The central lesson of Oct. 7, 2023, is that temporary deterrence is no substitute for decisive victory.
For years, Israel accepted a reality in which terrorist organizations and hostile armies steadily built up their capabilities along our borders. We responded only when threats became unbearable, then returned to routine in the hope that calm would endure. The massacre in southern Israel exposed the cost of that approach. Enemies left undefeated do not disappear; they regroup, rearm and wait for the next opportunity to strike.
Since the war began, Israel’s security doctrine has shifted. Instead of waiting for attacks, the IDF has acted proactively across multiple fronts. Hamas has suffered major losses, Hezbollah has been severely weakened and Iran faces growing economic and military pressure. Israel now controls significant strategic territory in Gaza and has restored much of its operational initiative.
Yet precisely now, after many months of war and sacrifice, calls are once again emerging for withdrawals and a return to the old paradigm. As negotiations intensify regarding Lebanon, Gaza and Iran, many argue that Israel should stop short of full victory. But the real question is not whether our enemies have been damaged; it is whether we have created a reality that will prevent them from threatening Israeli civilians again in 10 or 20 years.
Israel must not abandon the decisive stage of this war in exchange for temporary quiet. Deterrence alone is insufficient. Lasting security requires strategic depth, freedom of military action and permanent control of key buffer zones separating Israeli communities from hostile forces.
In the Middle East, territory matters. Terrorist organizations may absorb casualties and rebuild weapons stockpiles, but losing land creates a lasting psychological and strategic defeat. Israel must establish a clear equation: Those who attack the Jewish state will lose territory. Only then can our enemies fully understand that massacres, terrorism and aggression carry irreversible consequences.
There is also a broader historical dimension. Zionism is not a colonial project, as some critics claim, but the return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland after centuries of exile. Gaza, Bashan (Syria), and the land of the cedars (Lebanon) are not foreign places in Jewish history; they are deeply rooted in our biblical and historical heritage. The restoration of Jewish sovereignty in our homeland has brought prosperity and stability not only to Israelis, but to the wider region as well.
Victory means more than military operations or temporary ceasefires. It means maintaining control of strategic areas, preventing hostile forces from reestablishing themselves and ensuring long-term security for future generations. Israel cannot afford to repeat the mistakes that led to Oct. 7.
This war has come at an unbearable cost. Hundreds of soldiers have fallen, thousands of families have sacrificed enormously, and an entire nation has carried the burden of a long and painful campaign. Our obligation to them is clear: to ensure that those sacrifices were not made in vain.
Israelis did not endure this war to return to the status quo. We fought to change reality—so that our children and grandchildren can live in a safer, stronger and more secure country.
