There's no knowing how and when, or even if, the bloodshed will ever end. Only that both sides will battle for justice, killing each other in the name of those freshly killed, honoring the men who died avenging those who, before them, died avenging.
-- Shira ("2014, Gaza Border (Israeli side)" (3-5))

Importance: This quote reinforces the never-ending cycling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Each side fights for the same reason: revenge. Englander’s novel emphasizes the unending nature of this fight. An end is not foreseeable if each side feels like they must always get revenge for each violent incident.

There was no end to what a city could achieve without East or West, but thriving as a singular, vibrant whole.
-- Farid ("2002, Berlin" (29 - 35))

Importance: In 1947, the United Nations made the decision to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, while making Jerusalem an international city. This never successfully was carried out though because war broke out between the Arabs and the Jews...