again. It was more important to get an ego boost, distract everyone from the disaster, to delight the masses with a heaping dose of revenge. That's not how you bring about "total victory," it is how you acquire the mark of Cain. ... Today, we cannot even dream of "total victory" (indeed, any victory) arising from this evil or even more so from this stupidity.
Meir Ben Shabbat: "In its Gaza war, Israel needs a decisive, unambiguous, and indisputable victory."
Gershon Baskin, Israeli with long-standing connections to Hamas: "Revitalizing the two states solution is not part of Hamas' victory, because Hamas never supported that solution. It is not part of the Government of Israel's victory, because it too does not support it. But it will be the victory for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine."
Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel: "At this point, we should declare that we have won."
Ron Dermer, War Cabinet member and Minister of Strategic Affairs: "We are going for a military victory in Gaza, and we're getting close to achieving it. And hopefully, people will stand strong down the last home stretch. When we achieve that victory, we have to do what Churchill said; we have to be 'magnanimous in victory'."
Josh Frydenberg, Australia's former treasurer and deputy Liberal Party leader: "Should Israel not achieve a decisive victory and restore its own security dangerous consequences will follow. As former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke once said 'if the bell tolls for Israel, it won't just toll for Israel, it will toll for all mankind'."
Itamar Ben-Gvir, responding to the news that the IDF had transferred more than seventy orphans from Gaza via Israeli territory to the West Bank: "This is not how to run a state that wants total victory. There are endless faked humanitarian gestures and Israelis are paying for it. In war, one must crush the enemy instead of worrying about looks."
Itamar Ben-Gvir: "We must change the concept of the War Cabinet and bring about victory,"
Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near East Policy: "If Hamas is going to persist as a terrorist group in Gaza, as Israeli military intelligence forecasts, then Netanyahu must come to terms with the fact that no victory in the territory can be total."
Sharren Haskel of the New Hope party: It seeks "influence on military matters" to bring about victory in Gaza.
Shai Shabtai, a colonel in Israel's reserve, looks a the concept of Israel Victory in detail in "What Would 'Total Victory' Mean in Gaza?"
Gideon Sa'ar, head of the New Hope party: "Each day, we move further away from victory. There is no concrete plan, as I understand it, to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas."
Joel Fishman, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, in an article titled "There is no substitute for an Israeli victory": The U.S. government "should facilitate the surrender of Hamas. ... There is a way to move forward. Hamas must first surrender unconditionally and publicly accept defeat."
Nave Dromi, Middle East Forum: "What the overwhelming majority of Israelis want is the total defeat of Hamas." But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (who calls himself a shomer, or guardian of Israel) "would deprive the Jewish state of total victory. ... That is not how a guardian acts. A guardian would demand that his president and fellow senators fully support an Israel victory militarily, diplomatically and politically. Israel cannot afford another half-victory, because anything short of total victory is actually a defeat. ... Schumer should reconsider his position and put his role as a guardian of Israel, a person who seeks a total Israel victory."
Danny Danon, Likud member of Knesset: "If Netanyahu will lead the nation to full victory, I think that's what we expect him to do and that's the only way for Israel to recover."
Katie Britt, U.S. Senator (Republican of Alabama): "Israel's victory is our victory."
Rick Moran, PJ Media: "Netanyahu doesn't care what the U.S. thinks or what the rest of the world thinks. He has his own goals, his own agenda, his own timetable. This single-mindedness will bring Israel victory."
Edward Luttwak: "Israel's victory will be Netanyahu's downfall This war has broken his authority."
Kangana Ranaut, an Indian actress, "met Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon on Wednesday and expressed her confidence in Israel's victory in the 'war against terrorism'."
Hillel Frisch, Bar-Ilan University: "Biden's veto on Israeli victory is a threat to Western security and the Arab States."
Rep. August Pfluger, Rep. Don Davis, and Michael Makovsky: "Israel's victory against terrorism will be a victory against America's adversaries."
Itamar Ben Gvir : "The United States is our friend, but Biden prefers his narrow political interests to the victory of the State of Israel.
John Bolton, former U.S. national security advisor: "Israel's attack on Hamas in Rafah could come at any moment, and victory there could be a decisive turning point in the struggle against the ultimate aggressor, Iran."
Shaul Arieli, Ha'aretz: "Since the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel has been caught up in an internal struggle: between those who see the territories conquered as a temporary deposit for a resolution of the conflict with the Arab world, and the messianic nationalists who see Israel's victory as a step on the road to redemption."
Alon Pinkas, a former senior Israeli diplomat, on Netanyahu's political problems: "It's like a perfect storm. It's the war. It's his failure to achieve what he unwisely called 'total victory'."
