When I was drafted into the army, Israel was in a state of war against the armies of Syria and Jordan, maintained large forces and outposts in southern Lebanon and policed and guarded settlements in the face of a hostile Palestinian environment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It was just a few years after the first intifada, and it was licking its wounds from the Gulf War, in which it was attacked by Iraqi missiles and dedicated resources to the Iranian theater.
In the Israel Defense Forces Southern Command, where I served as an officer in the army and in the reserves, war plans to reconquer the Sinai Peninsula were still being practiced in case – God forbid – the cold peace with Egypt would fall apart. When I was released from the army, the annual defense budget was 33 billion shekels (around $10 billion). This week, a budget of 58 billion shekels was approved. In the 25 years that have passed, 25 billion shekels were added: a growth of 1 billion shekels a year.
During these years, the Oslo Accords were signed, the Palestinian Authority was established and many security responsibilities were transferred to it; a stable peace was achieved with Jordan, Israel withdrew from Lebanon and prepared to defend the country from the international border. Gush Katif was evacuated and Israel disengaged from Gaza. Peace with
— source Jews For Justice For Palestinians | Uri Misgav | 4 Aug 2021