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[Hamas] thought that if you go to elections you become a democrat for the rest of your life. They think that democracy is limited to one day in four years.

Shimon Peres

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Shimon Peres
Age: 93 †
Born: 1923
Born: August 16
Died: 2016
Died: September 28
Poet
Politician
President Of Israel
Writer
Vishneva
Szymon Perski
Peres
Life
Rest
Democracy
Four
Thought
Hamas
Become
Elections
Years
Limited
Think
Democrat
Thinking
Election

More quotes by Shimon Peres

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The history of Israel is divided into two parts. One, under attack that we have had to defend ourselves. When you defend yourself your thinking is totally different from when you want to make peace. So under attack you behave like if you want a hawk, when peace comes you become a dove.
Shimon Peres
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For many years the stakes were clear. There were the Arabs attacking us and us defending ourselves, so basically there were no real problems [between the United States and Israel]. Now there are many small cells, and each of them can destroy on their own. Some can arrive at New York and kill thousands of people.
Shimon Peres
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The Holocaust is a great warning to us all. We shall never forget our sisters and brothers. We have to ensure it is not repeated and to ensure we never go back to the days when humans behaved as beasts. Forgetfulness is a menace, we must remember.
Shimon Peres
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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
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Nothing had excited me-the huge cars, the entourages, the bodyguards, the policeman jumping to attention, all meant nothing to me ... till I came to the old man's office. (On becoming prime minister)
Shimon Peres
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One of the most important branches of the Egyptian economy is tourism. No bikinis, no tourism. So they have to decide what to do.
Shimon Peres
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The Middle East is replete with both new and old threats. One should not underestimate these threats, but not be alarmed by them either. Israel is stronger today than ever.
Shimon Peres
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We asked the workers to give up 25 percent of their salaries. Imagine! We asked the industrialists to freeze all costs, no matter what the inflation is.
Shimon Peres
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We have to be reasonable people.
Shimon Peres
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Why cross and ocean when you can cross a river? Why should we sail to Washington when we can meet right away 10 miles from here?
Shimon Peres
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The internet, Facebook and Twitter have created mass communications and social spaces that regimes cannot control.
Shimon Peres
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Today, Israel is stronger than ever. Israel has defensive tools of its own - those developed in the past and those developed today and those that will be developed tomorrow.
Shimon Peres
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Look, we have existed for 4,000 years - 2,000 years in diaspora, in exile. Nobody in the Middle East speaks their original language but Israel. When we started 64 years ago, we were 650,000 people. So, you know, we are maybe swimming a little bit against the stream, but we continue to swim.
Shimon Peres
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Can any church help us to win a war? If you can't help us win a war, then please don't press us.
Shimon Peres
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Polls are like perfume-nice to smell, dangerous to swallow.
Shimon Peres
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I think peace should be done not only among governments but among people. It was impossible before the Facebook.
Shimon Peres
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I do not know anybody that is threatening Iran. It is a safe country.
Shimon Peres
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He taught me literature, and he actually taught me how to read. He was my personal mentor.
Shimon Peres
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They thought that I was a man with reasonable judgment, so I was never under pressure from my parents I could do whatever I wanted. I never had a negative word from them, nothing whatsoever.
Shimon Peres
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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