Rick Scott, U.S. Senator from Florida: "I know that God is with the people of Israel and will bring victory to his people and to the Jewish state."
Noah Rothman, National Review: "The Second Battle for Shifa Hospital Shows Israel Will Accept Only Victory."
Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations: "President Biden still says he's committed to Israel's victory over Hamas."
Amos Harel, Ha'aretz: "it is hard to understand what Netanyahu wants to achieve. Even his foolish followers are apparently beginning to suspect in their hearts that total victory is merely a slogan printed on their caps and that the prime minister is actually seeking a forever war that will postpone the national settling of accounts for responsibility for the terrible failure of October 7, and possibly delay his criminal trial."
 A cartoon in Israel Hayom on April 7, 2024. The GPS reference concerns a purposeful mix-up of signals in Israel to complicate an Iranian attack. |
Ami Ayalon, former head of Shin Bet: Israel should announce that it is ready to sign an immediate ceasefire, pay any price (the duration of the ceasefire and the number of terrorists to be released from prison), provided that all hostages held in Gaza are returned to Israel. This is Israel's victory picture in the current battle!"
Middle East Eye, a Qatari-sponsored publication; "Israeli forces are making conditions too dangerous to provide any help or assistance to people in Gaza, rendering it uninhabitable for Palestinians, and securing Israel's victory as civilians pay the ultimate price."
Gerald Baker, Wall Street Journal columnist: If "the Biden administration forces a 'cease-fire' that leaves our closest ally in the region short of victory over an enemy that seeks to destroy it, sooner or later we shall all pay the price. ... If Israel can somehow be bullied into forgoing victory over this enemy, our own capacity to wage wars inflicted on us will be dramatically diminished."
Im Tirtzu, an Israeli non-profit organization, sells an "Absolute Victory" baseball cap on its website.
It also sells a "The People Want Israel Victory" t-shirt.
Nave Dromi, Middle East Forum: "America, support Israel and choose victory."
Amir Peretz, Chairman of the Israel Aerospace Industries: paraphrased as saying that "Israel's victory will only come when the hostages return to their homes."
Itamar Ben Gvir: "As long as the current policy of the konceptzia cabinet continues, unfortunately, absolute victory is getting farther and farther away."
Emmanuel Macron, president of France, as quoted in Le Monde: "Asked about Iran's attack on Israel on Saturday night, Macron said he 'feared' a conflagration, while underlining 'Israel's victory'."
Steven Pruzansky, rabbi: "Biden has embarked on a campaign to delay, dissuade, and then preclude any further invasion of Gaza and any complete victory, accompanied by persistent threats of the dire consequences that will befall Israel if it does not heed these American warnings. At the same time, Biden has committed to helping Israel defend itself against Iran (result: Israel's viability) while ruling out any American participation in "offensive" actions against Iran (result: no victory and continued proxy conflict)."
Hamid Mutasher, leader of the Ahwazi Liberal Party in Iran: "We pray for Israel's victory over the forces of darkness and evil, and, God willing, victory will be your ally."
A poll finds that 27 percent of Israelis believe they can achieve "total victory" against Hamas, while 62 percent do not believe this is possible.
A demonstration outside the U.S. mission in Tel Aviv calls for victory.
HAPPENING NOW outside the US Embassy office in Tel Aviv.
— Caroline Glick (@CarolineGlick) May 7, 2024
Bereaved families of soldiers killed in this war are demanding that Biden and Blinken stop saving Hamas and let Israel win!@The_Gvura pic.twitter.com/aR8lWePZyg
Bezalel Smotrich addresses Netanyahu: "You must not surrender to international pressure, and you must not stop until victory and the enemy's surrender. This is our war of independence and we must win it."
Israel Ziv, a retired colonel: Netanyahu "declares absolute victory and does everything in reverse to achieve it. There is great doubt if he himself knows what he wants beyond gaining personal time, those whose price is Israeli failure and defeat."
Naftali Bennett: "If we want to defeat Hamas, then let's do it."
Kurt Campbell, deputy U.S. secretary of Defense:
In some respects, we are struggling over what the theory of victory is. Sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talk about mostly the idea of... a sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory. I don't think we believe that that is likely or possible and that this looks a lot like situations that we found ourselves in after 9/11, where, after civilian populations had been moved and lots of violence... the insurrections continue.
Elise Stefanik, U.S. representative, speaking in the Knesset:
As long as I serve the American people, I will defend George Washington's vision of religious pluralism and freedom. Today, this means crushing antisemitism at home, and supplying the State of Israel with what it needs, when it needs it, without conditions, to achieve total victory in the face of evil.
