There Is No Victory Without Sovereignty, Part 1

Reflections from the July 21 Sovereignty Conference at the Knesset.

Today there was a Sovereignty Conference in the Knesset. I had the privilege of being there.

I did not always believe in extending our sovereignty over our land and I used to scoff those who did. I thought the approach of land-for-peace was a smart one. Until I saw that the Oslo Accords and the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza only brought intifada, terrorism within the Green Line and without, and rocket fire.

When I started to change my views toward the land, I would not have used the same language as the speakers did today, but the message they delivered, that reverberated like a chorus throughout the morning, said it best: if we treat the land as if it is not really ours, so will our enemies.

This article brings you a concise version of what was said, picking out a sentence or a phrase from some speakers and paraphrasing longer ideas voiced by others.

Part 1 includes the introduction to the day; Part 2 includes the speeches by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and former USA ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and Part 3 includes choice points made by the other speakers.

---

Those who have questions about what sovereignty might look like (i.e., what to do about the Arabs who live in Judea and Samaria) can read my article on this topic: “Sovereignty Is in the Air: A Conversation with Nadia Matar”

---

The conference was hosted by Yotam Zimri, known to many from Hapatriotim on Channel 14. Here are the key points from his opening statement:

On Oct 7^th, my feeling was one of total loss of sovereignty. Since then, with the blood of our soldiers, we are renewing our sovereignty.

I met a friend from Karnei Shomron. They lost nine soldiers in this war. In light of this, I think to myself: who are we not to declare sovereignty?

Like Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said: who are we not to declare sovereignty over a place called Yehuda and Shomron?

We talk a lot about victory — even here in the Knesset — defeating the enemy, returning the hostages. But we must add something else: there is no victory without sovereignty.

And from what we know about our enemy, sovereignty is the kind of victory that causes them the most pain.

While true, for me, causing pain is not the reason to declare sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley, or Gaza.

We should do it because it is right. Because we ended the Arab and foreign occupation of these lands, and until we declare clearly and openly that these lands are ours, our enemies will keep dreaming of the day they hit us hard enough to make us leave.

Until we assert that we are the true sovereign here, they will continue to view us as temporary tenants, vulnerable to expulsion.

Speaker after speaker returned to this, each in their own words. It was the core message of the day around which other points were made.

Zimri said it succinctly when he said: “Whoever does not claim sovereignty sees it claimed by someone else.” [.מי שלא לוקח ריבונות, לוקחים לו]

Here is the video shown at the start of the conference that captured it perfectly:

The spirit of the day was set by Zimri and this video. For insights from Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and former Ambassador David Friedman, see Part 2. Part 3 brings messages from other speakers I felt worth presenting.

---

🕯️ Thank you for being here.
I try to write what others overlook — about Iranians, Alawites, sovereignty, survival, and the war over narratives.
If you're new, start here: “Why I keep writing even when it would be easier to stop.”
And if what you read moved you, consider sharing or subscribing.

---

Because Israel is not supported on the Substack payment platform, I have set up an alternative for those who want to support my work.

You can make one-time or repeated donations in your own currency using Paypal (click image above) or the Ko-fi payment platform here. Israelis can send me a private message for another option.

Articles will always be free for all subscribers but a one-time or repeated donation is a way to help me sustain myself while doing all the work involved in putting these articles together and would be greatly appreciated.