PHILADELPHIA – November 4, 2025 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that “There is no more containment. There is initiative and constant activity,” signals a definitive and long-overdue strategic pivot in Israeli policy. This new doctrine is a direct, public confirmation and adoption of the core principles the Middle East Forum (MEF) has advanced for years through its Israel Victory Project.
For nearly a decade, MEF has systematically argued against the “doctrine of managed decline.” This failed school of thought, which “prioritized process over victory,” resulted in the passive, reactive strategies of containment and “mowing the grass.” MEF has consistently warned that such policies were a recipe for perpetual violence, not security.
The Israel Victory Project was established specifically to change this paradigm. Through a relentless push—from billboard campaigns across Israel to launching the Congressional Israel Victory Caucus—the Forum has worked to change the “conflict management” consensus. We brought this message directly to the Knesset, presented clear principles for victory, and worked with partners in the Knesset Israel Victory Caucus to provide a workable Gaza Victory Plan. The core argument has always been that ideological conflicts cannot be managed; they end when one side decisively defeats the other.
“Hearing the Prime Minister explicitly state ‘there is no more containment’ is the public vindication of our decade-long campaign,” said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. “For years, in the Knesset and on Israeli media, we argued that containment was a dangerous illusion. The Prime Minister’s new doctrine of ‘initiative and constant activity’ is precisely the proactive, victory-oriented framework we insisted was necessary. This isn’t just a change in language; it is the adoption of a winning strategy that replaces ‘process over victory’ with the decisiveness required to secure Israel’s future.”
Now that the Gaza war has concluded, these words must become iron-clad policy. The Middle East Forum will remain on watch to ensure the Prime Minister’s promise of “no more containment” is fully implemented through all levels of the Israeli security apparatus. We will continue to encourage and support this new consensus by working with partners like the Knesset Israel Victory Caucus, and through our ongoing media and public engagements, to ensure that this strategic and necessary shift is permanent.
Alex Selsky, MEF Israel director, added, “This policy shift is the direct result of a long, persistent battle of ideas waged here in Israel. For years, our team has worked tirelessly to bring the message of ‘Victory’ from the halls of the Knesset to the public square, building a new consensus. What we are hearing from the Prime Minister is the moment that consensus, which we helped build on the ground, becomes the official doctrine of the State of Israel.”
The Middle East Forum promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects Western values from Middle Eastern threats. Its Israel Victory Project works to steer U.S. and Israeli policy toward backing an Israel victory to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
For immediate release:
Gregg Roman
Executive Director
Middle East Forum
info@meforum.org
(215) 546-5406 ext. 104