For all of you, total victory needs no explanation. But total victory is something too many others throughout the free world fail to understand. Total victory starts—but only starts—with wiping those responsible for October 7th off the face of the earth. ...
In truth, total victory is about more than responding to one attack, it's about restoring a way of life. It is about securing the Jewish State so that it no longer faces threats of annihilation from any actor, whether from Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, or any other. ...
the enemy is inside more than just the gates of the United Nations. It is also in powerful western institutions in my country and beyond, where the virus, the vile virus of antisemitism is spreading. This is why total victory means not just physical self-defense but ideological self-defense.
Ehud Olmert, a former Israeli prime minister says there is no chance "to achieve complete victory or the complete destruction of Hamas." The fighting in Gaza "does not serve any interest for Israel, but rather serves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some extremist members of his government."
Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations: "America stands by Israel. Israel is fighting the enemies of the U.S. today. Don't stop until you win."
The Heroic Forum, made up of families of fallen Israeli soldiers:
Our loved ones went to battle, and did not return. They went to battle out of a deep sense of mission, for all the citizens of Israel, with a clear goal - the victory of Israel. The goals of the war, which we are in the midst of, were well defined by the prime minister and the members of the cabinet - the destruction of the terrorist organization Hamas, the return of all the abductees and to make sure that there will be no threat to the citizens of Israel from the Gaza Strip, in one word - victory. This victory is supported by an overwhelming majority of the people, the "Victory Bloc" in the Knesset includes over 80% of the members of the Zionist and Nationalist parties, this is a clear and sharp statement of the will of the people. The Israeli government has only one mandate - victory. ... we will insist that Israel win this war. As much as it takes, we will intensify our measures. The people of Israel demand victory, the people of Israel will win.
Benny Gantz, on leaving the emergency government: "Unfortunately, Netanyahu prevents us from progressing to real victory."
Hillel Frisch, Bar-Ilan University: "The time has come to say no to containment, withdrawal and defeat and yes to pushing ahead with the war and attaining victory."
Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Benny Gantz leaving the War Cabinet: "Whoever demands to bomb Gaza and stop the entry of Palestinian workers should be a member of the war cabinet. This is a great opportunity to step up and bring victory."
Ali Siadatan, an Iranian-origin Canadian who participated in the UJA Walk with Israel in Toronto: "I stand with Israel because I wish to live in a free world. Israel is at the epicenter of a global ideological war. Israel's victory will push back the forces of Islam and Marxism. Israel's defeat would encourage these very forces to explode in the West and in Canada. Even the future of Iran very much depends on the victory or defeat of Israel against the regional forces of Islamic militancy."
Shabbat Square: The Heroic Forum brings together families of Israeli casualties in the fighting since Oct. 7. Representatives traveled to the United States to meet Jewish supporters to win their support "for Israel's victory." Among those they met with: Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, who expressed support for "the call for total victory."
Dan Perry: "Part of the problem is that Netanyahu has set the bar for 'total victory' so high; this is generally a bad idea in life, since failure to meet such a goal projects weakness and failure. Better instead, then, to declare victory and move on."
Brig. Gen. (ret) Ofer Winter: "The role of the IDF is to overwhelm the enemy, bring him to his knees and let him scream 'enough, and without excuses and stories. The enemy interprets Israel's desire for peace as weakness. The role of the IDF is to turn the people of Israel into a lion."
Yoav Gallant: "Israel is engaged in a war against Iranian proxies – a war on Western civilization. US support in all its forms is critical not only to Israel's victory but also to the deterrence of our common enemies across the world."
 Israel Hayom, July 4, 2024. |
Philip Gordon, national security adviser to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, on the Biden proposal for a Hamas-Israel deal: "A rejection of this deal would not bring about some undefined notion of total victory but it would lead to endless conflict, draining Israel's resources, contributing to its isolation on the world stage, and preventing the hostages from being reunited with their families."
Lazar Berman: "It's not clear how Israel gets from the end of the major operations to the 'total victory' Netanyahu has promised — the elimination of Hamas as a governing and military force, the return of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza won't pose a threat to Israel in the future."
Channel 12 poll: Sixty-eight percent of Israeli respondents say Israel is far from Netanyahu's goal of "total victory," 23 percent say Israel is close to that "total victory," and 9 percent say they are unsure.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Eran Ortal: "Striving for "total victory" here and now stops us from taking vital preparatory steps and delays both learning and healing. It depletes our strength; it does not enhance it. Continuing to pursue "total victory" right now is a dangerous mix of politics and strategy. Victory requires the right combination of spirit, strategy and appropriate preparation. The historical role of the Iron Swords War is to create the conditions for the formation of all three."
