Political Quotes

“In closing, as you have heard from everyone who has spoken, the recent surge of Palestinian violence against Israel must stop. It must stop to save innocent lives. It must stop so that negotiations can go forward. It must stop because acts of terrorism are not to be tolerated. Any way you look at it, these are terrorist acts, and the only way we can have peace and the only way we can have a two-state solution is if both parties sit opposite each other, with no preconditions, and start negotiating. I do support a two-state solution--a Palestinian Arab state and an Israeli Jewish state--living together in peace and harmony; but it is not going to happen if the Palestinian leadership, which is bankrupt in more ways than one, refuses to teach its people the right thing, if it refuses to repudiate acts of terror. Mahmoud Abbas, or Abu Mazen--the leader of the Palestinians--is, I think, on the eighth year of his 4-year term. He is not really legitimate anymore. The more he talks with rhetoric and incitement, the less relevant he becomes. It is really a shame because I do think that the Palestinians deserve better and I do think that, ultimately, they deserve their own state; but they will not have their own state if they resort to terror. It is bankrupt, and it is a dead end for them.…”