“...it is impossible to repent for a sin that never occurred, and to be outraged against a situation that does not exist. So far, no underground cell has been discovered in the Israeli left wing that has planned to harm right wingers, soldiers or settlers; so far not a single left winger has been suspected of setting a synagogue on fire or lynching settlers they found on the street.”
--Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer slams back at those attacking the left-wing and human rights organizations following a controversial documentary, in which left-wing activist Ezra Nawi bragged he turned in to the Palestinian security Palestinians landbrokers who sold land to settlers.

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You Must Be Kidding: 
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan ordered the cancelation of a cultural event in East Jerusalem on the grounds that the Palestinian Authority was behind it.**

"At the beginning of my path as Mossad chief, I met with a senior official in the Arab periphery, who asked me if we had chosen to live in the Middle East, because in his opinion, we had decided not to. When I asked him why he thought so, he asked: 'How many Jews born in Israel know Arabic? How many of them are familiar with Arab culture? How many of them even want to get to know it?'"

--Outgoing Mossad chief Tamir Pardo shared insight in a fascinating interview.

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You Must Be Kidding: 
“This is a detail, that is, part of a small picture that the untrained eye would not easily recognize that is missing.”
--Givatayim Municipality tries to explain how a poster-sized photo of the Old City of Jerusalem was distributed to city schools with the distinctive gold-plated Dome of the Rock airbrushed out.

"Be gentle with Israel."

--Singer Dana International told foreign journalists last night in a comical hasbara speech, in which she flattered the journalists as the "most intelligent people in the world." 

"You’re the age of my son. How could you?"
--Mother of Mohammed Abu-Khdeir turned in court to the two youth on trial for burning her son alive, after telling the court how her life ended ever since. Her husband asked for the boys' homes to be demolished.

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You Must Be Kidding: 
“The only thing that the Swedish Foreign Minister has yet to do is physically join the Palestinian terrorists and stab Jews. In light of her conduct now, we need to hope very much that this won’t happen.”
--Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman reacts to the call by the Swedish Foreign Minister for a probe into possible extra-judicial killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces in the recent wave of violence. 

"This is also the best evidence that (Alon) Liel and those like him love Israel and are loyal to it. Because if they weren’t, none of them would bother to struggle and pay such a public price. They could easily, and with honor, abandon the sinking ship."
--Israeli Journalist Yehuda Shohat wrote in Op-Ed after the former Foreign Ministry director was secretly recorded advising 'Breaking the Silence' how to push its message abroad to end the occupation. (See Features and Commentary)

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You Must Be Kidding: 
IDF document reveals the IDF's Rabbinate guidelines that require military rabbis hold a conversation “on the subject of acquaintance with and connection to Jewish heritage, tradition and sources, strengthening the fighting spirit, mission and motivation to serve" every month for combat units and every two months for non-combat units and a conversation every six months with married secular soldiers on the subject of ‘family strength’ from the Jewish sources.

“I told him the band would never believe that I’d gone for a week to record with him and asked if he could write me a note, like for a teacher. He gladly agreed.”
--Israeli bassist Yossi Fine recalls the life-changing experience of recording alongside music legend David Bowie.

“You have caring, warm sons who love the people and the land of Israel, for which holy fire and honor for the people of Israel burns in their heart."
--A group of 'hilltop youth' parents wrote in a letter to parents of the suspects in the Duma arson murders.**

"Every Nashat Melhem, every Samir Kuntar, is a terrorist who is also acting against me. I walk on Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Street, too. My friends could have been there on the day of the attack too. I also fear for my life and for their life."
--Arab-Israeli author Ayman Sikseck in today's Yedioth.

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You Must Be Kidding: 
If it looks like a tallit and feels like a tallit – it's not necessarily a tallit: Swedish retail clothing company H&M is offering on its website a new scarf for women with a striking resemblance to a tallit, the fringed garment Jews have been wearing for generations during prayer, but stores in Israel will no longer supply it.

"The conference, which is meeting for the first time in its history in Jerusalem, is intended to identify with city residents in all its neighborhoods during a period of violence and fear."
--Uri Zaki, the chairman of a Meretz conference, held to discuss the escalation of the security situation and the possibility of pushing for a renewal of diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.**

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You Must Be Kidding: 
In the video, when asked how it felt to kiss a stranger not of their own race and religion, one participant in the video replies at the end of the video, "less strange than the [Arab-Israeli] conflict."

"Everybody's holy land except those people."
--A 'Tweet' by someone who took the #ExplainingTheMiddleEastIn6Words challenge.

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You Must Be Kidding: 
Israeli TV reporter gets stabbed while demonstrating protective vest.