Elnav Schiff: Under the title "Less 'Israel's Victory' and more 'Israel's Eternity," Shiff writes of "the erosion of public trust in 'total victory'."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: A hostage deal with Hamas will lead to Yahya Sinwar flashing victory signs. "Mr. Prime Minister, this is not absolute victory. This is complete failure, ... a defeat and humiliation for Israel and a victory for Sinwar."
Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor: "'Victory' is not a term Hamas uses often in public, knowing that it is an emotionally charged, raw term for Palestinians in Gaza. ... And yet, with the war not over, Hamas' narrative of medium- and long-term victory is taking shape."
Total Victory baseball caps are available both in Hebrew (₪29) and English ($41.50).
Avigdor Liberman: "Our leadership, both political and military, is still captive to the same konceptzia [as before Oct. 7]. They didn't change anything. They speak about victory, victory, victory. It's nonsense."
Itamar Ben-Gvir: "I am praying and am also working hard so that the prime minister will have the strength not to fold and to go on to victory: to add military pressure, to stop fuel [from entering Gaza] — to win."
Four scholars representing four major academic institutions offer a dense 33-page recommendation for Israel in a major Hebrew-language study, "From a murderous regime to a moderate society: The transformation and rehabilitation of Gaza after Hamas." One extract: "Complete defeat is the condition for the rehabilitation."
Yonatan Ben Hamou, an injured IDF soldier who received an ovation during Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to Congress: "I presented my victory and Israel's victory to Congress."
Hassan Nasrullah, head of Hezbollah: "The goal of the fight is to prevent Israel's victory."
Yoav Gallant, Israel's defense minister: In remarks that may prompt his firing, Gallant told a classified meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Netanyahu's talk of "total victory" over Hamas is "nonsense." He also dismissed the "total victory" slogan as a "beating of war drums" not backed up by actions.
The Prime Minister's Office responded with a statement:
When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he damages the chances to reach a deal to release the hostages. It would have been worthy of him to attack Sinwar, who refuses to send a delegation to the negotiations, and who was and remains the only barrier to a hostage deal. Israel has only one option: to achieve total victory, which means wiping out Hamas's military and governing capabilities and releasing our hostages – and this victory will be achieved. This is the clear directive of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the cabinet, and it is binding for everyone – including Gallant.
Tal Becker, vice president of the Shalom Hartman Institute:
Victory is not about the defeat of our enemies — though that is a necessary component of any long-term strategy. It is about what we build, not what we destroy. And we must emerge from this testing moment recommitted to a future, however difficult to achieve, in which the peoples of the Middle East, all peoples — Muslims, Jews and Christians, Palestinians and Israelis, prosper and live in dignity and do not see their own welfare and thriving as requiring the demise of the other.
Donald Trump: "When I'm back in the Oval Office, I will support Israel's right to win its war on terror, and I will give Israel the support that it needs to win. But I do want them to win fast. Wouldn't it be nice if they could win fast? And we have to let them win."
CNN, using information from the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project and the Institute for the Study of War, takes issue with Netanyahu's statement that "Victory is in sight." In a special report titled "Netanyahu says 'victory' over Hamas is in sight. The data tells a different story," it argues that
Nearly half of Hamas' military battalions in northern and central Gaza have rebuilt some of their fighting capabilities despite more than nine months of Israel's brutal offensive. ... the group appears to have made effective use of dwindling resources on the ground. Several units have made a comeback in key areas cleared by the Israeli military after pitched battles and intensive bombardment, according to the new analyses, salvaging the remnants of their battalions in a desperate bid to replenish their ranks. ...
In parts of the wasteland of northern Gaza, Hamas members in plainclothes supervise blown out marketplaces, repurpose burnt buildings into sites for militants and civil servants, and hide their weapons under the detritus, sources on the ground in Gaza told CNN. "Hamas' presence in northern Gaza is stronger than you can imagine," said one Palestinian who recently fled the region, and who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
"They're among civilians. It helps them rebuild their forces." ...reconstitution has happened in two distinct ways. Some Qassam Brigades units have regrouped, merging severely degraded cells to create combat effective battalions; others have regenerated, recruiting new fighters and manufacturing new weapons from the explosive material left behind by Israeli forces.
The report ends with a quote from Peter Mansour, a retired U.S. colonel with extensive experience in Iraq: retired Col. Mansoor. "But the Palestinians, for their part, need to realize that Israel's "This conflict will only end with a political solution. It won't end with a military victory."
71 IDF officers confirm the CNN report, writing in an open letter to the IDF chief of staff that the time has not yet come for only pinpoint raids.
