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"The Israeli army wasn't ready for war, and it entered it wearily. Because it entered an unnatural war, it didn't achieve any glory or victories. All efforts were concentrated on averting disaster, and this is exhausting... We now appear to the world much weaker than we were, and we lost some of our deterrence capabilities in the Arab world, which had by and large recognized the existence of Israel. Yet since that date, there has been a decline in its standing. I can say this time that Israel used to be the world's problem, yet today the world is Israel's problem."

Shimon Peres Israeli President
From his testimony to the Winnograd Comission
which investigated the failures of the 2006 war
Maariv, 23-3-2007

"For the first time in our history, we are preparing to withdraw the Israeli army, in a way that both enemy and friend interpret to be unconditional."

Ariel Sharon former Israeli Prime Minister
On the first withdrawal from Lebanon in 1985
Yedioth Ahronot, 31-5-1985

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