More Quotes
“Hamas regularly used schools and UNWRA storage facilities. Squads of combatants emerged from these buildings, shot at our forces and went back inside … It wasn’t an isolated incident, it was policy. Compared to what happened in Iraq, we are acting with many more reservations. There are furious arguments here among us about it. But it’s clear to us that we have to apply these values – we can’t lose our way.” (Brig. Gen. Nadav Padan, commander of the 162nd Division speaking to Haaretz about Operation Protective Edge, 10/10/2014)
“[Some] have said Hamas wants to create an Islamic emirate in Gaza. We won’t do that, but we will build an Islamic state in Palestine, all of Palestine … We know exactly how to liberate the land of Palestine, and we know how to hit every inch of Palestine with our hands, brains, and money.” (Hamas Political Bureau member Mahmoud Al-Zahar in an interview with Al-Ayyam Newspaper, 01/10/2014)
“Negotiations in Cairo present a genuine opportunity for the violence to end, to provide peace and security to Palestinians and Israelis and for movement and access restrictions to be lifted. It is important that the Palestinian Authority returns to Gaza to provide services and security to all Gazans.
The devastation I have seen today in Gaza serves to underline the need for the need for all parties to work urgently towards a negotiated two state solution, creating a Palestinian State with Gaza as a fundamental part of it, and Jerusalem as a shared capital, alongside Israel.” (Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood following his visit to the Gaza Strip, 06/10/2014)
“The route to Palestinian statehood can only go through negotiations … There are no shortcuts. ‘Conflict Management’ is also not an option. Whoever supports the two-state solution needs to support negotiations to end the conflict.” (Israeli Justice Minister and chief negotiator with the Palestinians Tzipi Livni via Facebook, 05/10/2014)
“I deeply regret the completely unnecessary polarization that publication of the letter caused … I was personally horrified at the offensive video that was forwarded by two of the authors of that letter … I am proud and humbled to be here… I’ve learned a great deal.” (Lancet Editor Richard Horton speaking at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, 02/10/2014)
“We meet at a challenging time. Israel is obviously in a very turbulent neighbourhood, and this gives us an opportunity once again to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel, and our ironclad commitment to making sure that Israel is secure.
Throughout the summer, obviously all of us were deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza. I think the American people should be very proud of the contributions that we made to the Iron Dome programme to protect the lives of Israelis at a time when rockets were pouring into Israel on a regular basis.
I think we also recognize that we have to find ways to change the status quo so that both Israeli citizens are safe in their own homes and schoolchildren in their schools from the possibility of rocket fire, but also that we don’t have the tragedy of Palestinian children being killed as well.” (US President Barak Obama speaking in the Oval Office alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 01/10/ 2014)