Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres is an Israeli policitian. He was Prime Minister of Israel from 1984–1986 and 1995–1996 and Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel from 2001-2002, and became Vice Premier in a coalition under Ariel Sharon at the start of 2005. He is the current President of Israel

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• There's a great deal of criticism about the United States, but there is one thing that nobody criticizes the United States. Nobody thinks the United States went to strike against Iraq in order to gain land or water or oil, nobody thinks America has any ambitions about real estate. As it happened in the 20th century, the American boys went to fight in two world wars, many of them lost their lives. The United States won the wars, won the land, but you gave back every piece of it. America didn't keep anything out of her victories for herself. You gave back Japan, an improved Japan, you gave Germany, an improved Germany, you've heard the Marshall Plan. And today, I do not believe there is any serious person on earth who thinks the United States, whether you agree or don't agree with this strike, has any egoistic or material purposes in the war against Iraq. The reason is, for this strike, that you cannot let the world run wild. And people who are coming from different corners of our life, attack and kill women and children and innocent people, just out of the blue. And I think the whole world is lucky that there is a United States that has the will and the power to handle the new danger that has arrived on the 21st century.

• Until the Yom Kippur War, in 1973, until then Israel didn't have a chance but to fight for her life. We were attacked five times, outgunned, outnumbered, on a small piece of land, and our main challenge was to remain alive.

• There isn't a single person in Israel who wants to destroy or harm Egypt. In contrast, there's a whole country that openly wants to destroy Israel, and that's Iran. That is the difference between ours and Egypt's security problems. Egypt is not threatened by anyone. Israel is threatened by the second circle. Israel has never been and will never be a danger to Egypt. [...] Israel is not threatening Iran, Iran is threatening Israel. The situation is not similar.

• The borders will be based on 1967, with the required security modifications. If we take a certain percentage of the Palestinian land, we will compensate them with land. We will not rob their land. Sovereignty yes, but no one would threaten this Palestinian state, and therefore the Palestinians also agree that it can be demilitarized. When the threats on Israel would also cease, I hope that Israel could be demilitarized too.

• We reject attempts to create a similarity between the Holocaust and the Armenian allegations. Nothing similar to the Holocaust occurred. It is a tragedy what the Armenians went through but not a genocide [...] Israel should not determine a historical or philosophical position on the Armenian issue. If we have to determine a position, it should be done with great care not to distort the historical realities.

• Optimists and pessimists die the same way. They just live differently. I prefer to live as an optimist.

• Iran is a great problem, but not necessarily a great country. In fact, I think it is a very weak country.
  • Israel's Shimon Peres Calls Iran Weak (Nov 29, 2006)

• The president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map.

(May 8, 2006)

• If world is suspicious that Israel may detonate nuclear bomb and if the suspicion is a deterrent - that's good enough.
  • http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3444458,00.html

• I will confine myself to reaffirming the Israel will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons to the region.
  • http://www.lefigaro.fr/english/20070726.WWW000000384_shimon_peres_sanctions_on_iran_could_work_.html

• "Your majesty, the king of Saudi Arabia, I was listening to your message. I wish that your voice will become the prevailing voice of the whole region, of all people. It's right, it's needed, it's promising," Peres on Saudi King Abdullah's interfaith initiative.
  • http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4AB84U20081112?sp=true

• Historic justice has been done by killing Saddam.
  • http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467625137&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull