Arab and Muslim officials sometimes deliver different messages to their people in Arabic and to the West in English. Since most people in the West do not understand Arabic, it is important to be informed about the views expressed by these officials to understand their authentic views on issues relating to Jews and Israel. For many years, Arabic translations were difficult to obtain; however, they are much more readily available.

The following is just a tiny sample of some of the remarks that have been made regarding Israel and the Jews. Of course, not all Arabs and Muslims subscribe to these views, but the examples are not random, they are beliefs held by political officials, religious leaders and journalists and disseminated by major Arabic media.

Anti-Semitism | Arab Rhetoric | Blood Libel | Gaza | Human Rights | Iran | Israel
Jerusalem | Peace Process | Lebanon | Media & Academia | Middle East Policy | On the Palestinian Authority | Phased Plan & the Destruction of Israel | Radical Islam | Sanctioning Violence | Settlements | Terrorism | United Nations

Anti-Semitism

“They [Jews] tried to kill the principals of all religions with the same mentality in which they betrayed Jesus Christ and the same way they tried to betray and kill the Prophet Muhammad.”

— Syrian President Bashar Assad, during the visit to Syria of Pope John Paul II
New York Post, May 6, 2001

“The Jewish nation, it is known, from the dawn of history, from the time Allah created them, lives by scheme and deceit.”

— PA Communications Minister, Imud Falouji
Palestinian television, August 8, 2002

“We know that the Jews have manipulated the Sept. 11 incidents and turned American public opinion against Arabs and Muslims....We still ask ourselves: Who has benefited from Sept. 11 attacks? I think they (the Jews) were the protagonists of such attacks.”

— Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef in Assyasah (Kuwait)
translation from Saudi magazine ’Ain-Al-Yaqin, November 29, 2002

“They succeeded in gaining control in most of the [world’s] most powerful states, and they — a tiny community — became a world power. But 1.3 billion Muslims must not be defeated by a few million Jews. A way must be found....The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews are in control of the world via their proxies. They lead others to fight and die for them....If we are weak, no one will support us. The Israelis respect only the strong, and we must therefore all unite.”

— Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammad
at the opening of the Organization of Islamic States summit
October 16, 2003

“O God, strengthen Islam and Muslims, humiliate infidelity and infidels. O God, destroy your enemies, the Jewish and crusader enemies of Islam.”

— Shaykh Jamal Shakir
Sermon from King Abdallah mosque in Amman
Amman Jordan Television Channel 1 in Arabic
March 5, 2004

“The Prophet said: the Jews will hide behind the rock and tree, and the rock and tree will say: oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim this is a Jew behind me, come and kill him! Why is there this malice? Because there are none who love the Jews on the face of the earth: not man, not rock, and not tree; everything hates them. They destroy everything, they destroy the trees and destroy the houses. Everything wants vengeance on the Jews, on these pigs on the face of the earth, and the day of our victory, Allah willing, will come.”

— Shaykh Ibrahim Mudayris
Palestine Authority TV
September 10, 2004

“The Zionist attempts to transmit dangerous diseases like AIDS through exports to Arab countries.”

— Al-Manar (Hezbollah TV)
November 23, 2004

“The Jews are the cancer spreading all over the world...the Jews are a virus like AIDS hitting humankind...Jews are responsible for all wars and conflicts....”

— Sermon by Sheik Ibrahim Mudeiris
Palestine Authority TV
May 13, 2005

“If we searched the entire world for a person, more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli.”

— Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah
Quoted in Amal Saad-Ghorayeb,
Hizbullah: Politics and Religion, London, 2002, p. 170.

“Jews subscribe to a belief in racial superiority...Their religion even teaches them to call down curses upon the worship places on non-Jews whenever they pass by them! They arrogantly refer to anyone who is not Jewish as ‘gentiles,’ equating them with sin. ”

— “What Islam Is All About” textbook,
IBTS, pg. 188, target readers: Grades 3-6

“Allah revealed to Muhammed that the Jews had changed their Book, the Torah, killed their own prophets and disobeyed Allah. And the Jews did not want the Arabs to know about these shameful things.”

— “Mercy to Mankind” textbook,
IQRA, pg. 23, target readers: Grades 5-6

“After telling the governor lies about Jesus and making him think that Prophet Jesus was starting a rebeliion against Rome, the Jews were finally able to get an order for his execution. The Koran states that the Jews did not kill Jesus nor did they crucify him. Allah states, however, that the Hews thought they did it.”

— “What Islam Is All About” textbook
IBTS, pg. 231, target readers: Grade 6-8

“Many lead such decadent and immoral lives that lying, alcohol, nudity, pornography, racism, foul language, premarital sex, homosexuality and everything else are accepted in their [Jewish & Christian] society, churches, and synagogues.”

— “What Islam Is All About” textbook
QIBTS, pg. 188, target readers: Grades 3-6

“The reasons for Jewish hostility toward the Muslims of 7th century Medina lies in their general characteristics described in the Koran.” Example: “You will find the most implacable of men in their enmity to the faithful are the Jews and the pagans.”

— “The Messenger of Allah” textbook
IQRA, pg. 34, target readers: Grades 6-9

“Their famous book, the existence of which is denied by the reasonable people among them, the so called Protocols of the Elders of Zion - but we call it the Protocols of the Idiots of Zion... In this book, the Jews included their plan to besiege the whole world by land, by air, by sea, by ideology, by economy, and by the media, as is happening today, my brothers in the nation of the Prophet Muhammad. The Jews today are weaving their spider webs in order to encircle our nation like a bracelet encircles the wrist, and in order to spread corruption throughout the world. ”

—Hamas Friday Sermon
Al-Aqsa TV, April 3, 2009

“The loathsome occupation in Palestine - its land and its holy places - by these new Mongols and what they are perpetrating upon this holy, blessed and pure land - killing, assassination, destruction, confiscation, Judaization, harassment and splitting the homeland - are clear proof of [unintelligible word - Ed.] hostility, of incomparable racism, and of Nazism of the 20th century. The Jews, the enemies of Allah and of His Messenger, the enemies of Allah and of His Messenger! Enemies of humanity in general, and of Palestinians in particular...”

—PA TV Sermon
PA TV (Fatah), January 29, 2010

“Let me ask you a question: Is it okay for us to talk about the coronavirus because it is 'hot news' and forget about the Jews, who are more dangerous than AIDS, coronavirus, cholera, and all the diseases of this world?...If you want to be saved from these deadly diseases, we should all remember Jihad.”

—Jordanian Islamic Scholar Ahmad Al-Shahrouri
Yarmouk TV (Jordan), March 8, 2020

“On their holy feasts, especially the Eid al-Kabir, crunchy bread is eaten, and the crime is that this bread is not kneaded unless it is kneaded with the blood of a non-Jew from the goys.”

—Dr. Nasser Al-Yafawi , Director at the Ministry of Education in Gaza
Facebook, October 9, 2020

“The Jews also have religious worship. But today, in Israel, when a Jew is standing in front of the Wailing Wall, his worship instructs him to oppress people, to shed the blood of the Palestinians, and to drive these people out of Palestine.”

—Khalil Rizk, the chief of Hizbullah's foreign relations department
Al-Manar TV (Lebanon), June 17, 2024

Arab/Muslim Rhetoric

Saudi Arabia

Abdallah Al-Yahya, Scholar:

"They [Jews] are like a cancer in the economy of countries: If they spread, along comes someone to eradicate them, but then they grow once again. They undergo various stages, but woe to the world and to the Jews themselves if they become strong."

-MEMRI, August 31, 2016

Arab League

Amr Moussa, Arab League Secretary General:

"Israel has not accepted the two-state solution. Until now there is not one official statement that Israel accepts the two-state solution and accepts to have a viable Palestinian state.... The Israelis do not want a Palestinian state"

"Yes, Hamas accepts the notion of two states.... So, if the Israelis are serious then all Palestinian factions will accept a two-state solution."

"Israel feels that they enjoy immunity against international law so why should they bother, why should they concede, why should they allow a Palestinian state to be created."

"The stability of the region, security of the region, the future of the region cannot cope with a situation just like this one... in regards to the negative Israeli policy.

Hamas

Fathi Hammad, Hamas Politburo member:

“There are Jews everywhere. We must attack every Jew on planet Earth! We must slaughter and kill them, with Allah's help. We will lacerate and tear them to pieces.”
- Gatestone Institute, July 14, 2019

Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas Prime Minister:

“We will not recognize Israel, Palestine must stretch from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, the Right of Return [must be fulfilled], the prisoners must be set free, and a fully sovereign Palestinian state must be established with Jerusalem as its capital.”

- Lusail TV (Qatar), July 26, 2020

"This intifada is not the result of despair. This intifada is a jihad, a holy war fought by the Palestinian people against the Zionist occupation. Only a holy war will drive the occupier out of Palestine."

- Israel Hayom, January 21, 2016

"This is a generation which knows no fear. It is the generation of the missile, the tunnel and suicide operations."

January 13, 2014

"We (Palestinians) will never overlook even one span of Palestine's soil because Palestine is an endowed land and no person, leader, organization or group is entitled to the right to ignore this land ... Israel has no future in the Palestinian lands and our motto is that we will never recognize the Zionist regime."

- Fars News Agency, October 27, 2012

"Thousands of fighters above ground and thousands of fighters underground have been preparing in silence for the campaign to liberate Palestine."

- October 19, 2013

"Resistance and jihad is the only strategic option for the Islamic ummah ... As the representative of the Palestinian nation, we have (already) announced to the children of the Arab ummah, the Islamic ummah, and all free-thinkers in the world and (again) insist ... that we will never recognize the Zionist regime and announce that the Palestinian nation will continue their resistance until the holy Palestinian land is liberated ... the gun is our only response to [the] Zionist regime. In time we have come to understand that we can obtain our goals only through fighting and armed resistance and no compromise should be made with the enemy..”

- Tehran Times, February 11, 2012

"The armed resistance and the armed struggle are the path and the strategic choice for liberating the Palestinian land, from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river, and for the expulsion of the invaders and usurpers [Israel] from the blessed land of Palestine. The Hamas movement will lead Intifada after Intifada until we liberate Palestine - all of Palestine, Allah willing. Allah Akbar and praise Allah ... Palestine - all of Palestine - is from the sea to the river. We won't relinquish one inch of the land of Palestine. The involvement of Hamas at any stage with the interim objective of liberation of [only] Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem, does not replace its strategic view concerning Palestine and the land of Palestine."

- Al-Aqsa TV, December 14, 2011

"We repeat today that we are with the establishment of a Palestinian state on any liberated part of Palestinian land that is agreed upon by the Palestinian people, without recognizing Israel or conceding any inch of historical Palestine."

- September 18, 2011

"Their [the 'Israeli entity's'] presence on our land is illegal and cannot be recognized...We move forward on what serves the interest of the Palestinian people, and the Israeli positions are of no interest to us."

- YNet, April 29, 2011

"Palestine is from the sea to the river, from Rosh HaNikra to Rafah. The siege will not change our belief, wars don’t cause people give up resistance and resistance leaders. We will not recognize! We will not recognize! We will not recognize Israel!"

- December 14, 2010

"This movement, with the help of the militant factions liberated the Gaza Strip, and we say, brothers and sisters, we will not be satisfied with Gaza ... Hamas looks toward the whole of Palestine, the liberation of the strip is just a step to liberating all of Palestine."

- Jerusalem Post, December 14, 2009

..“[Hamas will never recognize] the Zionist entity —— [and] will remain steadfast, protecting the blood of the martyrs — the resistance will prevail until liberating the land, until liberating Jerusalem..”

- International Middle East Media Center, August 14, 2009

"We call on all the factions to undertake efforts to contain the enemy and halt its aggression by planning martyrdom operations."

- AFP, September 26. 2008

"Palestinians will fight Israel for generation upon generation until victory, and will yet get to dance at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem ... If Israel is not defeated in this generation, it will be in the next generation..”

- Canadian Jewish News, August 17, 2007

"As far as we're concerned, the issue of recognition of Israel has been settled once and for all. It has been settled in our political literature, in our Islamic thought and in our Jihadist culture, on which we base our moves. Recognition of Israel is out of the question..”

