Middle East Matters: Quotes of the Week

“An attack by the Zionist regime would be an opportunity to destroy that regime…Their defense mechanism is not planned for big and long wars. Their threats are only psychological and if they cross the limit or act upon those threats, (Israel) will definitely be destroyed.” –  General Hossein Salami, acting commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, was quoted by the semi-official ISNA news agency Thursday

“One must distinguish between the fundamentalists that turn to violence and the others…If we demonise the Salafis, then in 10 or 15 years they will be in power.” – Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of Islamist Ennahda party in Tunisia said on Thursday

“I worked hard with Olmert. Unfortunately, he suddenly retired. We discussed the borders, the exchange of territories and traded maps. We were close and reached many understandings.” – Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday to Israeli politicians in the West Bank

“Unilateral European and U.S. sanctions against Iran are irrational, illegal and inhumane, and are against the Iranian nation.” – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday

“Ramallah and Hebron are not part of the state of Israel, and I don’t think that Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to change that.” – Israeli deputy prime minister Dan Meridor told Voice of Israel Radio today in response to earlier reports that Netanyahu would endorse calls to change the legal status of Israeli settlements in the West Bank

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