More Quotes
“Today’s EU General Court judgment is procedural and does not mean the EU and UK have changed their position on Hamas. The effects of the EU Hamas listing, including asset freezes, remain in place.
We are studying the detail of the judgment carefully, and will work with partners to ensure that the Hamas listing at the EU is maintained.
Hamas’ military wing has been proscribed in the UK since 2001 under separate UK legislation. This is not affected by today’s EU General Court judgment.” (A statement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 17/12/2014)
“We oppose boycotts … Delegitimising the state of Israel is wrong, it is abhorrent – and together we will defeat it.” (Prime Minister David Cameron speaking to Conservative Friends of Israel, 16/12/2014)
“I would like to send my condolences to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and to the Australian people over the loss of innocent life. International Islamic terrorism knows no borders; therefore, the struggle against it must be global.”(A statement by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 15/12/2014)
“This illusion called Israel will be removed. It will be removed at the hands of the Kassam Brigades [Hamas’s military wing] … Anyone who thinks that Israel is here to stay is wrong. All of Palestine is Islamic land and no one will share it.” (Senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya speaking at a rally marking 27 the 27th anniversary of the organisation’s founding, 14/12/2014)
“We see great opportunity in the fact that the international community recognizes the threat of IS and the threat of Al Qaeda. That there is a coalition operating in the Middle East against this, is – I think – the most dramatic change [in the region] and the realization in the world that there is a problem that we have to fight together… Back in the past it was easy to look at somebody and say, ‘Okay, he is a friend.’ It’s very tricky. It’s not easy to tell who’s a friend and who’s an enemy. You’ll find a friend that has a different agenda or different attitudes around you, so we’ve developed a concept of ‘frenemies’. Some enemies can be friends. It depends on the context.” (IDF Planning Directorate head, Maj.-Gen. Nimrod Shefer speaking at the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference, 11/12/2014)
“A fortnight ago I visited Israel. I have long admired the Israeli start-up nation which is home to more high-tech start-ups per capita than any other country. On a previous trip I visited the impressive Technion in Haifa. This time we headed to Beersheva to visit the so-called ‘Silicon Wadi’ – home to Ben Gurion University and the CyberSpark cluster. What struck me most was that the Israeli culture of innovation wasn’t down to the facilities or the technology, impressive though they were. It was the people – and the human relationships – they were the critical element.
It came down to a group of individuals, perhaps as few as just 2 or 3, sitting together to find a solution or to work through a brilliant idea – thinking together, experimenting together, failing, learning, adapting and ultimately succeeding.” (Cabinet Secretary Francis Maude MP speaking at the opening of the inaugural D5 summit, 09/12/2014)