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It is our experience that political leaders do not always mean the opposite of what they say.

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

Ear Elegance Glued Movement Neither Permanently Posture Statesman
I think that this is the first war in history that on the morrow the victors sued for peace and the vanquished called for unconditional surrender.
ABBA EBAN

History Love Peace Sued Thinking Unconditional Victor War
Israel is not an aviary.
ABBA EBAN

Better
One of the chief tasks of any dialogue with the Gentile world is to prove that the distinction between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is not a distinction at all.
ABBA EBAN

Dialogue Distinction Task World
Tragedy is the difference between what is and what could have been.
ABBA EBAN

Could Difference Happen Tragedy
His ignorance is encyclopedic.
ABBA EBAN

Clever Encyclopedia Ignorance Sarcastic
History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.
ABBA EBAN

Alternative Behave Exhausted Funny History Men Sarcastic Teach War Wise
Playing the game I have learned the meaning of humility. It has given me an understanding of futility of the human effort.
ABBA EBAN

Effort Futility Game Golf Humility Learn Life Playing
Our intention to regard the closing of the Straits as a casus belli was communicated…to the foreign ministers of those states which had supported international navigation in the Straits in 1957 and thereafter.
ABBA EBAN

Cairo Closing Communicate Doubt Foreign Intention Minister Regard State Strait War
Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
ABBA EBAN

Miss Missing never Opportunity Palestinian
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
Lest Arab governments be tempted out of sheer routine to rush into impulsive rejection, let me suggest that tragedy is not what men suffer but what they miss.
ABBA EBAN

Arab Government Impulsive Men Missing Rejection Routine Rush Sheer Tempted
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
Tragedy is not what men suffer but what they miss.
ABBA EBAN

Men Missing Suffering Tragedy
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

It is our experience that political leaders do not always mean the opposite of what they say.

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It is our experience that political leaders do not always mean the opposite of what they say.

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