Israel “has never lost a war, never will lose another war, but does not want another victory,” Simcha Dinitz, Israeli Ambassador to the United States, declared here in his first West Coast appearance since his recent appointment to the post. He told guests at a United Jewish Welfare Dinner, “We don’t want another victory because wars leave orphans and broken homes. We don’t need to adorn our army with another victory.”
Dinitz explained that during Israel’s 25 years of existence as an independent nation it has fought four wars with its Arab neighbors and won every one of them without achieving peace. He said, however, that the wars have accomplished a foundation in Arab minds of Israel’s indestructibility. Such an Arab conviction could lead to a change in Arab mentality in respect to negotiating peace, he suggested. “You don’t negotiate with a country you can destroy,” he said. “Israel must be so strong that no Arab leaders will launch further aggression. A strong Israel is the best guarantee for peace.”
Dinitz added that the only problem is getting the Arabs to talk about peace. “The Koreans are talking, the Chinese are talking, the Russians are talking, even the Europeans are talking. The only place where there is no talking is the Middle East,” he said, Israel would welcome talks and remain flexible, he stated, adding that “the solution lies not on the Volga or Potomac Rivers but along the Suez Canal. We and they must learn to live as neighbors.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