We fought and still fight on all the different fronts, from the northern border, through Judea and Samaria, to the Gaza Strip. All this we did for one and only purpose: to achieve a decisive victory over our bitter enemies. ... In the past few days, we have been astonished by repeated statements from senior army officials that victory is within reach and it is possible to move to the stage of only pinpoint raids. We, who came from the field, know very well that the situation is still far from victory.
The enemy still has cross-border capabilities, UAVs, explosive drones, mortars, an enormous tunnel infrastructure, and tens of thousands of live terrorists, prepared for continued fighting against us. This is not what victory looks like! Commander! We are full of fighting spirit! Confident in our ability to achieve a true victory and defeat the enemy! We believe in our fighters and the families that push us forward. Don't stop us! Let us win!
Mahmoud Abbas, quoting Koran 9:52: "We implement the Sharif: victory or martyrdom."
Avichay Adraee, the IDF's spokesman in Arabic: My birthday wish is "a sure and inevitable victory."
Kid Rock, American musician:
Only wars we won were fucking ones where we were the most brutal motherfuckers on the planet. Which, I don't disagree with what Israel is doing. It's like, they should just go in there and be like, you know what?
"We want our hostages back. If we don't have them back, clock starts now. And fucking 24 hours, we're going to start bombing motherfuckers and killing fucking civilians, thirty-, forty-thousand a fucking time. So you civilians better fucking pack up and fucking get these fucking motherfuckers. And you go against Hamas. You fucking go against them. We're not playing fucking games with you."
David Wurmser, former U.S. government official:
After Oct. 7, some prominent retired Israeli generals "insisted that victory was impossible; the only course was to surrender, leverage international support to find a more palatable Palestinian Authority to which it might be possible to turn Gaza over, and bring some – about a quarter at most — of the hostages home." Benjamin Gantz and Gadi Eisenkott are "among the strongest advocates for yielding and proponents of the view that victory was impossible."
"the best way to bring home the most hostages is no longer through the deal conceived by American diplomats, but through accelerated military pressure to create the realization among Gazans that total Israeli victory is inevitable. At that point, Gazans will despair of Hamas, and even those on the ground holding the hostages will see greater value in their own preservation rather than join Hamas in its collapse and demise. The remaining hostages acquire immense value at that point, since personally for Gazans they become the only asset they have to barter and save their skin under the inevitable Israeli victory."
"an Israeli victory ... is emerging not only locally but potentially regionally."
Benny Morris, historian: Netanyahu
has been aspiring for months to achieve the vaunted "total victory" over Hamas not least in order to "merit" a good place in the history of our people. But even if there is a "total" victory over Hamas, I don't believe this will fundamentally alter the judgment of history. The stigma of October 7 – and yes, also the labels on the bottles of champagne, meaning the stench of corruption – will stick to him forever.
New York Times: Yahya Sinwar
is by far Hamas's most important figure, and his success in evading capture or death has denied Israel the ability to make a foundational claim: that it has won the war and eradicated Hamas. ... American officials believe [killing or capturing him] would offer Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel a way to claim a significant military victory.
Shoshana Bryen, Jewish Policy Center:
how military success begins to translate into political success, where the military defeats a vicious dictatorship – as in Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan. Take away the weapons. Take away control of territory. Take away control of the population. Military defeat of Hamas can become liberation for the Palestinian people and security for the people of Israel.
Yisrael Katz, Israel's foreign minister: "This is a war in every respect and we must win it."
Brig. Gen. (res.) Eran Ortal: "The campaign in Gaza is a critical transition stage, both conceptual and practical, during which Israel is moving from defense to offense in a long war with Iran's proxies."
Michael Wise, analyst:
Victory in a war requires neutralizing the enemy. The World heretofore has not permitted an Israel victory. The fact that Israel has been prevented from ever winning a war (see below) has encouraged its enemies to attack Israel repeatedly. Ending wars with armistices, ceasefires, and pauses assures that the next war will be around the corner.
This time almost all of Israel understands that it must finally win a war. Israel cannot allow Hamas to survive and retain control of Gaza. A minority in Israel has still not learned from past failures. Demonstrators in the streets of Tel Aviv seek to topple the current government (using the unfortunate hostage families as a ruse) and allow Hamas to launch another future massacre. But that noisy and committed minority shall fail.
Israel now has the opportunity to win! ... Israel has a clear irreversible objective: Total Victory. ... Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government are committed to finally winning a war and destroying the Hamas enemy. ...
Little has changed over the past 76 years. But this time, Israel is finally about to win a war! ... Israel has finally learned a lesson from past blunders. ... This time Israel will be victorious and eliminate Hamas and free the abducted hostages. Only then can the vision of a New Middle East be realized.
