Brit Tzedek v'Shalom - Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
Both left and right agree that the Second Lebanon War, together with the military's re-occupation of Gaza, demonstrate the failure of unilateralism. The right, however, would fight to the death to maintain the country's hold on the territories, but the Second Lebanon War should refute this thinking. Israel's enemies can afford to lose many wars; Israel cannot afford to lose even one. Not only the odds, but every force of history stands against the idea that Israel can survive by relying solely on its military. Even a stalemate, such as the outcome of the war with Hezbollah, is an enormous loss in military deterrent power, as well as home front morale.

Sheer common sense tells us that if military means alone cannot secure Israel's survival, and unilateral policies quickly prove themselves bankrupt, there is only one option left: Negotiations and compromise -- land for peace.

Why, one has to ask, does this practical wisdom elude Israel's policy makers, generation after generation?

One answer is that each generation of Israelis is guided by the founding myths of Zionism. Israel has long been enthused by the image of newly incarnate Hebrew warriors defending their homeland. The lessons of the pogroms and Holocaust left a lasting impression: We must be able to defend ourselves. This understanding guides Israeli thinking so centrally that it has more than once blinded Israel's people to the inherent limitations of all military solutions.

Clearly, the notion of a never-defeated military machine is a phantasm, and it is foundering now, just as it did in 1973. It will recover once again, but each blow to the military reveals more clearly that underneath the idea's heroic shell, the social core grows ever more hollow, from generation to generation.

The more wars Israel takes on, the greater the chances it will lose one. Those who care about Israel's survival should heed and support whatever voices of international peacemaking there are, whether or not they are yet heard by Israel's leaders.