“So long as Hamas does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, my view is we don’t have a partner in peace, and therefore shouldn’t fund a government that is not a partner in peace. I thought the elections were important. I was one voice that said the elections should go forward on time. But I recognized that, one, elections are the first step in many cases in evolution of a true democracy; and secondly, that elections show…what people are thinking on the street; and thirdly, though, that because the Palestinians spoke, doesn’t necessarily mean we have to agree with the nature of the party elected. And the party elected has said, we’re for the destruction of Israel. And our policy is, two states living side by side in peace. And therefore, it’s hard to have a state living side by side in peace when your stated objective is the destruction of one of the states.”–Feb. 21, 2006.