What we need is the courage to win
What we need is the courage to win

To defeat the current plague of "terror by knife", we need leadership that is sure of the justice of our cause and is not afraid to win decisively.

We are, with G-d's help, going to win this war as we won the ones that preceded  it; yes, we will put an end to the current religious war begun by the Arabs who live among us. The victory will work its way up from the grassroots, from ordinary Israelis, from the people who dwell in Zion, those who breath the air of Eretz Yisrael which fills them with the nine tenths of the world's wisdom with which our land is blessed. Our spirit and wisdom gained here in our land set us free from the Diaspora's limitations and grant us the courage to deal with the ongoing stabbing terror attacks. 

Only when the minds and hearts of those who believe in preserving all of Eretz Yisrael and its people internalize that there is no more giving in to feelings of weakness, no more helplessness - and also no more accommodation to those who wish to destroy us, only then will our political leadership find the strength, daring and faith in our ability to defeat, with the help of G-d,  the knife-wielders.

When and only when the religious and Arab leaders and thinkers who encourage their followers to use knives to butcher Jews understand that the result of their terrorist acts are death, prison or exile, will they be forced to change their ways.

Herzl understood 120 years ago, during the middle of Europe's efforts to give the Jews emancipation and equal rights, that anti-Semitism is so deeply ingrained in Europe that even if the Jews became more like goyim than the goyim were, it would have no effect on those who wish to destroy them – and he was, tragically, right.

The naivete of our leaders and those who consider themselves the elite exemplars of culture and the arts, those who think that if we make special efforts to educate, academize and provide employment  for the Arabs, they will change their views, has been shown to be a farce.  It is those very intellectuals , the  well-to-do educated and cultured Arabs, especially those in the Knesset, who are at the forefront of incitement against Jews and who encourage the murders of children and the elderly.

Since this is a religious war, the Arabs continue to take advantage cynically of the "enlightened" delusional members of Israeli society, meanwhile teaching their own children barbaric hatred and learning from the video clips that reach us daily from their brothers in neighboring countries.

There is only one road to victory: courage, spiritual courage which will lead to the proclamation made by all our brave leaders of the past – that all of the Land of Israel has been ours for time immemorial and this is where we will stay forever; and the practical courage of our soldiers and their officers as they take action both quantitatively and qualitatively on the fields of battle.

The Arab residents of Israel who riot and engage in violence now are met with a small number of soldiers and jeeps that try to overpower them. That is not the way do it. We have to send large forces of thousands of soldiers to each place where there is rioting, defeating them once and for all in Jerusalem neighborhoods and in Judea and Samaria.

We pray and have faith that the Jewish people will grant power to a leader who has the necessary capabilities - a strong spirit and the will for brave actions, a leader who can bring us victory in this war as well.

While writing this article, I was informed of the sad passing of Menashe Mizrachi (ben Chaim) the best of my soldiers, literally the best soldier of those under my command. Menashe, the bravest of fighters and the most goodhearted and righteous among men, was severely wounded in the Yom Kippur War and suffered greatly up to the day he died. This article is dedicated to his memory.

Translated from the Hebrew Besheva weekly newspaper by Rochel Sylvetsky, Arutz Sheva Op-Ed Editor