Here are some Rantisi quotes, which should underscore that the only timing issue with his killing is “why not sooner?”
“We knew that Bush is the enemy of God, the enemy of Islam and Muslims. America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon. … The war of God continues against them, and I can see the victory coming up from the land of Palestine by the hand of Hamas.”
“This operation [deadly suicide bombings last September], whoever is behind it, is a natural reaction for the bloody aggression against our people.”
“The word cease-fire is not in our dictionary. … Resistance will continue until we uproot them from our homeland.”
“The land of Israel is an Islamic endowment, and it is not permissible to cede any part, any group, or any generation of it at allÖ.To establish a Palestinian state on a part of Palestine is accepted by Hamas, on the condition that this would not be at the expense of the other parts”.
“[We attack Arafat] because he gave up Palestine and abandoned the National Charter. Have we forgotten that the PLO was originally established in 1964 for the liberation of the 1948 lands?”
“..this is the custom of the Jews, for they are the killers of prophets, and the killers of the preachers who enjoin justice. Their criminal nature will never change.”
“The Jews have designs and ambitions in Palestine and in surrounding countries, and they utilize terrorism to materialise their plans and accomplish their ‘holy’ prophecies.”
“..no leader, group, people or any generation is permitted to surrender a single hand-span of it to a non-Muslim. This is why we do not recognise the sovereignty of Jews on a hand-span of our country.
From here we can see that the battle will continue because in true reality it is a battle for our own existence and is not a battle over borders. This battle will end with a triumph that Allah (swt) will bestow upon His believing servants, and we shall regain every hand-span of our country (encompassing all land) between its sea-borders (in the west) to its river (in the east).”