- Al Jazeera interview, April 2, 2007

"We will never recognize the usurper Zionist government and will continue our jihad-like movement until the liberation of Jerusalem..”

- USA Today, December 6, 2006

"The decision [to include Rachel's Tomb and Cave of the Patriarchs in a 'Jewish Heritage Trail'] requires a real response in the West Bank and for the people to rise up in the face of the Israeli occupation and to break every shackle in confronting it. The project aims to erase our identity, alter our Islamic monuments and steal our history."

Khaled Meshal, Chairman of Hamas Political Bureau:

"We were and we still are in an open war with the criminal enemy (Israel). The movement participates in politics and diplomacy and all types of work, but it insists on the choice of jihad and resistance. [This choice] is Hamas’s greater and first strategy— This is Hamas. Hamas is not changing its skin. We kill them and they kill us, [but] we will defeat them in the end."

- Jerusalem Post, March 2017

"The Palestinian territories which have been looted by force can only be retaken by force and power ... Resistance will remain our strategy, and what unites us, Palestinians, is gun and popular resistance against the occupiers."

- FARS News Agency, July 2012

When asked about the terror attack near Kiryat Arba on August 31, 2010 in which four Israelis were killed by Hamas gunmen, [Hamas leader] Mashaal said that Hamas will continue to "kill illegal settlers on our land." He stated that Israeli settlers were the source of the problem and he failed to understand why the international community gets upset when ‘we defend our people by confronting Israeli killings.'"

- Jerusalem Post, September 2, 2010

In a Damascus speech, Meshal played down talk of a potential compromise and said that Arab states should renew their demands for the "liberation [of Palestinian land] from the sea to the river," standard phraseology for the elimination of Israel.

- Washington Post, October 12, 2009

"Hamas envisions a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 border with Israel, with Jerusalem as the capital, all Jewish settlements dismantled and full sovereignty over land, air and water."

- United Press International, May 9, 2009

"There is only one enemy in the region, and that is Israel."

- New York Times, May 4, 2009

"We will never recognize Israel or cease to fight for our land. Our battle against Israel is one of resistance to occupation."

- Tehran Times, May 27, 2008

"This assembly holds special significance, since it takes place after Gaza was liberated against the will of the Zionist aggressors. Who knows when we will celebrate the liberation of Gaza, Jerusalem, Haifa, Jaffa, and all the rest of Palestine. Hamas, together with the Palestinian people, will implement its policy using a new language, without feeling any urge to meet with the enemy or negotiate with it. Was Gaza liberated through negotiations?! Hamas will continue to wield its weapons and to [claim] its right to resist. Resistance will [continue to] be a strategic option until the last piece of Palestinian land is liberated, and until the last refugee returns."

..“We ask all the people in surrounding Arab countries, the Muslim world and everyone who wants to support us to send weapons, money and men..”

Mahmoud Zahar, Hamas Co-Founder:

"Removing the Jews from the land they occupied in 1948 is an immutable principle because it appears in the Book of Allah."

- Times of Israel, March 16, 2017

"Zionists, wait and see terror attacks, stabbing everywhere. Wait for suicide attacks on every bus, cafe and street. Wait for the rage and for revenge for Gaza, wait for the flames of the West Bank, inside you.... [we] can reach you above ground and below it. So start counting the number of coffins you'll need in these months."

- Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas official channel), July 9, 2014

"Palestine means Palestine in its entirety - from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River, from Ras Al-Naqura to Rafah. We cannot give up a single inch of it. Therefore, we will not recognize the Israeli enemy's [right] to a single inch ... Our hands are extended to Fatah to join the program of [armed] resistance and the liberation of Palestine."

- Jerusalem Post, December 4, 2012

"The principles and strategies of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement are stable and irrevocable, and we will powerfully pursue the Palestinian cause."

- FARS News Agency, March 2012

"Destroy the throne of Zion, the house of absolute evil ... Raise the banner of victory. Be like the fire of a volcano ... Repeat in the name of your Jihad: Death to Israel! ... With blood and fire, resist until freedom. Defeat the soldiers of aggression, the enemies of humanity."

- Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas official channel), November 22, 2012

"On this occasion, dear brothers and sisters, we cannot but recall the crimes of these criminal [Jews] throughout history. Today, we present the world with a bunch of questions, and we challenge it to answer them honestly, for today, interests overshadow moral values, elections overshadow principles, and Zionism has overshadowed the truth. We ask the people of the world today: Why did France, in 1253, expel and uproot the Jewish entity, which was represented by the ghetto? Why did they expel them? Because they sucked the blood of the French, because they shed the blood of the French, slaughtered them, stole their money, and conspired against them. At the end of the day, the French had no choice but to expel them in 1253. The [Jews] fled north, to Britain, and lived there for only 27 years, until the English realized the criminality of these people, who murdered them, sucked their blood, and stole their money. So they slaughtered hem, and expelled them in 1280. This was not something new — it started even before 1253, on the day that Pharaoh the tyrant expelled them because they had shed the blood of the Egyptians, and had conspired with their enemies against them. So [Pharaoh] expelled them, after they lost their religion, after the time of Joseph.

The series of expulsions continues to this day. Blood continues to be shed, martyrs continue to fall, our sons continue to hoist the banner high, and Allah willing, their expulsion from Palestine in its entirety is certain to come. We are no weaker or less honorable than the peoples that expelled and annihilated the Jews. The day we expel them is drawing near. The nation that opens up its doors, its hearts, and its homes to the [Jews] who were expelled from all corners of the earth was the Islamic nation. We extended our hands to feed these hungry dogs and wild beasts, and they devoured our fingers. We have learned the lesson — there is no place for you among us, and you have no future among the nations of the world. You are headed to annihilation."

- Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas official channel), November 5, 2010

Ahmad Bahr, Hamas Official

"If the enemy sets foot on a single square inch of Islamic land, Jihad becomes an individual duty, incumbent on every Muslim, male or female. A woman may set out [on Jihad] without her husband's permission, and a servant without his master's permission. Why? In order to annihilate those Jews. Oh Allah, destroy the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, destroy the Americans and their supporters. Oh Allah, count them one by one, and kill them all, without leaving a single one."

- Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas official channel) (Aug 10, 2012)

Hezbollah

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary General:

“If you were to wage a war against Lebanon, you would return to the stone age.” - Tehran Times, (August 15, 2023)

“There will be no place that is out of reach of the rockets of the resistance or the boots of the resistance fighters.”
- Reuters, May 11, 2017

“That is why if Lebanon concludes a peace agreement with Israel and brings that accord to the Parliament our deputies will reject it; Hezbollah refuses any conciliation with Israel in principle.”

“If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.”

“If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli.”

“The Palestinian National Charter will live on as long as there is a knife in a Palestinian woman's hand with which she stabs an Israeli soldier or settler ... as long as there are suicide bombers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv ... and as long as there is a child who throws a stone in the face of an Israeli soldier.”

Iranian Government

Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iranian Supreme Leader:

“The divine promise to eliminate the Zionist entity will be fulfilled and we will see the day when Palestine will rise from the river to the sea.”
- Times of Israel, May 23, 2024

Mohammad Reza Naqdi, Commander Of Coordination In The IRGC

“The Israeli prime minister said at the time of the [JCPOA] nuclear agreement [in July 2015] that [Israel’s] security was [now] assured for 25 years. In response, the master [Khamenei] said: ‘Be assured that you will not exist in 25 years.’ [Khamenei] did not mean that [Israel] would survive for another 25 years [but] that it would disappear much earlier. You should put away those signs.”

“Thank God, both the Americans and the Zionists in the region are surrounded by fighters of Islam; the noise they make stems from their fear. Secret assassinations are taking place everywhere, but if they want to take steps against our national security, they absolutely will receive a severe response. As [Khamenei] said, Tel Aviv and Haifa will be turned to ashes, [and] we will liberate Jerusalem. If [any] movement begins, it will definitely not end, and the result surely will be the liberation of Palestine. Everything is ready; the forces are ready and trained, and they are sufficiently armed.”

- Fars News (Iran), October 9, 2020 translated by MEMRI.

Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iranian Supreme Leader:

“I would like to highlight the magnitude of the tragedy of the occupation of Palestine and the formation of the Zionist cancerous tumor in that country. Among crimes against humanity in recent times, there is no crime that equals this crime in terms of scope and gravity. Occupying a country, permanently driving its people out from their homes and their fatherland, and continuing this historical oppression for decades using the most horrifying forms of murder, crime, destruction of farmlands, and genocide – this is indeed a new record in brutality and wickedness.”

“A look at the events that followed in the region shows that the main, short-term goal that westerners and Jewish company owners pursued by creating the Zionist regime was to build a stronghold for their permanent presence and influence in West Asia and also to gain easy access for the opportunity to interfere, coerce and dominate over the regional countries and governments. Therefore, they equipped the bogus and occupying regime with various kinds of military and non-military tools of power, even with atomic weapons, and their plans included the growth of this cancerous tumor from the Nile to the Euphrates.

“Young people in all Islamic countries, particularly in Arab countries, must pay attention to this advice from Imam Khomeini (r.a.), “Vent all your shouts on the U.S.” and of course, on the Zionist enemy.”

“The Zionist regime is a deadly, cancerous growth and a detriment to this region. It will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed....Undoubtedly, the long-lasting virus of Zionism will not last much longer, and it will be uprooted thanks to the determination, faith and pride of the youth.”
- Khameni.IR, May 22, 2020

“You young people should be assured that you will witness the demise of the enemies of humanity, meaning the degenerate American civilization, and the demise of Israel.”
- Reuters, May 23, 2019

“The turbulent dream that Al-Quds would be given to the Zionists will never come true. By God’s grace, the Palestinian nation will certainly gain victory over the enemies and will witness the day when the fabricated Zionist regime will be eradicated.”
- Jewish Journal, July 18, 2018

“Movement toward negotiation with the cheating, lying and oppressive regime (of Israel) is a big, unforgivable mistake that will push back the victory of the people of Palestine.”
- Reuters, April 4, 2018

“There is no doubt that we will witness the demise of the Zionist entity [Israel].”
- Jerusalem Post, June 22, 2017

“The Palestinian intifada continues to gallop forward in a thunderous manner so that it can achieve its other goals until the complete liberation of Palestine. The problem with ‘compromise’ is that it... does not take into account the expansionist, oppressive and greedy characteristics of the Zionists”
- Times of Israel, February 21, 2017

“Contrary to their foolish aims, the Zionist regime and its supporters are very close to collapse and total extinction.”
- October 4, 2014

“Israel’s annihilation is the only real cure...while waiting for an end to this cold-blooded murderous regime, mighty armed resistance is the only way to deal with it.”
- July 24, 2014

“Sometimes the leaders of the Zionist regime threaten us. They should know that if they are attack us, we will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa into wastelands.”
- “Iran’s supreme leader threatens to raze Tel Aviv, Haifa,” Times of Israel, March 21, 2013.

“This bogus and fake Zionist outgrowth will disappear from the landscape of geography.”
- August 16, 2012

“The ultimate goal is to liberate all of Palestine from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea ... (our) missiles will carry out [Islamic] duties any time they feel a threat stemming from the enemy.”
- October 1, 2011

“Israel is a cancerous tumor. So what do you do with a cancerous tumor? What can be done to treat a tumor other than removing it?”
- June 4, 2010

Hassan Rouhani, Iranian President:

One of the ominous results of World War II was the formation of a cancerous tumor in the region.
- Al Jazeera, November 24, 2018

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President:

“The Iranian people are ready to march on Israel to destroy it if it launches an attack adventure against Iran. The Zionists hope to attack Iran but they are afraid of the Iranian reaction and the consequences of such an attack. Our forces can deter any aggressor and make them pay.”
- Islamic Summit in Cairo, February 6, 2013

“[Israel] ridicules and violates all laws and humanitarian values... Following World War II they resorted to military aggression to make an entire nation homeless on the pretext of Jewish suffering... [The Jews] sent migrants from Europe, the US and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine...So long as Zionist domination continues, many countries, governments and nations will never be able to enjoy freedom, independence and security.”
- Durban Review Conference, April 2009

“The real cure for the conflict is elimination of the Zionist regime.”
- August 3, 2006

“The Muslim world will not forget its historic right and will resist tyranny and occupation ... the Zionist regime is a wound that has set on the body of the Muslim world for years and needs to be removed.”
- ISNA News Agency, August 1, 2013

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iranian President:

“They established this cancerous tumor [Israel] in the strategic region of the Middle East, in order to control the most important place in the world, in history, civilization and even the current political balance of power ... Quds Day will continue to be held each year until the downfall of this trespassing regime.”
- August 31, 2010

“If a day comes when the world of Islam is duly equipped with the arms Israel has in possession, the strategy of colonialism would face a stalemate because application of an atomic bomb would not leave any thing in Israel but the same thing would only produce damages in the Muslim world.”
- Khabar TV, December 14, 2000

Hossein Salami, Deputy IRGC Commander:

“We are creating might in Lebanon because we want to fight our enemy from there with all our strength. Hezbollah today has tremendous might on the ground that can on its own break the Zionist regime... Today an international Islamic army has been formed in Syria, and the voices of the Muslims are heard near the Golan. Orders are awaited, so that the eradication of the evil regime [Israel] will land and the life of this regime will be ended for good. The life of the Zionist regime was never in danger as it is now... The Zionist regime constitutes a threat to the entire Islamic world.”
- ; Times of Israel, July 9, 2018

Palestinian Authority

Mahmoud Abbas, PA President:

"The 'Jewish state.' What is a 'Jewish state?' We call it, the 'State of Israel'. You can call yourselves whatever you want. But I will not accept it. And I say this on a live broadcast ... It's not my job to define it, to provide a definition for the state and what it contains. You can call yourselves the Zionist Republic, the Hebrew, the National, the Socialist [Republic] call it whatever you like. I don't care."
- Palestinian TV, April 27, 2009

"Yasser Arafat cleaved to the permanent national rights that cannot be diminished ... We state today, we will not deviate one iota from the principles of Yasser Arafat and his objectives."
- Speech Marking Death of Arafat, November 2006

Jibril Rajoub, PA Deputy Secretary-General:

"We understand that the Western Wall must be under Jewish sovereignty, but the Temple Mount is ours."
- J erusalem Post, June 4, 2017

"[Barcelona's football team] are coming to the occupied lands. All of Palestine - from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea - it's all occupied."
- Al-Kass Sports Channel (Qatar), June 2, 2013

"Resistance to Israel remains on our agenda, I mean resistance in all of its forms. At this stage, we believe that popular resistance - with all that it entails - is effective and costly to the other side [Israel] ... If you ask me as a Palestinian, I say - our battle is with the Israeli occupation. Our main enemy, not as Palestinians but as Arabs and Muslims, is Israel and the Israeli occupation ... If [Arab] mobilization would begin for the liberation of Jerusalem; if money [spent] and swords drawn in the face of the Zionist enemy, that would be great ... Until now we don’t have nuclear weapons. Believe me, if we had nuclear weapons we would use them tomorrow morning."
- Al Mayadeen (Lebanon), May 1, 2013

"After the experience of the last 44 years of military occupation and all the conflict and friction, I think it would be in the best interest of the two people to be separated ... We are trying to preserve the concept of a two-state solution, and to make the Israelis understand there will be consequences for their actions."
- Maen Areikat, PLO Ambassador to the United States

"All these reports about [the Palestinian Authority] recognizing Israel are false. It's all media nonsense. We don't ask other factions to recognize Israel because we in Fatah have never recognized Israel ... [Fatah] will never relinquish the armed struggle no matter how long the occupation continues."
- Rafik Natsheh, Palestinian Authority Minister/Chairman Fatah Disciplinary Court

"We have the right to practice all forms of national struggle. We are in the phase of national liberation and we have the right to use all means in the fight to end the occupation until we establish the state."
- Azzam Al-Ahmad, Senior Fatah Leader

"Sons of Zion, this is an oath to the Lord of the Heavens:
Prepare all the bags you can for your body parts"
- Facebook, "Fatah-The Main Page," July 7, 2014

"Let every hour of the settlers' presence on our land be a source of threat and terror for them. Let us deprive their lives of security, so that the Palestinian land becomes a minefield against the occupation."
- Abu El-Einein, senior advisor to Mahmoud Abbas July 7, 2014

Blood Libel

“The Talmud says that if a Jew does not drink every year the blood of a non-Jewish man, he will be damned for eternity.”

– Saudi Arabian delegate Marouf al-Dawalibi
before the UN Human Rights Commission
conference on religious tolerance
December 5, 1984

“During this holiday [Purim], the Jew must prepare very special pastries, the filling of which is not only costly and rare –– it cannot be found at all on the local and international markets....For this holiday, the Jewish people must obtain human blood so that their clerics can prepare the holiday pastries....Before I go into the details, I would like to clarify that the Jews’ spilling human blood to prepare pastry for their holidays is a well-established fact, historically and legally, all throughout history. This was one of the main reasons for the persecution and exile that were their lot in Europe and Asia at various times....during the holiday, the Jews wear carnival-style masks and costumes and overindulge in drinking alcohol, prostitution, and adultery.....”

– Dr. Umayma Ahmad Al-Jalahma of King Faysal University
Saudi government daily Al-Riyadh, March 10, 2002

“Christian Europe showed enmity toward the Jews when it transpired that their rabbis craftily hunt anyone walking alone, [tempting] him to enter their house of worship. Then they take his blood to use for baked goods for their holidays, as part of their ritual.”

– Columnist Dr. Muhammad bin S’ad Al-Shwey’ir,
Al-Jazirah (Saudi Arabia), September 6, 2002

Gaza

On Israel's Blockade

"Since one of the main purposes of imposing a naval blockade is to use coercion against a hostile entity or state that is a party to an armed conflict, the affected population genrally feel the effects of this pressure.... The issue is not that there is coercive actions which impacts the population collaterally, but rather what the impact is and what mitigating humanitarian measures are put in place... Thus, the fact that the fabric of economic life of the civilian population is adversely affected as a result of economic warfare does not, in itself, amount to collective punishment."
- "The Turkel Commission", The Public Commission to Examine the Maritime Incident of May 31, 2010, Part One

"Legally, [Israel] is obliged only to prevent the civilian population from dying from starvation. In practice we have done much more than that... It is clear that the civilian population has suffered, but that does not mean the measure was illegal. We will not [target the areas where terrorists fire from], we will not do that. We will not harm the civilian population."
- Major General Avichai Mandelbilt, Israeli Military Advocate-General

..“If Hamas were in Canada, America would have a tougher blockade than Israel has..”
- US Representative Barney Frank (D-MA-4)

"Our policy is simple. We say: any goods, any humanitarian aid to Gaza, can enter. What we want to prevent is their ability to bring in war materiel - missiles, rockets, the means for constructing casings for missiles and rockets."
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“I understand the need for the Israelis to maintain this blockade. If the blockade were to be broken, it would be impossible to tell which vessels were carrying humanitarian supplies and which were carrying deadly rockets. The bottom line is that the attempt to prevent materials that could be used against Israel from reaching Hamas is of vital interest to Israel and to its national security, and I fully support it. We cannot allow the international reaction to this incident to legitimize Hamas, which would undermine our search for a lasting peace that would create security for Israel and a Palestinian state..”
- US Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

"It is entirely appropriate for Israel to have a boycott."
- US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

"The marine blockade was imposed due to security needs and meets the requirements of international law... The policy towards the Gaza Strip complies with international and humanitarian law."
- Main Findings, Turkel Commission Report on Gaza Flotilla

..“Please be assured of my solidarity with you [the Palestinians] in the immense work of rebuilding which now lies ahead and my prayers that the embargo will soon be lifted..”
- Pope Benedict XVI

..“So how can there be talk of lifting the Gaza siege and relieving the distress of its people, while Hamas concentrates all its efforts on recruiting and providing for its thousands of fighters. It is clear that Hamas’ priority is to look after its militants, at the expense of Gaza’s people and their suffering!”
- Tariq Alhomayed, Asharq Al-Awsat

On Flotilla Incident (2010)

..“This mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies, it is about breaking Israel’s siege..”
- Greta Berlin, Flotilla Spokesperson

"We are going to resist [the Israelis] and resistance will win."
- Bulent Yildrim, IHH Leader

"They [the Israelis] are going to have to forcefully stop us."
- Huwaida Arraf, Flotlla Organizer

"This incident was the result of an intentional provocation of forces which support Iran and its terrorist enclave, Hamas, in the Gaza Strip...This is a clear case of self-defense. Israel cannot allow the free flow of weapons, rockets and missiles to the terrorist base of Hamas in Gaza.... It's also a clear case of self-defense because as our soldiers were inspecting these ships, they were attacked - they were almost lynched. They were attacked with clubs, with knives, perhaps with live gunfire, and they had to defend themselves - they were going to be killed. Israel will not allow its soldiers to be lynched and neither would any other self-respecting country...It is our duty to defend the citizens of Israel, protect Israel’s cities and ensure the security of the State of Israel - and we will continue to do so."
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

"It is important that we keep in mind that Israel has a right to ensure the security of its borders and protect its citizens from terror."
- US Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)

"I fully support Israel’s right to defend itself and use the means necessary to ensure their nation’s security. The deliberate attempt to break the blockade around Gaza is a reminder that Israelis live with the daily threats of rockets and terror attacks."
- US Representative Patrick Tiberi (R-OH)

"Upon landing on the middle deck, I fractured my arm, and a mob of dozens of people attacked me and basically lynched me. (The assailants were) pulling off my helmet, strangling me, sticking fingers into my eyes to gouge them out of their sockets, pulling my limbs in every direction, striking me in an extremely harsh manner with clubs and metal rods, mostly on my head. I truly felt that I was about to die, way beyond what we define as life-threatening ... No regular citizen knows how to fight at night with a vest and gas mask for an extended period of time, to take a weapon, cock it, and fire without fear when engaging someone in a fight, unless he was properly trained ahead of time."
- IDF Commando "No. 1", Testimony to Turkel Committee

"I feel a number of people grabbing my hands and feet, lifting me up. In this second I realize that they intend to throw me over the side into the water. I resist, thrust wildly, struggle, but without success. It is important to state that also during this time I continue to receive very strong blows to the abdomen. I am fighting with all my strength until a certain stage when they manage to get me over the side of the boat. I am holding onto the side, with my hands, and hanging from the side. At this stage, the people from above me are hitting my hands and a second group of people is pulling me from below by grabbing my legs."
- IDF Commando "No. 3", Testimony to Turkel Committee

"Let it be emphasized that Gaza is open to the entry of all types of goods and products. Any organization wishing to transfer products to Gaza can do so through the existing border crossings. There is no need for any flotillas, which in fact comprise a provocation and have no connection to humanitarian aid."
- Main Message, Turkel Commission Report on Gaza Flotilla

On Operation "Cast Lead" (2008-2009)

..“During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defense Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare..”
- Colonel Richard Kemp, former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan

..“The [Goldstone] mandate was unbalanced, one-sided and unacceptable— The weight of the report is something like 85% oriented towards very specific and harsh condemnation and conclusions related to Israel and very lightly treats without great specificity Hamas’ terrorism and its own atrocities..”
- Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the United Nations

..“They [Hamas terrorists] dropped their weapons and ordered me to get them out, to put them in the ambulance and take them away. I refused, because if the IDF sees me doing this I am finished, I cannot pick up any more wounded people. And then one of the fighters picked up a gun and held it to my head, to force me. I still refused, and then they allowed me to leave..”
- Mohammed Shriteh, Palestinian Red Crescent Society

..“Inside Gaza, press controlled by Hamas is heavy-handed. There are few press freedoms inside Gaza and Hamas controls who reports from there and where they can go. While pictures of wounded children being brought to hospitals are clearly encouraged, we rarely see images of Hamas fighters or their rockets being fired into Israel."
- Anderson Cooper, CNN Reporter

..“Under international law, Israel is not required to allow Hamas to play Russian roulette with its children's lives..”
- Alan Dershowitz, Harvard University Professor of Law