IDF officers and combat soldiers protested against defeat by sleeping out at the home of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant:
We came ... to convey a message from thousands of soldiers who are fed up with his weak conduct that will lead us to defeat. In the coming days we will continue to come to the Minister's home and we call on anyone who cares for the future of the State of Israel to come and express that. Minister Gallant - do not close your eyes and do not ignore the danger at the door.
Israel does not need a right to defend itself. It needs a right to win. The right to defend yourself is the right to be penned up in a ghetto while murderers roam outside. ... That's no right at all.
The Nazis were not defeated with the right of defense, but the right of offense. Wars don't end when the invaded are given a right to fight for a few weeks before calling it a draw. Wars end when one side actually has the power to do more than defend itself, but to fight back and win.
When Netanyahu spoke to Congress about "total victory", the political establishment ridiculed and dismissed the prospect of defeating Hamas in favor of a deal with the terrorist group. That deal, known as a 'ceasefire' after the cycle of ceasefires with Hamas initiated by Obama, would allow the genocidal Muslim Brotherhood Jihadists to regroup, rearm and attack again.
"In some respects, we are struggling over what the theory of victory is. Sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talk about mostly the idea of... a sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory," Biden's Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told a NATO summit. "I don't think we believe that that is likely or possible."
The Biden administration and NATO leaders did not display this sort of skepticism towards Zelensky's promises of victory against Russia. When the Ukrainian leader recently promised to present a "victory plan" to the Biden administration, the move was met with applause.
The Biden-Harris administration and the European Union believe that Ukraine has the right to win while Israel only has the right to defend itself. That is the fundamental difference between the treatment of Ukraine and Israel, and the treatment of their two wars. ...
Israel does not have a "right to defend itself", it has a right and a duty to go on the offensive and win. It has a right and a duty to utterly defeat and destroy every single Islamic terrorist organization at war with it. ... The right to defend itself is Israel's slow suicide. Survival rests on the right to win.
IDF reserve officers, bereaved families, and members of the "Mothers of Soldiers" organization, protesting outside the home of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant:
- "We demand victory, and if you don't know how to achieve it, then hand over the keys."
- "Defense Minister, ... you are responsible for security, but for some reason everyone is flattering you. We, the public, made you responsible for our security, but we don't see that you have the will to win."
- "If you can't win, and if you are incapable, then hand over the keys. We must win."
- "We want a complete victory. ... Let the IDF attack to win."
- "Tell me, have we gone mad? Stop the war now? Until victory!"
- "Unfortunately, someone here does not understand who the murderous enemy is before us. It is important to defeat him; it is victory or annihilation."
Richard Goldberg, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies: "Israel's Victory Will Be a Success for American Grand Strategy."
Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli American Council, prays for "Israel's victory over her genocidal enemies."
Shraga F. Biran, president of the Tel Aviv-based Institute for Structural Reforms: "only the world's two great powers – the United States and China – have the ability and the wherewithal to partner together to create a solution that will free Gazans from Hamas rule and provide safety for Israel's citizens."
Major (Res) Alex Nachumson, the CEO of Mivtachi Israel and an adviser to the Israel Victory Project, writes in an article title at Arutz Sheva titled "Only an Israel victory can free the hostages" that:
the State of Israel rescued defeat from the jaws of victory and handed back the initiative to the psychopathic Sinwar. ...
Israel needs to have one goal in mind, and that is to defeat and destroy Hamas as quickly as possible. This is the only way to ensure the safety and security of its nine million citizens, in the short and long term, as the strategic consequences for anything short of a complete and utter victory could have enormous strategic existential ramifications. ...
The best likelihood of freeing hostages is to win this war. ... Only an Israel victory will win this war, free the hostages and provide the Jewish State with security and stability.
Ben Shapiro: "The actual answer to stopping this war would be to let Israel finish the war. It turns out, by the way, that the best way to achieve peace in the Middle East is through victory. This happens to be true in every military conflict: the best way to achieve peace is victory. This has always been true, always. Folks, the best way to achieve peace in the Middle East is through victory."
"Thousands of Israelis gathered in Jerusalem," JNS reports, "for a protest organized by the Tikva Forum for Families of Hostages, demanding immediate and decisive action from the government to secure the release of all Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza and the definitive defeat of the terrorist group."
Gary Epstein, Times of Israel:
Israel cannot afford to lose a single war, but it is never permitted to win a decisive victory. As soon as Israel gets the upper hand, the world intervenes to demand compromise. The worst that Israel's adversaries can expect is a draw, a stalemate — and that is the best Israel is allowed to achieve. As a result, there is never a clear cut triumph in which terms can be dictated by the victor. The embers of war continue to smolder until they again burst into flame. Compromise today means more war tomorrow. ...
