"This is the beginning of a new chapter of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. It moves the conflict from the level of a solvable national conflict
to the level of religious conflict, which by its very nature is insoluble.

"The fate of the State of Israel is now in the hands of group of persons
whose outlook is primitive and whose perceptions are retarded. They are
incapable of understanding the mental, emotional and political dimensions
of the conflict. This is a group of bankrupt political and military leaders
who have failed in all their actions. They try to cover up their failures by a
catastrophic escalation.

"This act will not only endanger the personal security of every Israeli,
both in the country and around the world, but also the existential security
of the State of Israel. It has grievously hurt the chances of putting and end
to the Israeli-Palestinian, Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Muslim conflicts."

Avnery mentioned that in the early 1980s the occupation authorities
encouraged the founders of Hamas, hoping that they would create a
counter-weight to Yasser Arafat and the PLO. Even after the start of the
first intifada, the army and the security services gave preferential treatment
of Hamas. Sheikh Yassin was arrested only a year after the outbreak.

"There seems to be no limit to the stupidity of our political and military
leaders. They endanger the future of the State of Israel."
~~~~~~~~~~~