I hope it will translate into their own countries and into a new age- that we can look forward to. 164. But I am most grateful to the Syrian representative for his quotation from Lincoln. To give another ouotation from him, Lincoln once said: “Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold on a silver platter*‘. . 165. I do not wish to sav that the’ Svrian renresentative’s other text was a silver plaiter, but hisrquotatibns about the meaning of liberty and the commitment to liberty of the American Secretary of State and his statements about Israel’s resolve to defend liberty are indeed apples of gold. 166. The question has, arisen during the present discus- sions of what constitutes civilian targets. It is very easy to answer .that. I cited a few yesterday: the cab driver, a young schoolteacher with his pupils or five children in the heart of Jerusalem who were stabbed. Those are civilian targets. The status of civilian‘targets is totally unaffected by the cause of the conflicts that are waged around them and claim them as victims. In fact, there would be no meaning to international law and the whole concept of the war Convention and the very ideas that this body-not only the Security’Council but the United Nations-was set up for, if we did not adhere to the central tenet of the laws of war-that is, that the separation of combatants,from non-combatants-and if such a definition were not entirely independent of the nature or cause, professed or real, of the conflicts involved. j 167. Nothing justifies the deliberate murder of children. Nothing, not “national 1iberation”;not fighting for “legiti- mate rights**-nothing. If we allow ourselves to become conditioned, horribly conditioned, to the idea that such terrorism, such violence, such systematic and deliberate killing of civilians, is permissible, ‘not merely will (those 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or statement related to international relations, peacekeeping, and humanitarian issues. It discusses the concept of civilian targets and the importance of adhering to international law and the laws of war. The speaker also references historical quotes and the commitment to liberty. The tone is serious and emphasizes the gravity of violent acts against civilians.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, International relations