From the time of Mohammed, Muslims have viewed all armistices – hudna – as temporary measures, to be endured only until victory is possible. That victory, in the present situation, would mean the end of Israel and the death of its inhabitants. Victory for Israel, on the other hand, like the victory of the Allies in World War II, would mean, in my view, a chance for meaningful peace, prosperity, and progress for all sides. ...
I have come to the conclusion that it is time to "Give war a chance." But it must be a war in which right is permitted to prevail and to impose a just peace. More compromise means more war and more death. It needs to stop. Only a total victory and unconditional surrender will make it stop.
Gil Troy, Jerusalem Post: "Most Israelis insist on fighting until Hamas and Hezbollah are crushed and cave in."
Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations: "We need a victory, and then we move to peace. But first we have to be victorious."
Yishai Fleisher, JNS: "Total clarity, total victory."
Nave Dromi in Yediot Ahronot: "We need as many people as possible in the government who strengthen the ideas that promote the overarching goal, namely Israel's victory in the war."
Yaakov Katz, Jewish People Policy Institute:
When a terrorist organization is driven by a deep-seated desire for your annihilation, no amount of money, economic opportunities, or limited military action will suffice. Hamas's mission was singular: the destruction of Israel. ... Israel cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. ...[Hezbollah] must be weakened to the point that it can no longer pose a serious threat to Israel – neither with rockets nor with cross-border raids. Indeed, victory in war often paves the way for diplomacy. ...
Stopping the war prematurely would be repeating the very mistakes that led to the devastation of October 7. It would give Hezbollah, like Hamas, the opportunity to rebuild, regroup, and prepare for yet another assault against Israel. October 7 taught us that half-measures will not work. Victory is the only path to long-term security.
Nimrod Koren muses on the contrast between Biden-Harris seeking victory in Ukraine but not the Middle East, while Trump takes the opposite positions.
Bret Stephens, New York Times:
The world had better hope that Israel wins its wars against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and their masters in Tehran. By "wins," I mean that Israel inflicts such costs on its enemies' capacity to wage war that they accept that their interests, irrespective of their desires, are no longer served by fighting.
Those who hope for an independent, free and peaceful Palestinian state had better hope Israel wins. ... Those who hope for an independent, free and peaceful Lebanese state had better hope Israel wins. ... American policymakers had better hope Israel wins. ... The American people had better hope Israel wins.
Gwythian Prins, Gatestone Institute:
Escalation by Israel "will, ironically, be the most humane -- life sparing -- road to peace through victory. ...After six refusals of land offered for peace since 1922, there is now no prospect of any diplomacy this side of Israel's total victory, and the terrorists' total defeat. ... The need for a strategy of total victory needs to be underscored. ... Like Ukraine's, Israel's victory matters to the entire free world. The world currently divides unequally into those who understand this and the majority who do not, or who may just not want to admit it.
David Horovitz, editor, Times of Israel: "The killing of Sinwar in Rafah last Wednesday was indeed an essential component in Israel's necessary victory over Hamas. ... But his demise, as has been underlined every moment since it was confirmed, does not mark an absolute victory, does not complete a lasting, stable revival of Israeli security, and has not ended the war."
Paul Becker and Ari Cicurel: "The end of Sinwar is not the end of the war. Hamas will survive Sinwar unless Israel finishes its mission in Gaza. The United States should redouble its support for Israel to prevent the terrorist group's next leader from rebuilding and not avoid pursuing victory for short term domestic political gain."
Itamar Ben-Gvir: "We must continue until absolute victory."
Elizabeth Pipko, Republican party spokeswoman: Asked if Trump "expects Israel to end the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the war against Hamas in Gaza?" she replied, "I would say he expects them to end it by winning it, one hundred percent, that's how he always talks about ending wars."
Jonathan Pollard: "Is Trump the Key to Israeli Victory?" (he answers in the affirmative).
John Thune, U.S. senator: "It's critical that the United States stand strongly behind our ally and support Israeli victory."
Khaled Abu Toameh: "There is no alternative to a total victory over Hamas."
Michael Makovsky and Blaise Misztal, Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs: "Now That Harris Has Lost, Let Israel Win."
Robert M. Schwartz: "In [Israel's] wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, the only discussion is about ceaseless ceasefires, never victory or surrender. ... The terms 'victory' and 'surrender' are never floated even though the conditions for an Israeli victory are in sight. Although the ideology of Hamas and Hezbollah can't be eliminated, at least for now, an implicit surrender can occur if Israel is allowed to pursue total victory. ... Some opine that total victory with Hamas and Hezbollah is an illusory dream. But every Israeli knows Theodor Herzl's famous quote, 'If you will it, it is no dream.' The conditions to transform the dream into reality are explicit in the traditional criteria of military victory."
