ACCOUNT- ABILITY CORNER

Israel’s occupation of Gaza ended last week after nearly 40 years. Who went quietly, who had to be dragged out?

-- STEPHEN W. STROMBERG AND MICHAEL SOLLER

*

“Even if the U.N. votes by 121 to 1, we will not withdraw from the territories we have occupied.”

-- former Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in 1967

*

“How can we return the occupied territories? There is nobody to return them to.”

-- former Prime Minister Golda Meir in 1969

*

“I think there will be violent resistance. There will be shootouts and people getting killed -- Jews by Jews.”

-- Emanuel Gutmann, professor of political science at the Hebrew University, to the Baltimore Sun in 1994

*

“Settlers will stay here for eternity.”

-- Ariel Sharon, then a member of the Knesset, to visiting Netzarim settlers in April 1995, reported by Agence France-Presse

*

“Israeli prime ministers have been talking about dismantling this place ever since I arrived 11 years ago.... It is just talk.”

-- Schlomit Ziv, a spokesperson for Gaza settlers in Netzarim, to the Toronto Star in February 2004

*

“The Israelis will leave Gaza.”

-- Islamic Jihad official Khader Habib, quoted by the BBC in May 2004

*

“The settlers themselves will be very careful, while having a high pitch, not to fall into civil war.”

-- former Prime Minister Shimon Peres to the Toronto Star in June