Quotes by

Shimon Peres

He was the editor of our paper. He created the publishing house in Hebrew. He was – I wouldnt say the guru – but really he was our teacher and a most respected man. I wrote for the paper of the youth movement. – Shimon Peres

Israel welcomes the wind of change, and sees a window of opportunity. Democratic and science-based economies by nature desire peace. Israel does not want to be an island of affluence in an ocean of poverty. Improvements in our neighbours lives mean improvements to the neighbourhood in which we live. – Shimon Peres

The Iranian regime suppresses its own people as well as others in the region. It prevents peace by sponsoring terror globally. With the ultimate weapon that it is deceptively developing, the regime aims to gain hegemony over the entire Middle East and hold the worlds economy hostage. – Shimon Peres

The Jews greatest contribution to history is dissatisfaction! Were a nation born to be discontented. Whatever exists we believe can be changed for the better. – Shimon Peres

The United States is the only power in history that became great by giving and not by taking. I think the crisis was when the United States had more money than ideas. Money doesnt produce money. Ideas produce money. – Shimon Peres

Now, I learned soon enough, that among the three, two dont trust the third one – the third one is the government. Both industry and unions feel the government is a talking organization and a spending organization. – Shimon Peres

Look, I worked with American Republican presidents and Democratic presidents, all of them, and each of them has shown a deep and profound friendship to Israel, you know? I cant remember anybody who was in that sense negative as far as Israel is concerned. – Shimon Peres

You know who is against democracy in the Middle East? The husbands. They got used to their way of life. Now, the traditional way of life must change. Everybody must change. If you dont give equal rights to women, you cant progress. – Shimon Peres

In Israel, a land lacking in natural resources, we learned to appreciate our greatest national advantage: our minds. Through creativity and innovation, we transformed barren deserts into flourishing fields and pioneered new frontiers in science and technology. – Shimon Peres

The problem of the Middle East is poverty more than politics. – Shimon Peres

I believe that peace with the Palestinians is most urgent – urgent than ever before. It is necessary. It is crucial. It is possible. A delay may worsen its chances. Israel and the Palestinians are, in my judgment, ripe today to restart the peace process. – Shimon Peres

That was my first lesson from Ben-Gurion. Then I saw him making peace, and I saw him making war. He mobilized me before the war. The man was a very rare combination between a real intellectual and a born leader. There is a contradiction between the two. – Shimon Peres

When I am speaking about American presidents, I have to speak about my very special relations with President Clinton. He contributed more to peace than anybody else in the American sense. – Shimon Peres

I think peace should be done not only among governments but among people. It was impossible before the Facebook. – Shimon Peres

Early in the morning, I fell in love with the girl that later on became my wife. At that time, we were so naive. I wanted to charm her, so I read her Capital by Marx. I thought somehow she would be convinced by the strength of his criticism about capital. – Shimon Peres

I was learning, as I did in the Ministry of Defense. I never knew, but I always learned. – Shimon Peres

I think I was a good student, because I jumped over a school. My main interest was basically history and literature. Sports were basically basketball and swimming at a pool. I was so happy. – Shimon Peres

What should be the future of Israel? Is the land the most important choice, and for that reason to keep the whole of the land at any cost, or to have a partition and build the Jewish state on part of the land? And the other part? – Shimon Peres

Israel was born under the British mandate. We learned from the British what democracy means, and how it behaves in a time of danger, war and terror. We thank Britain for introducing freedom and respect of human rights both in normal and demanding circumstances. – Shimon Peres

Peace with the Palestinians will open ports of peace all around the Mediterranean. The duty of leaders is to pursue freedom ceaselessly, even in the face of hostility, in the face of doubt and disappointment. Just imagine what could be. – Shimon Peres