..“At this time we have to also recall the overwhelming responsibility of Hamas. I intentionally say this here - Hamas is a terrorist movement and it has to be denounced as such..”
- Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid

On Operation Summer Rain (2006)

..“When Cpl. Gilad Shalit was abducted by the military wing of Mr. Haniyeh's Hamas movement last weekend, his administration faced a choice. It could behave like a civilized government —— and work to free the hostage — or align itself with a terrorist operation. It chose the latter. Hamas government officials endorsed the militants' demand that Israel release Palestinian prisoners it has legally arrested in exchange for a soldier who was attacked while guarding Israeli territory. Hamas justified this position by citing the terrorist movement Hezbollah, which has extracted prisoners from Israel in exchange for hostages, as well as governments that exchange POWs in wartime. Fair enough. But if Hamas wants to be equated with Hezbollah or define itself as at war with Israel, then Israel has every right to try to destroy the Islamic movement's military capacity, to capture its leaders...and to topple its government. Isn't that what happens in war?”
- Editorial, Washington Post (July 1, 2006)

..“Hamas faced its first concrete choice this week between its ambition to govern the West Bank and Gaza and its extremist commitment to terrorism -- and it chose to side with the suicide bombers. The sickening Passover attack at a Tel Aviv restaurant Monday, which killed nine Israelis and injured dozens, was carried out by Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed extremist group that refuses to observe the shaky cease-fire Hamas has followed for more than a year. Yet, though the attack violated its own policy and undermined its interests, several of Hamas's spokesmen quickly defended it. The result was to put the Palestinian government on record as an outlaw and to raise dangerously the chances of a major new outbreak of Middle East violence..”
- Editorial, Washington Post (April 19, 2006)

Human Rights

In Israel

..“Israel plans to invest significant amounts in infrastructure that will increase the accessibility of holy sites to all worshippers. By doing so it aims to honor and allow freedom of worship to all, irrespective of their faith, and protect the holy sites. There is no violation of Muslim or Christian religious rights in any holy place..”
- Shimon Peres, Israeli President

..“I cannot argue with feelings. I can tell you that we want to work together with the Jewish majority for the betterment of all of Israel. Religiously, politically and socially, we want to remain part of the State of Israel..”
- Sheikh Hasham Abed Elrahman, Umm el-Fahm Mayor

In Palestinian Territories

..“[Palestinian ambulance drivers] would coordinate with the Israelis before we pick up patients, because they have all our names, and our IDs, so they would not shoot at us..”
- Mohammed Shriteh, Palestinian Red Crescent Society

..“I expect our Christian neighbors to understand the new Hamas rule means real changes. They must be ready for Islamic rule if they want to live in peace in Gaza..”
- Sheik Abu Saqer, Jihadia Salafiya Leader

..“Inside Gaza, press controlled by Hamas is heavy-handed. There are few press freedoms inside Gaza and Hamas controls who reports from there and where they can go. While pictures of wounded children being brought to hospitals are clearly encouraged, we rarely see images of Hamas fighters or their rockets being fired into Israel..”
- Anderson Cooper, CNN Reporter

..“We were filming the beginning of the demonstration. Suddenly, a van pulled in hurriedly. Inside, there were Fatah militants. They gave their orders and even distributed Molotov cocktails. We were filming. But these images, you will never see. In a few seconds, all those youngsters surrounded us, threatened us, and then took us away to the police station. There, we identified ourselves but we were compelled to delete the controversial pictures. The Palestinian Police calmed the situation but censored our pictures. We now have the proof that those riots are no longer spontaneous. All the orders came from the Palestinian hierarchy.”
- Jean Pierre Martin, Belgian Television RTL-TV1 Reporter

..“We fear the Palestinian Authority takes advantage of the focus of international media on the American riposte to restrain more and more the right to free information.”
- Robert Menard, Reporters Without Frontiers

General

..“The conflict we're trying to solve is between two peoples.... The basis for the creation of the State of Israel is that it was created for the Jewish people. [The Palestinian] state will be the answer to all Palestinians including the refugees. Putting an end to [right of return] claims means fulfilling [the] national right for all..”
- Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister

..“I would love to be involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe... [Durban II though] is hypocritical and counterproductive.”
- Barack Obama, U.S. President

..“I wish Israel did not need defensive weapons of mass destruction or the region’s most powerful defense forces. I wish the world had not driven the Jewish State into allocating its limited resources away from its universities and toward its military, but survival must come first, and Israel’s military strength is the key to its survival. Anyone who believes that survival can be assured by moral superiority alone must remember the Warsaw Ghetto and the Treblinka gas chambers..”
- Alan Dershowitz, Harvard University Professor of Law

Iran

"There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you on this threat posed by Iran."
- Donald Trump, U.S. President

"We were here long before the Ayatollahs took the Iranian people hostage, and we'll be here long after their regime is a footnote of history."
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

"That [Iranian nuclear] program must be stopped. The danger or letting it go on is greater than the danger of stopping it."
- Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain

..“The leaked [diplomatic cables] show that the entire world, not just Israel, is panicked over the Iranian nuclear program. Iran poses the greatest clear and present danger to the stability of the world, and the world has to act to remove this malignant tumor..”
- Steve Plocker, Yediot Ahronoth

..“[Iran] is an octopus whose tentacles reach out insidiously to manipulate, foment, and undermine the best laid plan of regional moderates— Iran’s tentacles include its allies Qatar and Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Palestinian territories..”
- Jordanian Officials to US State Department, WikiLeaks

"You have a President of Iran that threatens to wipe a democracy, and one of America's strongest allies on the planet, wipe it from the planet. Now if that isn't a wake up call to the rest of the world, I dont know what is?"
- Shelley Berkley, US Representative (D-NV)

..“We are absolutely clear that we are ready, and will push for, further sanctions against Iran....We will work through the United Nations to achieve this. We are prepared also to have tougher European sanctions. We want to make it clear that we do not support the nuclear ambitions of that country..”
- Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister

..“Iran is trying to acquire a nuclear bomb. I say to the French, it’s unacceptable..”
- Nicolas Sarkozy, French President

"[Ahmadinejad] is a racist and a Holocaust denier who doesn't conceal his intention to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth."
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“Whoever still needed indisputable proof that Iran continues to send weapons to terror organizations got it today in a clear and unequivocal manner. Iran sends these weapons to terror organizations in order to hit Israeli cities and kill civilians..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister on siezure of the Francop ship laden with rockets and ammunition

..“But the true realism is that Iran is a menace — potentially a great one — and that its Revolutionary Guard is engaged in the dirty business of killing Americans and others. The fact that the Bush administration says so does not make it otherwise. The Senate's resolution [to label the al-Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization] was a necessary step toward tightening sanctions on Iran — a way to avoid war, not the overture to one..”
- Richard Cohen, Washington Post

Israel

On Democracy

"In accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations, the State of Israel is a Jewish state. In accordance with the basic principles on which it was established, the State of Israel is a democracy. There is no contradiction between Israel's character as a Jewish state and its character as a democracy. The existence of a Jewish state does not contravene democratic values, nor does it in any way infringe on the principle of freedom or the principle of civic equality."
- "The Kinneret Agreement", The Committee for National Responsibility

"It is not wise or right to say that the [loyalty oath] proposal is fascist or anti-democratic. It is not.... A law may be an indication of an undesirable process, but the labels of 'antidemocratic' and 'fascist' are not helpful."
- Ruth Gavison, Hebrew University

"We expect anyone wishing to become an Israeli citizen to recognize Israel as the Jewish nation state and a democratic state... The State of Israel was not established as 'just another state'- it was founded as the sovereign state of the Jewish people in their historic homeland; and as a democratic nation, whose citizens, Jews and non-Jews, enjoy full civil equality."
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“The Israeli regime is not Apartheid. It is a unique case of Democracy..”
- Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, South African Interior Minister

On Peace Initiatives

"I said that we are willing and we want to promote the peace process with the Palestinians. I have said that the first two components of this peace process are mutual recognition and security. If I may quote myself from upon this platform, I have said numerous times that we need real security arrangements. Not only because they sustain peace, but also because they ensure our security in the event that peace unravels"
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

"We left Lebanon, Hezbollah came in. We left Gaza... and Iran walked in. We need to have some safeguards that we do not repeat this a third time, becuase obviously the security of the nation is at stake, and the security of our people, the security of peace, is at stake.... The conclusion of a formal peace doesn't guarantee the continuation of that peace. But the security arrangements that are there they help buttress the peace and they also protect us in case peace unravels, in case Iran walks in or tries to walk in..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister (on keeping an Israeli presence in the West Bank's Jordan Valley)

"I remind you that the peace between Israel and Egypt has endured for over three decades and our goal is to ensure that these relations continue."
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

"We need to understand that Israel's security is sometimes more important than political agreements. We must not fool ourselves, and better face reality as it is — not in a naïve manner."
- Yaakov Amidror, former director IDF Research & Assessment Division (in reference to Egypt's 2011 revolution)

"We are not trying to establish facts on the ground through settlements and we are willing to pay a heavy price in terms of territory for peace. We do not want to control the Palestinians or to dictate their lives. We do not want our children, as soldiers, to stand at checkpoints and screen civilians, and we do not want your children’s childhood pictures to be our children, as soldiers, putting their parents through a security check. We have no hidden agenda. Not so long ago, we decided on disengagement. We left Gaza, we dismantled settlements, we withdrew our army, we took risks with the understanding that Gaza will not be the last step. We want to take the next steps through agreement.It is clear to us that in order to carry out change, we will have to give up parts of Israel."
- Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister

“An armed organization [Hamas] doesn't become democratic once they participate in the election.”
- Ariel Sharon, Israeli Prime Minister

"Nobody does Israel any service by proclaiming its ‘right to exist.’ Israel’s right to exist, like that of the United States, Saudi Arabia and 152 other states, is axiomatic and unreserved. Israel’s legitimacy is not suspended in midair awaiting acknowledgement....There is certainly no other state, big or small, young or old, that would consider mere recognition of its ‘right to exist’ a favor, or a negotiable concession.”
- Abba Eban, Knesset Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security

"If we lose a war, that's the end forever--and we disappear from the earth. If one fails to understand this, then one fails to understand obstinacy. We intend to remain alive. Our neighbors want to see us dead. This is not a question that leaves much room for compromise."
- Golda Meir, Israeli Prime Minister (New York Times, December 9, 1978)

Jerusalem

“We [the Palestinians] have the right to Palestine, Jerusalem, and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. We alone have the religious, historical, and legal right to Al-Buraq Wall [the Western Wall], which is, as we said before, is part of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and a valid Islamic property.”
- Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority President, Gatestone Institute, (February 16, 2023)

"We understand that the Western Wall must be under Jewish sovereignty, but the Temple Mount is ours."
- Jibril Rajoub, PA Deputy Secretary-General, J erusalem Post, June 4, 2017

"Calling Jerusalem a settlement is a misinterpretation, an insult to the city. It is incomprehensible that they are mixing questions of private rights, international law and politics. [The hotel was built] on private land, the development of which has nothing to do with diplomacy."
- Yigal Palmor, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman

"No democratic government would impose a ban on Jews purchasing private property— Just as Arabs can buy property in Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, Jews can buy property in predominantly Arab neighborhoods."
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

"Israel plans to invest significant amounts in infrastructure that will increase the accessibility of holy sites to all worshippers. By doing so it aims to honor and allow freedom of worship to all, irrespective of their faith, and protect the holy sites. There is no violation of Muslim or Christian religious rights in any holy place."
- Shimon Peres, Israeli President

"At the Camp David summit, the Palestinian leadership rejected an Israeli proposal to share sovereignty [over Jerusalem]. We continue to reject this offer. We cannot compromise on Jerusalem."
- Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority President

"[Israel is digging under the Temple Mount in order to] show a fabricated heritage that might help them to deceive foreign visitors into believing Jerusalem as a historical place of the Jews."
- Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, al-Aqsa Foundation Director

