Peloni: What possible benefit might be gained by outsourcing Jewish control over Jewish destiny. The raison d’tre of the Zionist movement and the Jewish state has been to empower the Jewish people with both the ability and obligation to seek out their own fate, to protect their own without the need of cowering beneath the overlordship of foreign powers and foreign leaderships. Israel must lead, with the grace of the sovereignty which distinguishes the Israel from the Pale. To the degree to which we are not sovereign in Israel, we have betrayed ourselves to whims and fantasies of others, and we have a long history demonstrating the tragic consequences of pursuing such a fate as this.
Israeli flag. Image created using AI.
Ahead of tonight’s Cabinet meeting, the Co-Chairs of the Sovereignty Movement wish to warn of the emerging political trends in the international arena, which may return the State of Israel to the days of the Mandate and severely undermine its sovereignty.
Over the past year, under the shadow of war, old concepts have begun to reappear in new packaging.
“The New Middle East”—that vision from the 1990s—has returned to the discussion table, this time in the form of the “20-Point Plan” and international rehabilitation initiatives.
Within this framework, initiatives are being advanced that include:
*A Board of Peace
*A technical committee to oversee Gaza, led by Palestinian technocrats
*A multinational force for security supervision
*A transitional body leading to Palestinian self-governance and a future Palestinian state—including in Judea and Samaria
These are sophisticated systems of concessions that steadily erode Israel’s sovereignty.
At the core of the damage lies the attempt to replace direct Israeli control with international guarantees and regional partnerships.
Three Dangerous Traps
First Trap: Civil Administration by Foreign Actors
The 20-Point Plan transfers the management of daily life in Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic authority, among them Ali Sha’ath, former Deputy Minister in the Palestinian Authority.
Instead of direct Israeli control, a hostile system is established that is not committed to Israel’s security.
Second Trap: Damage to Security Freedom of Action
The IDF’s freedom of action becomes hostage to foreign interests.
Every security operation will have to take into account Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Washington—who will, in effect, become the real decision-makers on the ground.
Third Trap: Privatization and Loss of Control
Introducing private security companies into humanitarian management creates a severe loss of control.
These bodies are not committed to Israel’s security and are even hostile to it.
A New Mandate on the Land of Israel
The combination of these processes creates a reality of a new mandate, in which foreign powers determine our security—just as in the days of the British Mandate.
Past experience proves that every surrender of sovereignty in favor of international guarantees leads to escalation and terror.
Without full Israeli control —political, territorial, and military—over Gaza, Judea and Samaria, the “New Middle East” will become a dangerous version of the old one.
Warning from Failed International Experiments
Similar attempts have failed in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, and during the Arab Spring.
In all these cases, international involvement brought not stability, but chaos.
Conclusion and Call to Action
The conclusion is clear:
Division of authority + external supervision = a return to the days of the Mandate.
Israel must move from defense to sovereign initiative.
Security will not come from improving international plans, but from establishing facts on the ground: settlement and the application of sovereignty over Gaza and Judea and Samaria, and making clear that Israel is the sole sovereign power between the sea and the Jordan.
The National Price Demands a Clear Decision
It is unacceptable that two years of fighting, more than 900 fallen soldiers, thousands of wounded, and 1,200 murdered in the horrific pogrom—the worst since the Holocaust—should end without total victory.
If these are the results of the war, it means we have failed.
And we must act courageously to change course.
Three Essential Reforms
* Fundamental reform of the judicial system—to enable the government to truly prevail
* Fundamental reform of the IDF high command—still influenced by outdated Oslo concepts
* Strengthening military, agricultural, and economic independence—even at an economic cost
Without these steps, we may, G-d forbid, return to the days of the Mandate and be forced once again to rebuild the Haganah, Lehi, and Irgun.
Summary
History teaches that the Jewish people have flourished only when they were sovereign over their destiny.
Just as previous generations refused to accept foreign rule and established a sovereign state, so too in our generation the responsibility lies with us to choose:
No to dependence and concessions.
No to a new mandate.
Yes to full Israeli sovereignty, settlement, and true victory—for the sake of future generations
Going back to the mandate setup is maybe just one tiny little step better than going back to the Ottoman period. We have left all that behind us and even considering a return to that kind of existence is out of range. We fought for what we have and there is no good reason to give it up and be on the receiving end of statements like “none is too many”. If Israel were to disintegrate, which countries would be willing to accept us, including not just the Europeans and the North Americans but all those who fled from North Africa and the Middle East? On the other hand, we are ready and able to fight again if need be, not just defend ourselves against terror organizations. We must be 1000% clear about our objectives: we live in Israel and its boundaries include the Golan Heights, Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip. If forced to reinterpret the boundaries God gave us, we should have all the land between the Euphrates and the Nile, and when thinking about it, that could even include the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Turkiye, so our neighbors should be careful what they wish for.
A lot of this has been in force since 1948. Israel depends on outsiders for food and weaponry and developed its hit hard and fast military to achieve facts before the UN alias outsiders can interfere.
In the same way that Israel achieved results in spite of the US or Soviets “UN” meddling it needs must re-learn those skills. One of the first things I was ever told as a younger man in the 60’s was, “Beware of any argument of limited Israeli sovreignty.”
However as a historian small powers have always had problems when major powers want something. Look at how Belgium was created and defended to satisfy both locals’ religious identity and British strategic desires. Somebody once wittily noted that jounalists newly arrived in Pakistan were told to, “Mind the three A’s: Allah, the army, and the Americans.”
Sovereignty is NOT just outside interference. It is also internal control and internal defence and grip. The Tower and Stockade campaign of 1936 – 40 and the eleven settlements of Yom Kippur 1946 and 1950’s kibbutzim and Nahal settlement depite the agriculture NOT paying well for several years. The Tenach and its Geography being well integrated into education and the national service experience are also vital. This all needs reviving regularisinig Regavim and stopping all unlicensed building and settlement, but also putting in enough staff to make the planning and policing work promptly.