Ironically, the peace treaty with Egypt—seemingly a monumental diplomatic achievement for Israel—marked the beginning of the transition from building capital to living off the interest: from a state that painstakingly builds and accumulates capital, to one that begins liquidating its assets, living off their fruits, and ultimately, accruing debts by mortgaging them.
October 7 was the culmination of a process that began in the mid-1970s. As Hemingway famously described a character's descent into bankruptcy in The Sun Also Rises, it happened 'gradually, then suddenly.'"
Military, diplomatic, economic, and spiritual strength within a defined territory under Jewish sovereignty—this was the vision of the founders of the State of Israel. But when the pioneering generation stepped aside, the guiding principle shifted. For decades, Israel has been battered from all sides: by messianic delusions of peace at any price, the ecstasy of redemption, a total surrender to the American bear hug, and the fragmentation of Israeli society into sectors unequal in their commitment to the state's future. We paid the price for all of this on the darkest day in our history.
Peace Not Now offers a clear framework—both conceptual and practical—for defining the state's borders, reshaping our relationship with our neighbors and the nations of the world, and forging a true partnership among all citizens in the shared responsibilities of sustaining the Zionist project.
