Contrary to the common belief, Israel has never won a war. The two peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan are compromises with no hint of victory or capitulation on either side. The many victorious "mini-wars" were in fact campaigns or operation by the IDF. Wars are waged and won or lost by nations, whose armies are professional tools. Hence the old wisdom that war is too important to be entrusted to generals, which is ignored by the Israeli public to the detriment of the nation.
David Ben-Gurion was well aware that Israel could never achieve full victory over its Arab neighbors. But partial victory means that any war will have to end in compromise, and that includes the war with the Palestinians, who have shown no sign of capitulation. |
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