“President Moshe Katsav said yesterday that Israel would never stoop to the brutality the Palestinians displayed in the stoning to death of two Tekoa teenagers this week. “There is a huge gap between us and our enemies – not just in ability but in morality, culture, sanctity of life, and conscience,” Katsav told reporters at Beit Hanassi. “We would never stoop to the kind of brutality inflicted on the victims in Tekoa and Ofra,” he added. “They’re our neighbors here, but it seems as if at a distance of a few hundred meters away, there are people who don’t belong to our continent, to our world, but actually belong to a different galaxy.”
“Katsav said Israel must change its approach to the Palestinians, but stopped short of voicing exactly what that new approach should be – although he appeared to imply that retaliation is at times necessary. “Force is no solution to anything,” he said, “but sometimes it’s essential.”
“Referring to the brutal murders of two young boys from Tekoa, Katsav said he is sure there are Palestinians and other Moslems who oppose terrorism, but it was terrifying to realize how much cruelty and hatred the Palestinians harbor against Israelis.” (Jerusalem Post, May 11, 2001.)
Summary: Misrepresentation of comments by removal of context.
Ricki Hollander is senior research analyst at CAMERA (www.camera.org).