Where Do We Go From Here? Israel After the War in Lebanon

On October 9, Yael Dayan addressed Meretz USA members and others from the community.  She spoke about this summer’s war in Lebanon and the current political situation in Israel, suggesting that now, at the beginning of a new year, is the time for Israel to change its policies and begin anew.

Discussing the conflict with Hezbollah, Ms. Dayan addressed the failure of the IDF and that of the Israeli government to protect its citizens.  She began by justifying Israel’s initial reprisal but went on to argue that the country’s actions became unnecessary after the fifth day.  By choosing to continue fighting, the Israeli government doomed the war to failure: “choice wars cannot be won.  Israel has never won a choice war.”  Ms. Dayan pointed out the name of the army – the Israeli Defense Force – and added that a choice war is not a defensive war.  She cited the soldiers’ criticism of how the government handled the war, explaining that Israeli soldiers are not motivated by “choice wars.”  Ms. Dayan also noted that the IDF’s recent experience has been limited to fighting Palestinians, manning checkpoints, and protecting Palestinians from settlers – in addition to being unmotivated, the soldiers were not prepared for the war and were physically ill-equipped.  Finally, Ms. Dayan addressed the Israeli government’s failures in the Galilee, explaining that the government did not prepare the region for war and did not provide assistance once the war began. 

Discussing what she called the “destruction of morality” in politics, Ms Dayan noted that recent headlines in both American and Israeli newspapers have spotlighted political scandals, but that other recent news stories have focused on the achievements of Nobel and other award winners.  Ms. Dayan contended that these achievements demonstrate the potential for progress in both Israel and the U.S but that the countries’ leaders are guiding them in the wrong direction.  Focusing on Israel, Ms. Dayan maintained that that the Israeli government does not have good intentions toward the Palestinians and said that she believes the government is continuing the right-wing practice of slowly annexing land through illegal settlements.

Putting forward these arguments, Ms. Dayan proposed policy changes for the coming year, stressing the need for negotiation and cooperation.  Each threat Israel faces stems from the conflict with the Palestinians, and Israel needs to realize the conflict cannot be resolved through military means.  Israel must begin to talk with the Palestinians despite continuing violence and Hamas’ failure to recognize Israel.  She asked how the Palestinians can be expected to be on good behavior when they live under Israeli occupation, with rampant poverty and corruption.  In the past, Israel has even negotiated prisoner swaps with terrorist groups.  There is no reason why Olmert should not negotiate Abu Mazen now.