Peace Process

“Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have been and still remain the only way forward to resolve the longstanding conflict in our region. Therefore, the resolution before [the Security Council] should never have been submitted. Instead the international community and the Security Council should have called upon the Palestinian leadership - in a clear and resolute voice - to immediately return to the negotiating table without preconditions and to renew direct negotiations..”
- Meron Reuben, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations

..“Israelis and Palestinians have many differences between them. But there is only one way to resolve those differences - a negotiated settlement, not through unilateral steps..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“There is no substitute for face-to-face discussion and, ultimately, for an agreement that leads to a just and lasting peace That is the only path that will lead to the fulfillment of the Palestinian national aspirations and the necessary outcome of two states for two peoples.... Nor is it viable to build the institutions of a future state without the negotiations that will ultimately create it..”
- Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State

..“It's easy enough for global leaders to issue flowery appeals for action on the Middle East or to imply that progress would be possible if only the United States used its leverage with Israel. The stubborn reality is that there can be no movement toward peace until a Palestinian leadership appears that is ready to accept a two-state soluiton..”
- Editorial, Washington Post

..“The economic track is not a substitute for political negotiations, it’s a complement to it...If we have a strong Israeli-Palestinian economic relationship, that’s a strong foundation for peace..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“I share with [President Obama] very much the desire to move the peace process forward. And I want to start peace negotiations with the Palestinians immediately..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“We are not trying to establish facts on the ground through settlements and we are willing to pay a heavy price in terms of territory for peace. We do not want to control the Palestinians or to dictate their lives. We do not want our children, as soldiers, to stand at checkpoints and screen civilians, and we do not want your children’s childhood pictures to be our children, as soldiers, putting their parents through a security check. We have no hidden agenda. Not so long ago, we decided on disengagement. We left Gaza, we dismantled settlements, we withdrew our army, we took risks with the understanding that Gaza will not be the last step. We want to take the next steps through agreement.It is clear to us that in order to carry out change, we will have to give up parts of Israel..”
- Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister

..“Please be assured of my solidarity with you [the Palestinians] in the immense work of rebuilding which now lies ahead and my prayers that the embargo will soon be lifted..”
- Pope Benedict XVI

..“The 'Jewish state.' What is a 'Jewish state?' We call it, the 'State of Israel'. You can call yourselves whatever you want. But I will not accept it..”
- Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority President

..“I cannot argue with feelings. I can tell you that we want to work together with the Jewish majority for the betterment of all of Israel. Religiously, politically and socially, we want to remain part of the State of Israel..”
- Sheikh Hasham Abed Elrahman, Umm el-Fahm Mayor

..“Today, the Palestinian people live in economic stagnation, made worse by official corruption. A Palestinian state will require a vibrant economy, where honest enterprise is encouraged by honest government....If Palestinians embrace democracy, confront corruption and firmly reject terror, they can count on American support for the creation of a provisional state of Palestine..”
- George W. Bush, U.S. President

..“The conflict we're trying to solve is between two peoples.... The basis for the creation of the State of Israel is that it was created for the Jewish people. [The Palestinian] state will be the answer to all Palestinians including the refugees. Putting an end to [right of return] claims means fulfilling [the] national right for all..”
- Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister

..“[The US and Israel] share the same goals and we face the same threats. The common goal is peace. Everybody in Israel, as in the United States, wants peace..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“I extend my hand in peace to Mahmoud Abbas, elected President of the Palestinian Authority. On behalf of the State of Israel, we are willing to negotiate with a Palestinian Authority..”
- Ehud Olmert, Israeli Prime Minister

..“Palestine means Palestine in its entirety - from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River, from Ras Al-Naqura to Rafah. We cannot give up a single inch of it. Therefore, we will not recognize the Israeli enemy's [right] to a single inch..”
- Mahmoud Zahar, Hamas Co-Founder

The 60th anniversary of the “false regime that is occupying Palestine” is a “black day for humanity, freedom and human rights.”

— Outgoing Iranian Majlis speaker Haddad Adel
Press TV (Iran), May 13, 2008

“Khomeini did not regard the opposition to the Zionist regime, and the support for the rights of the Palestinian people, as [duties that are relevant] only for a certain time... Israel is ready to collapse owing to internal problems, and over the past 60 years it has not managed to establish its legitimacy... Israel has managed -- by means of violence, force, intimidation, satanic plots and widespread propoganda -- to impose itself upon the region and to create a myth that the Zionist regime is invincible. But today, the Islamic resistance [Hamas, Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad] has shattered this false myth... As Khomeini said, if every Muslim pours a bucket of water over Israel, it will be washed away.”

— Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki
Iranian Foreign Ministry Conference,
Press TV (Iran) and IRNA (Iran), June 1, 2008

“Like the great Iranian nation, the [other] Muslim peoples now regard Israel as a false regime that has been imposed [on the region]. Unfortunately, however, the Arab governments do not join their peoples’ demand [for change in the region].

“The Zionist regime has no power, and is incapable of standing on its own. It is the shameless and unconditional support of the U.S., and the failure of the Islamic and Arab countries to support the Palestinians, that is preventing changes from taking place in the region... Unfortunately, many Islamic governments have failed their duty toward the Palestinian people. Had they adopted the stance of their peoples and supported the oppressed people of Palestine, the situation in the region would have been totally different... Commitment to Islamic principles, struggle against cruelty and arrogance [i.e. the U.S.], defense of oppressed nations -- in particular the Palestinians -- and enmity toward the Zionist octupus are among the [chief] mottos of the Iranian people.”

— Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
19th Anniversary of Kkomeini's death,
Press TV (Iran), June 3, 2008

“I have always rejected normalizing relations with [Israeli] women. They always invite me to their functions and I categorically refuse because I hate Israel.”

— Suha Arafat, wife of Yasser Arafat, to the Saudi Arabian woman's magazine, Sayidaty
The Guardian, May 4, 2001

“Unless the Palestine problem is settled, we shall have difficulty in protecting and safeguarding the Jews in the Arab world.”

— Syrian delegate, Faris el-Khouri,
New York Times, February 19, 1947

“The Arab world is not in a compromising mood. It’s likely, Mr. Horowitz, that your plan is rational and logical, but the fate of nations is not decided by rational logic. Nations never concede; they fight. You won’t get anything by peaceful means or compromise. You can, perhaps, get something, but only by the force of your arms. We shall try to defeat you. I am not sure we’ll succeed, but we’ll try. We were able to drive out the Crusaders, but on the other hand we lost Spain and Persia. It may be that we shall lose Palestine. But it’s too late to talk of peaceful solutions.”

— Arab League Secretary Azzam Pasha,
September 16, 1947

“[A]ll our efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Palestine problem have failed. The only way left for us is war. I will have the pleasure and honor to save Palestine.”

— Transjordan’s King Abdullah,
April 26, 1948

“The representative of the Jewish Agency told us yesterday that they were not the attackers, that the Arabs had begun the fighting. We did not deny this. We told the whole world that we were going to fight.”

— Jamal Husseini before the Security Council,
April 16, 1948

“It will be a war of annihilation. It will be a momentous massacre in history that will be talked about like the massacres of the Mongols or the Crusades.”

— Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab League,
October 11, 1947

“I am not solely fighting against Israel itself. My task is to deliver the Arab world from destruction through Israel’s intrigue, which has its roots abroad. Our hatred is very strong. There is no sense in talking about peace with Israel. There is not even the smallest place for negotiations.”

— Egyptian President Nasser,
October 14, 1956

“Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse the aggression, but to initiate the act of liberation itself, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united....I, as a military man, believe that the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation.”

— Syrian Defense Minister Hafez Assad,
May 20, 1967

“Arab policy at this stage has but two objectives. The first, the elimination of the traces of the 1967 aggression through an Israeli withdrawal from all the territories it occupied that year. The second objective is the elimination of the traces of the 1948 aggression, by the means of the elimination of the State of Israel itself. This is, however, as yet an abstract, undefined objective, and some of us have erred in commencing the latter step before the former.”

— Mohammed Heikal, a Sadat confidant and editor of the semi-official Al-Ahram,
February 25, 1971

“The Arab armies entered Palestine to protect the Palestinians from the Zionist tyranny but, instead, they abandoned them, forced them to emigrate and to leave their homeland, and threw them into prisons similar to the ghettos in which the Jews used to live.”

— PLO spokesman Mahmud Abbas (“Abu Mazen”),
Falastin a-Thaura, March 1976

“Saddam, you hero, attack Israel with chemical weapons.”

— Palestinians marching in support of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait,
Associated Press, August 12, 1990

“We will not arrest the sons of our people in order to appease Israel. Let our people rest assured that this won’t happen.”

— Chief of the PA Preventive Security in the West Bank, Jebril Rajoub,
Islamic Association for Palestine, June 9, 2001

“...Allah willing, this unjust state...Israel will be erased; this unjust state, the United States will be erased; this unjust state, Britain will be erased...Blessings to whoever waged Jihad for the sake of Allah...Blessings to whoever put a belt of explosives on his body or on his sons’ and plunged into the midst of the Jews...”

— Sermon by Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi
a few days after Yasser Arafat’s cease-fire declaration
PA Television, June 8, 2001

“Didn’t we throw mud in the face of Bill Clinton, who dared to propose a state with some adjustments? Were we honest about what we did? Were we right in what we did? No, we were not. After two years of violence, we are now calling for what we rejected.”

— Nabil Amr, ex-minister in the PA cabinet,
Quoted in the Jerusalem Report, October 21, 2002

“Just as Ramallah, Gaza, Nablus, and Jenin are Palestinian cities, so are Haifa, Nazareth, Jaffa, Ramle, Lod, Beersheba, Safed, and others Palestinian cities....The Zionist Jews are foreigners in this land. They have no right to live or settle in it. They should go somewhere else in the world to establish their state and their false entity...They must leave their homes...We do not believe in so-called ’peace with Israel’ because peace cannot be made with Satan. Israel is the greatest Satan.”

— Palestinian Christian cleric Father ’Atallah Hanna,
sermon in the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Jerusalem, January 19, 2003

“Hamas will keep its weapons in its hands and will defend any part of the homeland....Our national problem is not related only to the West Bank, Gaza, and al-Quds...but to Palestine, all [the territory of] Palestine.”

— Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar
Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah, July, 5, 2005

“Oh Allah, liberate our al-Aqsa Mosque from the defilement of the occupying and brutal Zionists… Oh Allah, punish the occupying Zionists and their supporters from among the corrupt infidels. Oh Allah, scatter and disperse them, and make an example of them for those who take heed.”

— Sheikh Abd Al-Rahman Al-Sudayyis,
imam of Islam’s most holy mosque, Al-Haram in Mecca
Sermon on Saudi Channel 1, July 15, 2005

“Al-Qassam warriors, rain rockets on the settlers! Don’t let any Jew sleep!
The al-Aqsa Brigades will make you tremble in Haifa and Tel Aviv; they will strike you in Safed and Acre.
Because we do not distinguish between [Jewish] Palestine and [Arab] Palestine.
For [as] Jaffa is the same as Gaza, Tel-al-Zuhour [Tel Aviv] is the same as Rafah, and the Galilee is the same as Hebron.
We make no distinction between the parts of the earth of the homeland.”

— Song broadcast on Hamas radio station Sawt Al-Aksa
August 16, 2005

“We will continue our martyrdom operations inside Israel until all our lands are liberated, by God’s will....We won’t lay down our weapons as long as Jerusalem and the West Bank are under occupation.”

— Muhamemd Hijazi, commander of a Fatah- affiliated militias in the Gaza Strip
Jerusalem Post, September 12, 2005

“We will not rest and will not abandon the path of Jihad and martyrdom as long as one inch of our land remained in the hands of the Jews.”

— Raed Saed, a senior Hamas leader
Ynet News, September 19, 2005

“First of all this Palestinian land, and all the Arabic nation, is all part of the same area. In the past, there was no independent Palestinian state; there was no independent Jordanian state; and so on. There were regions called Iraq or Egypt, but they were all part of one country....Our main goal is to establish a great Islamic state, be it pan-Arabic or pan-Islamic.”

— Mahmoud al-Zahhar, Hamas leader
The Media Line, September 22, 2005

“I tell you with all honesty, we will not recognize Israel, we will not recognize Israel, we will not recognize Israel.”

— Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh
Washington Post, October 7, 2006

“Israel is a vile entity that has been planted in our soil, and has no historical, religious or cultural legitimacy. We cannot normalize our relations with this entity. The history of this region has proven [time and again] that occupation is temporary. Thousands of years ago, the Romans occupied this land and [eventually] left. The Persians, Crusaders, and English [also] came and went. The Zionists have come, and they too will leave. [We say] no to recognizing Israel, regardless of the price we may have to pay [for our refusal].”

— Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al-Zahar
Al-Ayyam, October 20, 2006

“We will never recognize Israel or cease to fight for our land. Our battle against Israel is one of resistance to occupation.”

— Hamas political chief Khalid Mashaal
address to 'The Decline of the Zionist Regime' conference
at Tehran University, Tehran Times, May 27, 2008

Phased Plan & the Destruction of Israel

“Palestine belongs to the Palestinians and this occupied land will be liberated. The historical right is ours, Jerusalem is ours, and Palestine is ours.”

–Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh
Wafa, (April 23, 2022)

Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar was asked on Britain’s Sky News: “Does the State of Israel have the right to exist?”

Al-Zahar: “No. Why? Why? You are coming from America and you take my house. You came from Britain and you took my brother’s house. This is a settlement. You are not a citizen. We are the owners of this. This is an Arabic area. This is well-known as an Islamic area, well-known.”

–Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, Hamas leader
In an interview with Sky News
Times of Israel, (May 24, 2021)

“If all of you [Arab States] will fight Israel, we are in favor. Palestinians will not fight alone because they don't have the ability.”

–Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority Chairman
Al-Hayat Al Jadida
Palestinian Media Watch, July 6, 2010

“This is our plan for this stage - to liberate the West Bank and Gaza, without recognizing Israel's right to a single inch of land, and without giving up the Right of Return for a single Palestinian refugee. ” [...] “Our plan for this stage is to liberate any inch of Palestinian land, and to establish a state on it. Our ultimate plan is [to have] Palestine in its entirety. I say this loud and clear so that nobody will accuse me of employing political tactics. We will not recognize the Israeli enemy.”

–Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, Hamas leader
In an interview on Future News TV
MEMRI, June 15, 2010

“We have one enemy. All our arrows and all our efforts should be aimed in a single direction – to conduct resistance against the settlement and the occupation, and to repel the Israeli injustice done to our people.”

–Mahmoud Al-Habbash, PA Minister of Religious Endowments
Sermon delivered on Palestinian Authority TV
MEMRI, February 8, 2010

“Surely, the day will come when the nations of the region will witness the destruction of the Zionist regime... when the destruction happens will depend on how the Islamic nations approach the issue.”

– Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran
Remark during meeting with the President of Mauritania
AFP, January 26, 2010

“We will never recognize Israel or cease to fight for our land. Our battle against Israel is one of resistance to occupation.”

– Khalid Mashaal, Hamas Political Chief
Address to “The Decline of the Zionist Regime” conference,
Tehran University, Press TV, May 27, 2008

“There is no doubt that Israel was collapsing and would not last much longer. The resistance [forces] of the Palestinian people and other anti-Zionist [forces] will not about quickly finish the task and crush Israel’s spider-like regime, so that [Israel’s] 60th anniversary celebrations will become a prelude to its demise.”

– Editorial in Jomhouri-ye Eslami (Iran), May 11, 2008

“I think that anyone who follows the [developments] in the world comes to the conclusion that this (i.e., the elimination of Israel) will occur with or without Iran’s intervention... It will be to Europe’s advantage, since Europe is forced to pay for some of the Zionists’ crimes... The very existence of the false Zionist regime has caused Europe great harm... The Europeans are bearing the political and economic burden of this regime... The day will come when the Muslims uproot [it]. We realize that the European governments do not want the Zionists living in Europe, but they should not foist them on the Palestinians.

“Our position against the Zionist regime is to the benefit of all nations, because this regime is a shameful stain on the body of mankind, and its crimes in Palestine are a disgrace to humanity at large. That is why we want to put an end to the [Zionists’] crimes. Today, after 60 years, the time had come to open up the black box of the Zionist regime's crimes and expose the facts...

“What is the secret of this false refime which [gives it] such immunity, and [enables it to receive] support despite all its crimes and violations of human rights and of people’s dignity? [We] must figure out what is the mission of the Zionist regime, which prompts certain European countries to support it so absolutely, and what is the mystery behind the false Zionist regime, [which causes] all truths to be sacrificed for its sake... The European nations, as peace-loving and sincere nations [that have been] victims of war, oppose the crimes of the Zionist regime.”

– Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran
Summit of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization,
Entekhab (Iran), IRNA (Iran) and Mehr (Iran), June 3, 2008

“Know that the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime -- which as years of plundering, aggression and crime to its name -- has come to the end of its road and will soon be wiped off the map of the world...Our beloved Imam [the late Ayatollah Rohullah Khomeini]... the Zionist regime has lost its raison d’etre. Today, the Palestinians identify with your name, your memory, and your path. They are walking in your illuminated path, [while] the Zionist regime has reached a total dead end. With God’s grace, your wish will soon be realized, and this germ of corruption will be wiped off the face of the world.”

– Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran
Conference marking the 19th anniversary
of the death of Ayatollah Rohullah Khomeini,
IRNA (Iran) and IRINN (Iran), June 3, 2008

“Israel’s days are numbered.”
“The people of the region would not miss the narrowest opportunity to annihilate this false regime.”
“The nations of the region despise this false and criminal regime.”

– Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran
Speech in Gorgan, northern Iran,
Press TV (Iran) and Aftab (Iran), May 14, 2008

“Today, certain people are about to convene in occupied Palestine in order to celebrate its anniversary. They believe that, by doing so, they are strengthening this disintegrating regime. However, the whole world will come to understand that holding these ceremonies is a sign of the weakness, backwardness, and disintegration of this regime. Otherwise, why didn’t they celebrate this regime’s 50th or 55th anniversary? Why did they come up this idea [only] now? Let me tell you, celebrating a dead man’s birthday wont improve his condition one bit. This dead man will not be resurrected by all those people who are about to convene there... [The Zionists] are a group of terrorists ans criminals who came [to Israel] according to a plan, with the support of foreigners, and who have no roots in Palestine. Sooner or later, they will be driven out by the people of Palestine... From the point of view of the nations in the region, the Zionist regime does not even exist... The era of Zionist writings, Zionist bullying policies and the Zionist political mechanism has come to an end.”

– Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran
Press Conference, May 13, 2008
IRINN (Iran) and Press TV (Iran)

“The [very] basis for the existence of the Zionist regime is in question. This oppressive and false regime is about to fade and collapse... Those who think that they can revive this stinking corpse by celebrating its anniversary are totally wrong. The [leaders] who attend these celebrations should know that they will go down [in history as accomplices] of the Zionist criminals... Having received a slap in the face from the Lebanese people, this regime is now coming to its end like a dead fish... If countries in the region continue to [support] Israel they will be bruned by the wrath of the nations.”

– Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran
Speech to Majlis members, Emrooz (Iran), May 10, 2008

“The goal of the current intifada is a Palestinian state, but afterwards, there will be even greater things for which to strive. There is no room for more than one state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.”

– Marwan Bargouti, Tanzim leader,
interview with the New Yorker in 2001

“I want to say that this is our Palestine, from Metulla [Israel’s northernmost city] to Rafiah [Southern border] and to Aqaba [Israel’s southernmost point], from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea; whether they want it or not.”

– Dr. Jareer Al-Kidwah, advisor to President Arafat,
PA TV broadcast, November 29, 2000

“If we agree to declare our state over what is now 22% of Palestine, meaning the West Bank and Gaza – our ultimate goal is the liberation of all historic Palestine from the River to the Sea...We distinguish the strategic, long-term goals from the political phased goals, which we are compelled to temporarily accept due to international pressure.”

–— Faisal al-Husseini,
Al-Arabi, June 24, 2001

“Israel is much smaller than Iran in land mass, and therefore far more vulnerable to nuclear attack.”

– Former Iranian President Ali Rafsanjani,
quoted in Jerusalem Report, March 11, 2002

“We defeated the Crusaders 800 years ago and we will defeat the enemies of Islam today.”

–– Nazareth Deputy Mayor Salman Abu Ahmed,
quoted in Jerusalem Report, March 4, 2002

“...we shall return to the 1967 borders, but it does not mean that we have given up on Jerusalem and Haifa, Jaffa, Lod, Ramla, Nayanyah [Al-Zuhour] and Tel Aviv [Tel Al-Rabia]. Never. We shall return to every village we had been expelled from, by Allah’s will....Our approval to return to the 1967 borders is not a concession for our other rights. No!..this generation might not achieve this stage, but generations will come, and the land of Palestine...will demand that the Palestinians return the way Muhammad returned there, as a conqueror.”

– Sheikh Ibrahim Mudyris,
Friday sermon, February 4, 2005

“Hamas would ‘definitely not’ be prepared for coexistence with Israel should the IDF retreat to its 1967 borders. It can be a temporary solution, for a maximum of 5 to 10 years. But in the end Palestine must return to become Muslim, and in the long term Israel will disappear from the face of the earth.”

– Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar
Yediot Aharonot, June 24, 2005

“Palestine means Palestine in its entirety - from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River, from Ras Al-Naqura to Rafah. We cannot give up a single inch of it. Therefore, we will not recognize the Israeli enemy's [right] to a single inch.”

– Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar
Al-Manar TV, January 25, 2006

“Our mission is to liberate Jerusalem and purify the al-Aqsa Mosque. Islam goes forward because its power comes from Allah and it will continue to advance in spite of its opposers.”

– Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal
Ynetnews.com, February 14, 2006

“Hamas is clear on this matter. Hamas believes that historical Palestine, that is, all of Palestine, belongs to the Palestinian people...We say that all of Palestine, from the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea, belongs to the Palestinians. They have a legitimate right to this land...We use one voice in all forums. But we also say that we are dealing realistically with the current phase – an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty over the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. That is what we presented to our people in our elections platform...Yes, it is a temporary and phased solution. This is not a permanent solution.”

– Hamas official Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook
Special Dispatch MEMRITV, February 26, 2006

“I dream of hanging a huge map of the world on the wall at my Gaza home which does not show Israel on it.”

– Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar
Xinhua, April 1, 2006

“We [aim to liberate] all our lands... If we have the option, we will establish a state on every inch of land within the 1967 [borders], but this does not by any means imply that we will relinquish our right to all the Palestinian lands. We want all of Palestine from [Ras] Naqura to Rafah, and from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river.”

– PA Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar
Al-Ayyam (PA), October 21, 2006

“This is not a country of humans. These are animals and a group of gangs, and this country must be wiped off the face of the earth.”

– PA spokesman Ghazi Hamad
Ynet, November 22, 2006

“The generation that is fighting the Zionists today and that started the first and second intifadas is a young, highly motivated generation. This is the generation that will free Palestine.”

– Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh
Ynet, December 10, 2006

“...from now on the Palestinian factions must be united in resistance and belief in God. They must prepare the ground for the removal of the Zionists from the holy land of Palestine until not a single piece is occupied.”

– Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Ynet, March 6, 2007

“The Palestinian woman bids her son farewell, and says to him: "Son, go and don't be a coward. Go, and fight the Jews." He bids her farewell and carries out a martyrdom operation. What did this Palestinian woman say when she was asked for her opinion, after the martyrdom of her son? She said: "My son is my own flesh and blood. I love my son, but my love for Allah and His Messenger is greater than my love for my son." Yes, this is the message of the Palestinian woman, who was over seventy years old – Fatima Al-Najjar. She was over seventy years old, but she blew herself up for the sake of Allah, bringing down many criminal Zionists.”

– Dr. Ahmad Bahar (acting Speaker, Palestinian Legislative Council)
Sudan TV, April 13, 2007

“In light of the weakness of the Arab nation and the lack of values, and in light of the American control over the world, the PLO proceeds through phases, without changing its strategy. Let me tell you, when the ideology of Israel collapses, and we take, at least, Jerusalem, the Israeli ideology will collapse in its entirety, and we will begin to progress with our own ideology, Allah willing, and drive them out of all of Palestine.”

