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

Abba Eban

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
Better to be disliked than pitied.
ABBA EBAN

Better Dislike Wish
Human beings act intelligently only after they have exhausted the alternatives
ABBA EBAN

Alternatives Exhausted Human Intelligent
Tragedy is the difference between what is and what could have been.
ABBA EBAN

Could Difference Happen Tragedy
A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually.
ABBA EBAN

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

Clever Encyclopedia Ignorance Sarcastic
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
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
The Jews are the living embodiment of the minority, the constant reminder of what duties societies owe their minorities, whoever they might be.
ABBA EBAN

Constant Embodiment Jews Minority Reminder Society
A nation writes its history in the image of its ideal.
ABBA EBAN

Diversity History Ideal Justice Nation Write Writing
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
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

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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