Look, miracles in the Middle East are a reality.

Israel will not tolerate a situation in which Iran has effective control of non-conventional weapons that can be used directly against the state of Israel.

Israel always has to be in a position to defend itself against any adversary and against any threat of any kind.

I have to think about the possible ramifications of an early retirement.

I know the war in Iraq is controversial in the States, but for us in the Middle East it has made a great and significant impact.

We can never totally return to the indefensible pre-1967 borders, ... We simply cannot afford to make Israel 14.48 km (9 miles) wide again at its center. We can't allow the Palestinians to be a couple of [miles] from [Tel Aviv's] Ben-Gurion Airport in the age of shoulder-fire missiles with the capacity to shoot down jumbo jets. But that doesn't mean we must remain in every corner of the West Bank or in Gaza, where fewer than 10,000 Jews, living next to 1.3 million Palestinians, have been protected by twice as many soldiers.

Leadership is tested not by one's capacity to survive politically but by the ability to make tough decisions in trying times.