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A statesman who keeps his ear permanently glued to the ground will have neither elegance of posture nor flexibility of movement.

Abba Eban

Salvation, the prophets tell us, is preconditioned by repentance. The redeeming act of God waits upon man’s initiative.
ABBA EBAN

God Initiative Men Prophet Salvation Waiting
Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
ABBA EBAN

Miss Missing never Opportunity Palestinian
Tragedy is not what men suffer but what they miss.
ABBA EBAN

Men Missing Suffering Tragedy
Consensus is what many people say in chorus but do not believe as individuals.
ABBA EBAN

Belief Believe Chorus Individual People Say
Zionism is nothing more, but also nothing less, than the Jewish People’s sense of origin and destination in the Land linked eternally with its name.
ABBA EBAN

Jewish Land More Nothing People
Nobody does Israel any service by proclaiming its ‘right to exist.’ Israel’s right to exist, like that of the United States, Saudi Arabia and 152 other states, is axiomatic and unreserved.
ABBA EBAN

Country Nobody Proclaiming
Science is not a sacred cow. Science is a horse. Don’t worship it. Feed it. [Addressing a group of prospective contributors to an Israeli scientific research program]
ABBA EBAN

Contribute Feed Group Horse Research Scared Science Worship
Tragedy is the difference between what is and what could have been.
ABBA EBAN

Could Difference Happen Tragedy
It [idolatry] nourishes mans ambition to domineer over his fellow man. Idolatry, therefore, is the source of all social and moral evil in the world.
ABBA EBAN

Ambition Domineer Evil Idolatry Man Nourish Social Source
Human beings act intelligently only after they have exhausted the alternatives
ABBA EBAN

Alternatives Exhausted Human Intelligent
If Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions.
ABBA EBAN

Declare Earth Flat Flattered Introduce Vote
You can’t achieve anything without getting in someone’s way. You can’t be detached and effective.
ABBA EBAN

Achievement Change Detached Effective Somehow Way
A nation writes its history in the image of its ideal.
ABBA EBAN

Diversity History Ideal Justice Nation Write Writing
Better to be disliked than pitied.
ABBA EBAN

Better Dislike Wish
A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually.
ABBA EBAN

Agrees Belief Collectively Individually Mean Sarcastic
His ignorance is encyclopedic.
ABBA EBAN

Clever Encyclopedia Ignorance Sarcastic

A statesman who keeps his ear permanently glued to the ground will have neither elegance of posture nor flexibility of movement.

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A statesman who keeps his ear permanently glued to the ground will have neither elegance of posture nor flexibility of movement.

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