– PLO's ambassador to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki
NBN TV, April 9, 2008

“In light of the weakness of the Arab nation and the lack of values, and in light of the American control over the world, the PLO proceeds through phases, without changing its strategy. Let me tell you, when the ideology of Israel collapses, and we take, at least, Jerusalem, the Israeli ideology will collapse in its entirety, and we will begin to progress with our own ideology, Allah willing, and drive them out of all of Palestine.”

– PLO's ambassador to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki
NBN TV, April 9, 2008

“Our goal is to liberate all of Palestine, from the river to the sea, from Rosh Hanikra to Umm Al-Rashrash [Eilat]. From Gaza, gentlemen... We do not want a state 364 square kilometers in size, nor do we want a state for which we had to beg at the negotiating table. Such a state will never come to be. What we want is a free state, which maintains its dignity, 27,000 square kilometers in size - the size of Palestine in its entirety.”

– Osama Hamdan, Hamas Representative in Lebanon
Al Manar and Al Aqsa TV, December 3 and 5, 2008

“Allah willing, th emoment will come when their property will be destroyed and their sons annihilated, until not a single Jew or Zionist is left on the face of the Earth.”

–Hamas Friday Sermon
Al-Aqsa TV, April 3, 2009

Lebanon

On Hezbollah

..“Hezbollah are liars; they are despicable. They said they would never turn their arms on the Lebanese, but they have..”
- Nawal al-Meouchi, Lebanese Citizen

..“Hizballah’s consistent pattern of intentionally placing its fighters and weapons among civilians shows that Hezbollah was well aware of the civilian casualties that would ensue [from this activity.]"
- Intelligence and Terrorism Center at the Israeli Center for Special Studies

..“To the south, along the curve of the coast, Hezbollah is launching Katyushas, but I’m loath to say too much about them. The 'Party of God' has a copy of every journalist’s passport, and they’ve already hassled a number of us and threatened one..”
- Christopher Albritton, Time Magazine

On Second Lebanon War (2006)

..“The criticism that Israeli attacks aimed at Hezbollah are disproportionate is lazy and facile in several ways, especially in implying a moral relativism between the two sides that does not exist. This is not the contest between misguided equals that many in the West seem to see. One is the region’s lone democracy, which for much of its existence has faced a very real existential threat and would like, if possible, to live in peace with its neighbours. The other is a terrorist organization, bent on preventing such a future..”
- Editorial, London Times

..“Lobbing rockets blindly into civilian areas is without doubt a war crime..”
- Kenneth Roth, 'Human Rights Watch' Director

..“A careful look at aerial satellite photos of the areas targeted by Israel in Beirut shows that certain specific buildings housing Hezbollah command centers in the city’s southern suburbs have been singled out. Most of the rest of Beirut, apart from strategic sites such as airport runways used to ferry Hezbollah weapons in and out of Lebanon, has been left pretty much untouched..”
- Tom Gross, National Pos

..“There is no doubt that the [Israeli] bombs there are hitting Hezbollah facilities..”
- Nic Robertson, CNN

"It’s strange how the focus in these missions is not to succeed, hit the target precisely, but rather — not to make any mistakes. The message is clear all the way from the Squadron commander to the last pilot. One mistake can jeopardize the whole war... Hitting the target is expected, no misses are acceptable."
- Israeli Air Force Pilot

Media & Academic

..“[Professors must] resist the allure of certitude, the temptation to use the podium as an ideological platform, to indoctrinate a captive audience, to play favorites with the like-minded, and silence the others..”
- Lee Bollinger, University of Columbia President

..“Apartheid' is used in this case ['Israel Apartheid Week'] and elsewhere because it comes easily to hand: it is a lazy label for the complexities of the Middle East conflict. It is also used because, if it can be made to stick, then Israel can be made to appear to be as vile as was apartheid South Africa and seeking its destruction can be presented to the world as an equally moral cause..”
- Benjamin Pogrund, South African Apartheid Opponent

..“We were filming the beginning of the demonstration. Suddenly, a van pulled in hurriedly. Inside, there were Fatah militants. They gave their orders and even distributed Molotov cocktails. We were filming. But these images, you will never see. In a few seconds, all those youngsters surrounded us, threatened us, and then took us away to the police station. There, we identified ourselves but we were compelled to delete the controversial pictures. The Palestinian Police calmed the situation but censored our pictures. We now have the proof that those riots are no longer spontaneous. All the orders came from the Palestinian hierarchy..”
- Jean Pierre Martin, Belgian Television RTL-TV1 Reporter

..“No newspaper would write, ‘Militants struck the World Trade Center yesterday,’ or say, ‘They may think of themselves as freedom fighters, and who are we to judge, we’re news people.’”
- Clifford May, Middle East Information Network

..“The calculated bombing of students in a university cafeteria, or of families gathered in an ice cream parlor, cries out to be called what it is—.I wanted to avoid the political meaning that comes with ‘terrorism,’ but I couldn’t pretend that the word had no usage at all in plain English..”
- James Bennet, New York Times Jerusalem Bureau Chief

..“By my own estimate, over 95 percent of the TV pictures going out on satellite every evening to the various foreign and Israeli channels are supplied by Palestinian film crews. The two principle agencies in the video news market, APTN and Reuters TV, run a whole network of Palestinian stringers, freelancers and fixers all over the territories to provide instant footage of the events. These crews obviously identify emotionally and politically with the intifada and, in the ‘best’ case, they simply don’t dare film anything that could embarrass the Palestinian Authority. So the cameras are angled to show a tainted view of the Israeli army’s actions, never focus on the Palestinian gunmen and diligently produce a very specific kind of close-up of the situation on the ground..”
- Ehud Ya'ari, Jerusalem Report

Middle East Policy

Egypt

..“The only people in Egypt who are committed to peace are the people in Mubarak’s inner circle, and if the next president is not one of them, we are going to be in trouble..”
- Eli Shaked, former Israeli Ambassador to Egypt

..“I remind you that the peace between Israel and Egypt has endured for over three decades and our goal is to ensure that these relations continue..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“It is one of Egypt’s legitimate rights to place a barrier that prevents the harm from the tunnels under Rafah, which are used to smuggle drugs and other (contraband) that threaten Egypt’s stability. Those who oppose building this wall are violating the commands of Islamic Law..”
- Islamic Research Council, Al-Azhar University in Egypt

Saudi Arabia

..“Saudi Arabia is active at every level of the terror chain, from planners to financiers, from cadre to foot soldier, from ideologist to cheerleader... Saudi Arabis supports our enemies and attacks our allies..”
- Laurent Murawiec, RAND Corporation

..“If I could somehow snap my fingers and cut off the funding [to terrorists] from one country, it would be Saudi Arabia..”
- Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorist & Financial Intelligence, Department of the Treasury

..“Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide..”
- US State Department Cable, WikiLeaks

United States

..“Barack Obama will be remembered as the president who 'lost' Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt, and during whose tenure America's alliances in the Middle East crumbled..”
- Aluf Benn, Haaretz Chief Diplomatic Correspondant

..“I think it's absolutely clear to say, number one, that its been American policy for many years that settlements were illegitimate and it is the continuing goal and highest priority of the Obama administration to keep working toward a two-state solution with both Israelis and Palestinians..”
- Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State

..“Today, the Palestinian people live in economic stagnation, made worse by official corruption. A Palestinian state will require a vibrant economy, where honest enterprise is encouraged by honest government....If Palestinians embrace democracy, confront corruption and firmly reject terror, they can count on American support for the creation of a provisional state of Palestine..”
- George W. Bush, US President

..“The US will not have diplomatic relations [with Hamas]...We do not believe that a democratic state can be built when parties or candidates seek power not through the ballot box but through terrorist activity..”
- Frederick L. Jones II, US National Security Council Spokesperson

On the Palestinian Authority

..“The major difficulty is that the Palestinians don't accept Israel's right to exist..”
- Tony Blair, British Prime Minister

..“The responsibility for this escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rests with the Palestinians who have yet again turned their backs on peace. Rather than take the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza as an opportunity to build a future for their children, they instead refused to relinquish their embrace of a culture of hate and death..”
- Editorial, Chicago Sun Times

..“I expect the international community to sharply and unequivocally condemn this murder, the murder of children ... There is no justification and there can be neither excuse nor forgiveness for the murder of children ... This requires [more than] unequivocal condemnation. This requires a halt to the [Palestinian] incitement. I demand that the Palestinian Authority stop the incitement that is conducted on a daily basis in their schools, mosques and the media under their control. The time has come to stop the incitement and begin educating their people for peace..”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“Palestinians need to understand that the exercise of self-government carries consequences. For too long, the international community has failed to extract a price for the Palestinian recourse to terror. That failure has not brought peace, but far worse it has produced the "Palestine" we have now: destitute, savage against both Israelis and moderate Arabs, and, so far, incapable of managing its internal affairs peacefully and competently. By refusing to render Hamas respectable, the U.S. and Israel aren't punishing the Palestinians. They're educating them..”
- Editorial, Wall Street Journal

..“We fear the Palestinian Authority takes advantage of the focus of international media on the American riposte to restrain more and more the right to free information.”
- Robert Menard, Reporters Without Frontier

Radical Islam

“First of all this Palestinian land, and all the Arabic nation, is all part of the same area. In the past, there was no independent Palestinian state; there was no independent Jordanian state; and so on. There were regions called Iraq or Egypt, but they were all part of one country....Our main goal is to establish a great Islamic state, be it pan-Arabic or pan-Islamic.”

– Mahmoud A-Zahhar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip,
The Media Line, September 22, 2005

“We find more than once condemnation and denunciation to the resistance operations and bombings [suicide attacks], carried out by Hamas and the Palestinian resistance branches. There is no other choice but to use restraint regarding the condemnation, the attaching of the label of terror [to "resistance"], and the assembling of conferences [for] condemnation [of the attacks]. [This] so that everyone will know, that we did this only because our lord commanded so, “I did it not of my own accord” and so that people will know that the extermination of Jews is good for the inhabitants of the worlds on a land, to which Allah gave his blessing for the sake of the inhabitants of the worlds.”

– Kan'an Ubayd in the Hamas newspaper
Al-Risalah, April 23, 2007

“You will be victorious" on the face of this planet. You are the masters of the world on the face of this planet. Yes, [the Koran says that] "you will be victorious," but only "if you are believers." Allah willing, "you will be victorious," while America and Israel will be annihilated, Allah willing. I guarantee you that the power of belief and faith is greater than the power of America and Israel. They are cowards, as is said in the Book of Allah: "You shall find them the people most eager to protect their lives." They are cowards, who are eager for life, while we are eager for death for the sake of Allah. That is why America's nose was rubbed in the mud in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, and everywhere.”

– Dr. Ahmad Bahar (acting Speaker, Palestinian Legislative Council)
Sudan TV, April 13, 2007

“This is Islam, that was ahead of its time with regards to human rights in the treatment of prisoners, but our people was afflicted by the cancerous lump, that is the Jews, in the heart of the Arab nation… Be certain that America is on its way to disappear, America is wallowing [in blood] today in Iraq and Afghanistan, America is defeated and Israel is defeated, and was defeated in Lebanon and Palestine… Make us victorious over the infidel people… Allah, take hold of the Jews and their allies, Allah, take hold of the Americans and their allies… Allah, count them and kill them to the last one and don’t leave even one.”

– Dr. Ahmad Bahar (acting Speaker, Palestinian Legislative Council)
PA TV, April 20, 2007

“Palestinians will fight Israel for generation upon generation until victory, and will yet get to dance at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem....If Israel is not defeated in this generation, it will be in the next generation.”

– Ismail Haniyeh, former Hamas prime minister,
speaking at a rally in Gaza on August 16,
Canadian Jewish News, August 17, 2007

“We promise our Muslim brothers that we will do the best we can to harm Jews in Israel and the world over, with Allah's help and according to his command.”

– Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri
April 2, 2008

“The annihilation of the Jews here in Palestine is one of the most splendid blessings for Palestine. This will be followed by a greater blessing, Allah be praised, with the establishment of a Caliphate that will rule the land and will be pleasing to men and God.” – Palestinian cleric Muhsen Abu 'Ita, Al-Aqsa TV, MEMRI, July 13, 2008.”

– Palestinian cleric Muhsen Abu 'Ita
Al-Aqsa TV, July 13, 2008

“Oh young men, what will you say to the Jordanian government? Expel the Jewish ambassador from Amman. Amman is pure, and the Jewish ambassador must not defile its soil. Recall the Jordanian ambassador from Palestine. Only mujahideen should be in Palestine - not ambassadors, not ministers, or any representative of this nation. Do not recognize the ambassador of this nation in Palestine. Palestine is the land of Jihad, of sacrifice, and of preparation. We say to this government: Stop normalization with the Jews. Stop all imports and exports with the Jews. Our markets are full of Jewish vegetables and Jewish fruits. Traders who bring these fruits and vegetables are traitors, collaborators. Tell them this. Make them hear our voice. The position of the religious scholars is that anyone who trades with the Jews is a traitor and collaborator.”

– Sheik Himam Sa'id, Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan
Al Manar and Al Aqsa TV, December 3 and 5, 2008

“You don't treat the Jews as enemies only because they are human beings who eat and drink. No! We treat them as enemies because they are the enemies of Allah and the prophets, they murdered the prophets, distorted the prophecy, they are traitors and deceivers - therefore we treat them as enemies....Oh Allah, inflict as many losses as possible on the Jews, kill them one by one and don’t leave even one.”

Walid Al-Rashudi
Hamas TV, January 8, 2009

“The Jews are our enemies. Allah will annihilate them at our hands. This is something we know for certain.”

–Muhammad Hussein Yaaqub, Egyptian Cleric
Al-Nas TV (Egypt), MEMRI, December 29, 2009

“The texts clearly say that if an inch of ‎the Muslims’ lands is stolen, Jihad ‎becomes a personal religious commandment for everyone who is ‎capable of it.”

– PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein
Official PA TV, Fatwa, September 18, 2020

Sanctioning Violence

"[The] gun is our only response to Zionist regime [sic]. In time, we have come to understand that we can obtain our goals only through fighting and armed resistance and no compromise should be made with the enemy ... [the] path of resistance continues and if we make any compromise, it is for resistance and obtaining Palestinians' rights."

– Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh
Jerusalem Post, February 13, 2012

“...nobody should agree to Israeli settlers remaining in the Palestinian [state].”

– Saeb Erakat, chief Palestinian negotiator
Al-Dustour, June 25, 2009

“[Some ask] where the negotiations with the Israeli side have brought us. First [the Israelis] said we would [only have the right to] run our own schools and hospitals. Then they consented to give us 66% [of the occupied territories]. At Camp David they offered 90%, and [recently] they offered 100%. So why should we hurry, after the all the injustice we have suffered? The agreement will not be stable anyway, unless it is based on international law and on justice.”

– Saeb Erakat, chief Palestinian negotiator
Al-Dustour, June 25, 2009

“I say on behalf of the Association of Islamic Scholars: The truce with the Zionist entity is meaningless. The solution is to renew the resistance in a stronger and more effective way. Let pure bodies blow up again in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and in all the cities of occupied Palestine, because this enemy understands nothing but the language of force... To the courageous Egyptian people we say: Arise and bring down the artificial border, and bring food and medicine to your besieged brothers in Gaza. The Egyptian people is required to show an act of violence, even if they go to jail, even if they die - they will be martyrs for the sake of Allah.”

– Husan Abdallah, Lebanese Association of Islamic Scholars
Al Manar and Al Aqsa TV, December 3 and 5, 2008

“Oh noble Gaza, raise your head high. You have made the Muslims raise their heads high. And you, people of Hebron - you are now waging a war against the Jews. You are well-versed in this. We saw how, on a day in 1929, you slaughtered the Jews in Hebron. Today, slaughter them on the land of Hebron. Kill them in Palestine. Arise, oh people of Palestine, all the people of Palestine - arise in defense of your Al-Aqsa Mosque, arise in defense of Nablus and Hebron. Arise and face the [PA] Preventive Security forces. Fear them not, for they are rabbits. They are wolves, so fear them not, oh lions.”

– Sheik Himam Sa'id, Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan
Al Manar and Al Aqsa TV, December 3 and 5, 2008

“It is the Palestinian people's right to engage in resistance until the occupation ends. As long as the resistance is legitimate, everything related to it is also legitimate.”

– Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein
Media Line, October 5, 2006

“Oh warrior brothers, this is a nation that will never be broken, it is a revolution that will never be defeated. This is a nation that gives an example every day that is imitated across the world. We gave the world the children of the RPG [Rocket Propelled Grenades], we gave the world the children stone [-throwers], and we gave the world the male and female Martyrdom-Seekers [suicide bombers].”

– Secretary of Fatah in Gaza Ahmed Hales Abu Maher
PA TV, November 14, 2006

“Our enemies ... don't understand that a suicide operation ... is a natural right.”

– Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal
Agence France Presse, May 3, 2006

“There is no doubt that the new wave (of attacks) in Palestine will wipe off this stigma (Israel) from the face of the Islamic world....Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury (while) any (Islamic leader) who recognizes the Zionist regime means he is acknowledging the surrender and defeat of the Islamic world....As the Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] said, Israel must be wiped off the map.”

– Speech by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Associated Press , October 26, 2005

“The jihad and suicide bombings will continue – the Zionist entity will reach its end in the first quarter of the current century. It is therefore up to you [Muslim holy fighters] to be patient – the Hamas takes upon itself the liberation of all Palestinian land from the sea to the river in the Rafah [in the south] and until Rosh Hanikra [in the north].”

– Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
Al-Ayyam, December 28, 2002

“If they [Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.”

– Hezbollah leader Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
Lebanon Daily Star, October 23, 2002

“If they go from Sheba’a, we will not stop fighting them. Our goal is to liberate the 1948 borders of Palestine...[Jews] can go back to Germany or wherever they came from.”

– Hezbollah spokesperson Hassan Ezzedin
New Yorker, October 14, 2002

“We are teaching the children that suicide bombs make Israeli people frightened and we are allowed to do it....We teach them that after a person becomes a suicide bomber he reaches the highest level of paradise.”

– Palestinian “Paradise Camp” counselor speaking to BBC interviewer,
quoted in Jerusalem Post, July 20, 2001

“The Palestinian people are in a state of emergency against the failure of the Camp David summit. If the situation explodes, the Palestinian people living in the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority are ready for the next fierce battle against the Israeli occupation. ... The next Intifada will be more violent than the first one especially since the Palestinian people now possess weapons allowing them to defend themselves in a confrontation with the Israeli army. ... the Lebanese experience of wiping out the Israeli occupation from southern Lebanon gave the Palestinian people the needed moral strength and added to their spirit of armed struggle.”

– A “"senior security figure” in the Palestinian Authority,
Kul Al-Arab, July 14, 2000

“The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies – civilians and military – is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy mosque [Mecca] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim.”

– The fatwa (religious edict) issued by Osama bin Laden in 1998

Settlements

..“We are in a pointless discussion about the marginal issue of building in the settlements.... To reach peace, we need to discuss the issues that are really hindering peace, the question of recognition, security, refugess and of course many other issues...”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“Calling Jerusalem a settlement is a misinterpretation, an insult to the city. It is incomprehensible that they are mixing questions of private rights, international law and politics. [The hotel was built] on private land, the development of which has nothing to do with diplomacy...”
- Yigal Palmor, Israel Ministry of Foregin Affairs Spokesman

..“The Jewish right of settlement in the [West Bank and Gaza] is equivalent in every way to the right of the local population to live there...”
- Eugene Rostow, former US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs

..“If settlement-building is now concentrated in areas that the Palestinians themselves acknowledge will remain part of Israel in any future peace agreement, why the obsessive focus on settlements as an ‘obstacle to peace?’“
- Yossi Klein HaLevi, Los Angeles Times

..“We do not in any way equate Palestinian terrorism with Israeli settlement activity..”
- George Mitchell & Warren Rudman, US Senators/Leaders of Middle East Fact-Finding Mission (2000)

Terrorism

“Whoever makes the decision to allow this photo [of Israeli police responding to riots and attacks at the Al-Aqsa Mosque] to be repeated, the violation of Al-Aqsa — he has decided to allow the violation of thousands of synagogues all across the world.”

- Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar speech April 30, 2022

“I expect the international community to sharply and unequivocally condemn this murder, the murder of children ... There is no justification and there can be neither excuse nor forgiveness for the murder of children ... This requires [more than] unequivocal condemnation. This requires a halt to the [Palestinian] incitement. I demand that the Palestinian Authority stop the incitement that is conducted on a daily basis in their schools, mosques and the media under their control. The time has come to stop the incitement and begin educating their people for peace.”
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

“Allah says (in the Quran): 'And drive them out from wherever they have driven you out.' How do the linguists interpret the word 'from'? The Quran talks about driving you out 'from where they have driven you out.' From where did the Jews drives us out? From within the 1967 borders or the 1948 borders? From within the 1948 borders. So you should drive them out from within the 1948 borders, like they drove you out. Hence, removing the Jews from the land they occupied in 1948 is an immutable principle, because it appears in the Book of Allah..”
- Hamas Official Mahmoud Al-Zahhar

..“The use of suicide bombing is entirely unacceptable. Nothing can justify this..”
- Olara Otunnu, Under Secretary-General- UN Special Representative for the protection of children in armed conflict

..“There are no words to adequately condemn the despicable attack in Tel Aviv. Not only because it is contrary to the interests of the Palestinian people...[but] because of the philosophy that is behind it....A racist philosophy that is based on the cruel principle of killing Jews because they are Jews..”
- Nazir Majali, Haaretz

..“The attacks against civilians by Palestinian armed groups are widespread, systematic and in pursuit of an explicit policy to attack civilians. They therefore constitute crimes against humanity under international law..”
- "Without Distinction", Amnesty International

..“We have the right to practice all forms of national struggle. We are in the phase of national liberation and we have the right to use all means in the fight to end the occupation until we establish the state..”
- Azzam Al-Ahmad, Senior Fatah Leader

..“There is no clear profile of someone who hates Israel and the Jewish people. They come in every shape and from every culture. Demonstrators, rioters and stone throwers do tend to be younger, unmarried males. But there’s a big difference between the young men who participate in those types of disturbances and terrorists..”
- Aryeh Amit, former Jerusalem District Police Chief

..“Economic conditions and education are largely unrelated to participation in, and support for, terrorism..”
- National Bureau of Economic Research

..“Not only was the intifada a failure, but we are a total failure. We achieved nothing in 50 years of struggle; we've achieved only our survival..”
- Zakariya Zubeidi, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Leader

United Nations

..“It is deeply troubling that UNESCO allowed itself to be manipulated by ignoring Jewish and Islamic tradition and buying into the new Palestinian claim from 1996 that Rachel’s Tomb should be named for Muhammad’s slave, Bilal ibn Ribah, who was buried in Damascus...”

— Dore Gold, Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN

..“The attempt to separate the nation of Israel from its cultural heritage is absurd... If the places where the fathers and mothers of the Jewish nation— Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Leah and Rachel— are buried some 4,000 years ago, are not part of the Jewish heritage, then what is? It is unfortunate that an organization that was established with the goal of promoting the cultural preservation of historical sites around the world, is attempting to uproot the connection between the nation of Israel and its cultural heritage...”

— Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

..“Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have been and still remain the only way forward to resolve the longstanding conflict in our region. Therefore, the resolution before [the Security Council] should never have been submitted. Instead the international community and the Security Council should have called upon the Palestinian leadership — in a clear and resolute voice — to immediately return to the negotiating table without preconditions and to renew direct negotiations...”

— Meron Reuben, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations

..“I would love to be involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe... [Durban II though] is hypocritical and counterproductive..”

— Barack Obama, U.S. President

Quotes from Arab and Islamic Leaders Regarding Jews and Israel