Israel’s Leadership

November 30, 2007
“America is putting Israel under enormous pressure to accept conditions which would entail its destruction. As a result, it is strengthening the mortal enemies not just of Israel but of the free world, against which they are currently at war.”
--Melanie Phillips, “Peace in Our Tomb,” The Spectator, November 27, 2007
  • "Israel is not pushed by anyone. No one pushes us. No one is forcing us. We are the ones that initiated this process. We are the ones that convinced Abu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, to meet regularly and to try and advance the situation...the United States was very helpful. I am so grateful to your president, President Bush, for his inspiration and his support, and for Secretary Rice, for her relentless activities day and night in order to advance it.

    But it's first and foremost because we wanted it, and we are willing to move forward. So we will try. If we can reach an agreement within a year, we'll be very happy. If it will take more time, it will take more time. We will be trying seriously."
    --Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, November 27, 2007


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    “We knew at the outset that the task would be difficult. We acknowledged that publicly and privately. We knew this would be a road with many bumps— and there have been many bumps—and that continues to this day. But we are not deterred. We are, to the contrary, determined more than ever to proceed to realize the common objective, which we all share, of a Middle East that is at peace with security and prosperity for the people of Israel, for Palestinians, and for all the people in the region. We will continue our efforts in that regard, undeterred and undaunted by the difficulties, the complexities or the bumps in the road.”—George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace, remarks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, September 29, 2010

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