The founders of a post-Oct. 7 organization, "The Israeli Reservist- Generation of Victory," explain their purpose:
There was the understanding that we were going into a long war with an unclear path to a decisive victory, while we and our friends were losing jobs, our families at home, and our friends being killed and injured. Our statement at the beginning of the war, that a seizure of territory in Gaza was a victory reached every media channel, and even the Knesset and the American Congress. Many public initiatives on the subject began to arise and this became a central issue in the public discourse. Only taking territory from Hamas will lead to a significant decision and a change the day after the war.
Sara Netanyahu, reporting on a discussion with Donald Trump: "We also discussed the strategic importance of Israel's victory in the war against the axis of evil."
Emmanuel Navon: "Europe Can and Should be Part of Israel's Victory. To complete its victory over Iran's axis of aggression, Israel needs not only the United States but also Europe's main powers. Those powers have an opportunity to reap the benefits of Israel's victory."
Eliyahu Libman, father of Elyakim who was murdered on Oct. 7: "We expect Prime Minister Netanyahu and the heads of the security branches to show strength and courage to win and decisively defeat the enemy."
The leadership of "Israeli Reservists—Generation of Victory" met members of Congress in Washington to seek support for "total victory" in Israel's current multi-front war.
Yoav Gallant, former minister of defense, called for Israel to prioritize the hostages. When asked if that means that Israel would give up on winning the war, he replied: "An army can defeat [an enemy] but you need the political side for victory." One of the things preventing a victory, he argued, was the lack of a "day-after" plan.
David Keyes has come out for Israel's "Total Victory."
Wavell Room: "the term victory has been once again been reduced to a muddled field of bland platitudes and indecipherable metrics for success"
Eyal Zamir, on his installation as the new chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces: "The task that I am receiving today is clear: to lead the IDF to victory."
The Israel365 Action slate in the World Zionist Congress elections held a "Total Victory Election Rally" on March 10th.
Raphael BenLevi, a fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, argues that "at no point in recent decades has Israel been more important for Arab security and geopolitical interests, whereas support for the Palestinian cause does nothing to assist Arab's many internal challenges; in fact, it may worsen them." He then runs through the countries - the four neighbors, the Persian Gulf emirates, and Saudi Arabia - then concludes:
The only way to reshape the regional landscape is for Israel to achieve a swift and decisive victory in Gaza through a combination of fully conquering the territory and creating a passageway to allow Gazans who seek to leave the Strip to do so.
John Nolte, American novelist: "Israel's victory must be total."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, on presenting Israel's annual budget to the Knesset: "It will be the budget of victory."
Daniel Rosen, chairman of Emissary: "Israel stands on the precipice of a decisive victory over its adversaries. ... Paradoxically, the primary opposition to Israel's march toward victory comes from within the country itself. ... the status quo of partial victories, where reservists are required to return to the same positions every four to six years, is untenable for reservists and Israel at large. ... The broader strategic landscape only reinforces this total victory."
Jagdish N. Singh: "Israel must obliterate Hamas completely."
Eyal Zisser, Tel Aviv University:
In history books, the war of the last 15 months will be remembered as a failed war – first because of the way it broke out, but also and especially because of the way it has been managed since, primarily by the political echelon, which seemingly doesn't want to decide and win the war and bring it to an end, but rather prefers a never-ending war....
Enough with the foot-dragging and endless trudging through the sands of Gaza, enough with the hesitation and fear of making decisions – it's time to change course and break out of the cycle we've been in for 15 long months. This is how we will win and also bring back our hostages held by Hamas.
Jonathan Spyer, Middle East Forum:
A senior IDF source in Gaza discerned signs of what he described as growing popular discontent against Hamas. A year ago, he suggested, residents of Gaza wouldn't have dared to raise a finger against representatives of the Islamist authority. Six months ago, masked men killed a Hamas policeman. More recently, policemen were attacked by Gazans who no longer made any attempt to hide their identity.
These, the source suggested, were encouraging signs. Victory would come, he said, when the last of Hamas's leaders were dragged through the streets by their own people.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister:
If we don't win—this government has no right to exist. We must return to fighting in a completely different way: to defeat, to destroy Hamas, to conquer the Gaza Strip, impose military rule, take territory, and send a clear message—internally and externally—that those who mess with us will be erased. ... We have to say the truth: Returning the hostages is not the most important thing.
Naftali Bennett, former prime minister, on the topic of Haredi military service: "The stagnation in Gaza stems directly from government policy that deprives the IDF of the main tool required for victory: fighters,"
