On Wednesday a week ago, the Arabs of the Land of Israel heard again that Israel is ready to go back and establish a state for them. If they just keep going, if they just press, if they just keep rioting, their state dream still exists.

Israel falls into the same trap again and again. With our own hands, for years and years we have fostered their hope to receive territories from our small country. What didn’t we do for it? We established an armed regime for them, we left the entire Gaza Strip, we expelled thousands of Jews from their homes, we removed the dead from their graves, we developed the economy in Judea and Samaria and especially in Jenin, we made sweeping proposals for the establishment of a new Arab state between the Jordan and the sea. In return for all these measures, we received terror, international pressure, support for a boycott of Israel and recently Holocaust denial.

Prime Minister Lapid’s current announcement of his willingness to tear up swathes of land in favor of a terrorist state came in the midst of a wave of terrorism. That is, the message of the victory of terrorism was immediate.

As a result, we received, as always, more terrorism, in the most symbolic place, in a place that symbolizes for them the possibility of victory – the Temple Mount, or in their words, “Al-Aqsa”. This terrorism may still prevail in the coming weeks, as much as we try to “contain” it and leave the Arab street hope for an uprising that will shock Israel. It is precisely on the Temple Mount were we must strike with an iron fist.

All this is happening when the Palestinian Authority is weaker than ever. When the Americans do care about them, Arab countries bypass them on the way to cooperation with Israel, and Europe is busy with the war in Ukraine. This is the moment to increase the pressure, not to create hopes among the enemy.

We have to change the equation. The Arabs of Judea and Samaria and Gaza and their supporters must first stop the violence and terrorism, acknowledge the defeat of their violent struggle against Israel, recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and only then negotiate the final arrangement from a position of strength and victory. Otherwise, the violence will not stop. They, even among the Arab citizens of Israel, will always see statements or actions of unilateral concessions as a weakness and an opportunity to exert more pressure. This is not a hypothesis, it happened in the past and there is no reason for it to change.

A week ago, the ‘Israeli Victory Project’ launched a campaign in which Ahmed Tibi is seen wrapped in the Israeli flag and on it is written “This is what the image of victory will look like”. Precisely when it comes to the leaders of the Arab public in Israel who support the violent struggle against us – precisely they should be seen wrapped in the Israeli flag. Precisely now, it is right to talk about their principles. They must stop supporting the terrorist and violent struggle against Israel and recognize its defeat and the victory of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. There is no other way, and any other attempt will fail in the future, as it has failed in the past.

All of the above is especially true on the Temple Mount, due to its being a symbol. When we lose even a little on the Temple Mount, in terms of Arab terrorism – it is a shot of encouragement and faith that Israel can be defeated and destroyed. No less than that. This hope should be cut off, not fostered.

We must remember that although we have become addicted to the desire for peace, those who need peace and order more than the Israelis are the Arabs, in order to finally start living and not just dream of an imagined victory in their war against Israel.

The author is the CEO of the organization “Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple Mount” and a member of the Israel Victory Project.