Commentary | Yes, Sometimes War Is Required, as Part of a Political Process
Military historian Danny Orbach believes that the claim that there is no military solution against Hamas because it is “an idea, and you can’t destroy ideas” is fundamentally flawed
By Danny Orbach
Since the Black Saturday of October 7, 2023, I have clashed quite a bit with what I consider to be misguided beliefs of the populist right. Beliefs such as the need to adopt the moral values of our enemies and 'speak Arabic,' just like those who 'understand how to live in the Middle East,' ignore the fact that the countries that 'know how to speak Arabic' or Persian generally appear to be very hostile.
"Beyond the fact that cruelty directed outward is almost always reflected in internal policy, Israel's power, both military and cultural, and its economic strength, stem almost exclusively from the fact that it is part of the advanced Western world. Those who want Israel to behave like Iran will find themselves in a country that looks like Iran, or worse, a heap of trash like one of its proxies.
But in this post, I specifically wanted to address misguided perceptions coming from the left, which also need to be overcome in order to move forward to the shore of security after October 7. How often have you heard people from the left, usually intellectuals, telling you that 'there is no military solution'? As always, the question that needs to be asked afterward is ‘a solution to what, exactly?'
If we're talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole, it seems that there is no purely military solution, but rather a series of partial and imperfect solutions that encompass military, diplomatic, and civilian components.
"Even those who believe wholeheartedly in peace need to understand that diplomacy has no impact unless it is backed by a credible threat of violence. The other side must know that there is an alternative to complying with you, or else.
Otherwise, why would they compromise on what they see as their natural rights? Even in the detached reality of a long and bloody conflict, there's a reason why American diplomats are taken more seriously than Kuwaiti diplomats.
Military strength also makes 'talk' more effective, as long as it is accompanied by a genuine readiness to use it. On the other hand, as military historian Cathal J. Nolan demonstrates in his book The Allure of Battle, most warring parties in history have not completely destroyed their adversaries' military power. Typically, military achievements require diplomatic efforts to upgrade, stabilize, and perpetuate them.
Many left-leaning critics argue that Israel's military goal of weakening Hamas cannot be achieved because it's an 'idea,' and as is well known, ideas cannot be destroyed. However, this is a largely flawed perspective.
Israel's goal in this war is not to destroy Hamas as an 'idea,' not even as a terrorist and guerrilla organization, but as an overt government. If there's one thing we've learned from October 7, it's that a rogue government like the Hamas regime can inflict far more damage than a terrorist organization operating in underground conditions, which can't even come close to it.
Finally, I would like to address not only the arguments of my left-leaning critics but also the 'music.' Many exhibit a noticeable aversion to anything related to the military, security, or violence. Generals are 'degenerals,' any briefing from a military leader is just considered arrogance – and you have no idea how many times I've encountered academics physically recoiling from military history.
But the truth is, those who want to avoid violence need to understand it better – not less. As the British strategist B. H. Liddell Hart once wrote, there's no recipe for keeping the peace, but one can offer a few general principles based on generations of experience: Delve deeply into the wars of the past and learn their lessons; Keep strong, if possible. In any case, keep cool; Have unlimited patience; and avoid self-righteousness like the devil – nothing is more self-blinding.
This article is a shortened, translated version of a blog post by Danny Orbach, a military historian of Europe and Japan and a historian of intelligence, with a special interest in the Modern period, WWII, and the early Cold War.
Read the full post in Hebrew here
Military historian Danny Orbach believes that the claim that there is no military solution against Hamas because it is “an idea, and you can’t destroy ideas” is fundamentally flawed
By Danny Orbach
Since the Black Saturday of October 7, 2023, I have clashed quite a bit with what I consider to be misguided beliefs of the populist right. Beliefs such as the need to adopt the moral values of our enemies and 'speak Arabic,' just like those who 'understand how to live in the Middle East,' ignore the fact that the countries that 'know how to speak Arabic' or Persian generally appear to be very hostile.
"Beyond the fact that cruelty directed outward is almost always reflected in internal policy, Israel's power, both military and cultural, and its economic strength, stem almost exclusively from the fact that it is part of the advanced Western world. Those who want Israel to behave like Iran will find themselves in a country that looks like Iran, or worse, a heap of trash like one of its proxies.
But in this post, I specifically wanted to address misguided perceptions coming from the left, which also need to be overcome in order to move forward to the shore of security after October 7. How often have you heard people from the left, usually intellectuals, telling you that 'there is no military solution'? As always, the question that needs to be asked afterward is ‘a solution to what, exactly?'
If we're talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole, it seems that there is no purely military solution, but rather a series of partial and imperfect solutions that encompass military, diplomatic, and civilian components.
"Even those who believe wholeheartedly in peace need to understand that diplomacy has no impact unless it is backed by a credible threat of violence. The other side must know that there is an alternative to complying with you, or else.
Otherwise, why would they compromise on what they see as their natural rights? Even in the detached reality of a long and bloody conflict, there's a reason why American diplomats are taken more seriously than Kuwaiti diplomats.
Military strength also makes 'talk' more effective, as long as it is accompanied by a genuine readiness to use it. On the other hand, as military historian Cathal J. Nolan demonstrates in his book The Allure of Battle, most warring parties in history have not completely destroyed their adversaries' military power. Typically, military achievements require diplomatic efforts to upgrade, stabilize, and perpetuate them.
Many left-leaning critics argue that Israel's military goal of weakening Hamas cannot be achieved because it's an 'idea,' and as is well known, ideas cannot be destroyed. However, this is a largely flawed perspective.
Israel's goal in this war is not to destroy Hamas as an 'idea,' not even as a terrorist and guerrilla organization, but as an overt government. If there's one thing we've learned from October 7, it's that a rogue government like the Hamas regime can inflict far more damage than a terrorist organization operating in underground conditions, which can't even come close to it.
Finally, I would like to address not only the arguments of my left-leaning critics but also the 'music.' Many exhibit a noticeable aversion to anything related to the military, security, or violence. Generals are 'degenerals,' any briefing from a military leader is just considered arrogance – and you have no idea how many times I've encountered academics physically recoiling from military history.
But the truth is, those who want to avoid violence need to understand it better – not less. As the British strategist B. H. Liddell Hart once wrote, there's no recipe for keeping the peace, but one can offer a few general principles based on generations of experience: Delve deeply into the wars of the past and learn their lessons; Keep strong, if possible. In any case, keep cool; Have unlimited patience; and avoid self-righteousness like the devil – nothing is more self-blinding.
This article is a shortened, translated version of a blog post by Danny Orbach, a military historian of Europe and Japan and a historian of intelligence, with a special interest in the Modern period, WWII, and the early Cold War.
Read the full post in Hebrew here
