The converse would appear to be true as well by this logic.  Were they not to 'beat their attackers' then there 'spoils of war' would be negative.

I'm disgusted enough by observing and funding the 'Zionist entity' aspects of the state of Israel over the years that I am most likely to take a 'live by the sword, die by the sword' attitude toward future kerfuffles in that region.  This was not always the case.  The American citizen to died face down on the steel deck of a ship in international waters with an Israeli bullet in the back of his head, and with nary a peep of protest from 'our' leadership and media, was probably the turning point for me on this issue.