Yitzhak Shamir Quotes

I hope that France - and all of Europe - we would take an initiative for the year 2012 to be the year of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The United States cannot want peace more than the Palestinians and the Israelis.

We now should hope and pray for a peace process. We've had good negotiations with both sides. Those are going to continue; those are going to be a commitment by the president and something that we're going to work hard on. And we all hope, for the sake of Israeli children and Palestinian children, that we do have peace.

Intervention only works when the people concerned seem to be keen for peace.

I believe that peace with the Palestinians is most urgent - urgent than ever before. It is necessary. It is crucial. It is possible. A delay may worsen its chances. Israel and the Palestinians are, in my judgment, ripe today to restart the peace process.

Mr. President, prime ministers, let us have ambitions: ambitions to move beyond the violence and occupation, to the day when two states, Palestine and Israel, can live together side by side in peace and security.

My view is to try and not demonize the Palestinians. I'm not denying that there are Palestinians who fire rockets and do terrible things; I know that that happens. But to get a fundamental solution, you have to have hope on both sides.

What I am trying to say to Israel is, 'Listen, borders is something that we need, and hopefully, peace is something that we need.'

Israel desperately needs peace if it is to come anywhere close to being the 'light unto nations' of Jewish dreams.

Like all Israelis, I yearn for peace. I see the utmost importance in taking all possible steps that will lead to a solution of the conflict with the Palestinians.

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

We will not have peace by afterthought.

In the Middle East, it is clear that peace will never be reached without solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A two-state solution must be found and enforced.

Prime Minister Sharon, Prime Minister Abbas, I urge you today to end the designs of those who seek destruction, annihilation and occupation, and I urge you to have the will and the courage to begin to realize our dreams of peace, prosperity and coexistence.

Making peace is harder than making war.

My constant prayer, my number one foreign goal, is to bring peace to Israel. And in the process to Israel's neighbours.

How have the past four years served Israel or the Palestinians? We want a solution for the sake of humanity.

In great conflicts opportunities for peace are often missed and considerable and unnecessary violence follows.

There is no such thing as a happy compromise. Israelis and Palestinians cannot become one happy family because they are not one, not happy and not family either. They are two unhappy families who must divide a small house into even smaller apartments. The first step, is to sign peace with clenched teeth, and after signing the contract, start working slowly on a gradual emotional de-escalation on both sides.

You don't make peace with your friends. That's the bottom line. You end conflicts by trying to find some political resolution.

We extend our hand towards peace. Our people are committed to peace. We know that peace entails painful compromise for both sides.

Good wishes alone will not ensure peace.

It's necessary for Israelis and Palestinians to make the compromises that are required to get the direct talks back on track.

We believe that we should come to an agreement with the Palestinians. But we need two to tango.

The Palestinians want a state, but they have to give peace in return. What they're trying to do in the United Nations is to get a state without giving Israel peace or giving Israel peace and security. And I think that's, that's wrong. That should not succeed. That should, that should fail.