以色列官员们声称“停战协定会削弱巴勒斯坦总统阿布·马赞的威望 ” ， 仿佛在东耶路撒冷建立的新以色列定居点以及拒绝拆除以前的非法定居点没有削弱他的威望一样；或者他们辩称“哈马斯并不承认以色列这个国家 ” ， 仿佛和阿拉伯国家以及巴勒斯坦解放组织在过去60年里达成的停战协定都是基于他们对以色列的承认，而不是基于一个指导以色列多年的简单道德原则－即为我们和我们的敌人暂停敌对状态－那样。
“A truce would weaken Palestinian President Abu Mazen,” officials claimed, as if the construction of new Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the refusal to dismantle previous illegal ones had not already weakened him. Or they argued that “Hamas does not recognize the state of Israel,” as if other ceasefire agreements with the Arab states and the PLO in the last 60 years had been based on recognition of Israel, rather than on a simple ethical principle that has guided Israel for many years, namely to gain, for us and our enemies, a pause in hostilities.