Some experts claim Israel must cease hostilities and sign “solid “iron-clad” agreements with the Hamas and Hezbollah backed by UN forces.
By Hezy Laing
Before and even after Israel’s recent successes in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, the Israeli media has repeatedly claimed that a clear victory is “impossible” and an “illusion” and therefore Israel must cease hostilities and sign solid “iron-clad” agreements with the Hamas and Hezbollah backed by UN forces.
They have backed up these claims by giving platforms to former IDF generals who agree with their stance.
For example:
Gadi Eisenkot – Former IDF Chief of Staff has repeatedly stated that “there is no such thing as total victory” in modern asymmetric warfare. In a recent interview, he said that destroying Hamas completely is “not realistic” and that military action can weaken an organization but cannot eliminate its ideology or social base. He claimed that long‑term “political arrangements” are required to achieve stability.
Amos Yadlin – Former Head of Military Intelligence claims that the idea of total victory is “a slogan, not a strategy.” He argued that Israel can degrade Hamas militarily, but cannot eradicate it entirely because it is embedded in a civilian population and supported by external actors.
Dan Halutz – Former IDF Chief of Staff has said that “there is no total victory in Gaza” and that even large‑scale operations cannot permanently remove Hamas or similar groups. He has emphasized that military force can create conditions for diplomacy, but cannot replace it.
And Yair Golan – Former Deputy Chief of Staff claims that total victory is “a fantasy” and that Israel must combine military pressure with ”political solutions.” He has argued that expecting the army to deliver a final, permanent solution is unrealistic.
But all of these are the exact same generals who supported the failed Oslo accords and the retreat from Gaza (Disengagement) which led to Hamas control of the region.
More to the point, their defeatist view is simply not supported by facts. There are many modern wars that ended with clear victory–defeat outcomes. For example:
World War I (1914–1918)
Germany, Austria‑Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire were defeated. Germany signed the Armistice of November 11, 1918, acknowledging military collapse. The Allies, led by Britain, France, and later the United States, declared victory.
World War II (1939–1945)
Germany and Japan both formally admitted defeat. Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7–8, 1945, signing the German Instrument of Surrender. Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri, ending the war in the Pacific. The Allies — primarily the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union — declared total victory.
However, in order to win a war, the old, failed ways of fighting and retreating must be abandoned.
While it’s true that the many Muslim and especially Arabs regimes don’t care much about how many lives are lost in war, they do care about other things which Westerners often belittle.
The loss of land is deeply embarrassing to these regimes and has often sufficed to stop their hostility.
Here are just a few examples.
Ottoman Empire (1918–1923) – Lost Arab provinces and Balkan lands
After World War I, the Ottoman Empire accepted massive territorial losses under the Treaty of Sèvres (later Lausanne) and ceased hostilities.
Morocco lost northern regions to Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and ceased fighting after military defeats, and formally accepted the losses during later negotiations.
Syria lost the Golan Heights in the Six‑Day War. After the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syria ceased major fighting and maintained a largely stable ceasefire line for decades.
Jordan lost Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem to Israel. After 1967, Jordan ceased fighting and shifted to a diplomatic posture, eventually renouncing claims to the territory in 1988.
Israel’s enemies can be defeated, but to do it Israel must do something it hasn’t done in almost 60 years – make them pay a price for their hostility by taking their land.
