Ariel Sharon Quotes
We have to remember that Arafat was the one that started with hijacking airplanes already in 1968.
Sharon, Ariel. Interview by Lally Weymouth. The Washington Post, 11 May 2003.
At the time YaAlon was Rabin’s Chief of Intelligence.
Hamas became an extra legal armed force in each Arab country where they established an infrastructure. The governments usually did not want to take them on and bring Hammas under control. In Lebanon, Hamas became a major political force protected by the Syrian Army which had occupied Lebanon.
This quotation is used by the moderate Egyptians and other moderate Arab leaders as well as Israelis and other experts in combating Islamic Fundamentalism to illustrate the thinking process of the Muslim fundamentalist terrorist leader. They are more than willing to sacrifice those they lead (though rarely themselves) if they think that something is to be gained. But if there is nothing to be gained, their “moral” responsibility requires not “wasting” their followers’ lives. Therefore, the way these experts believe they should deal with the radicals is to face them with overwhelming force (a variant of the Powell Doctrine) and never concede anything or let them gain anything from violence. A single concession makes the terrorism, sacrifice and violence worthwhile, but if there is no gain, the leader has wasted the lives of his followers and is less likely to initiate another attack.
In most religions, the clerics generally denounce violence especially where innocent people are involved as do many Islamic clerics throughout the world. However, a very large proportion of the Islamic Clergy not only condones violence but actually urges it and uses their interpretation of religious duty to motivate people in that direction. They tend to drown out the pacifistic Muslim clerics and in some cases they call for their death for heresy, thus intimidating many Islamic moderates.
Hamas of one of the very few organizations whose very charter was opposed to all forms of diplomacy for the settlement of problems.
Commenting on Israel's right to exist:
Arab terrorists were raiding Israel. The United States, not yet having experienced September 11 was urging Israel not to retaliate and quietly allow diplomacy to operate.
Ariel Sharon was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.
