Shimon Peres Quotes

It is the growing periphery of the Arab world - the masses at its margins, not its feeble and decaying center - that is shaping the future of the region.

The Arab world’s wave of change was a century in the making, Why expect its effects to become clear in the space of months

The Middle East has gone through periods of turmoil before. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were revolutions. When monarchies were collapsing in a number of countries, we had radicals and we had Nasserism. Today it's a little bit more complicated.

Certainly we've seen the enormous changes across the whole of the Middle East. The democratic genie is out of the bottle.

Some in the West have long argued that because of the lack of a viable liberal alternative, supporting authoritarian regimes in Arab countries is the only political choice against the Islamists. Now, in Tunisia, as people flood into the streets demanding democracy, we see that this is not the case. It was not the case in Iran in 1979 either, but the West was so invested in the Shah that it failed to strongly back the liberal opposition. We don't have to repeat that error today.

Had you asked an expert on the Middle East what changes would be likely to tke place in 2011, almost none would have predicted the Arab Spring and none would have chosen Tunisia as the flashpoint.

Revolutions are the locomotives of history.

The Arab Awakening or Arab Spring has transformed the geopolitical landscape.

The Arab Spring I think we will look back whether it's two years, five years, ten or fifteen. And say it's a good thing.

As you know with the Arab Spring, there were no dividends.

The Arab Freedom Movement is, in the Middle East, our natural ally against England. In this connection, the raising of rebellion in Iraq is of special importance.

The most pressing challenge that the Arabs have yet to confront is the reform of Islam. If the Arab world can’t or won’t accept the concept of the secular state as being consistent with Islam, then neither high-speed economic growth, nor liberal democracy have much chance in the Middle East.

An Arab renaissance cannot be accomplished without the rise of women in Arab countries … Directly and indirectly, it concerns the well-being of the entire Arab world

In Arab countries where rebellion has succeeded in ousting leaders (or will), painful makeovers lie ahead. None will get through the change quickly. Most will stumble over daunting political and economic challenges. Some may fail. All will grapple to find the right blend of freedom and faith.

The fall of Arab autocrats creates more risks than opportunities for the United States. As Arab political horizons expand, the space for America to pursue its interest may well contract.

The so called “Arab Spring” … is really a situation which is creating more threats so far than positive incentives.

The Arab world is erupting, which is extraordinary, and to see it happen is like watching rings spreading on a pool - it goes out; it varies so much. The spontaneity is wonderful, but very often, if it's not well organized, it breaks up, and it peters out.

The Tunisian revolution left every Arab dictator in fear; Egypt's toppling of Mubarak left them terrified - even one of the U.S.' best allies in the region could fall.

The color revolution virus affects only weak countries. Belarus does not have any breeding ground for this.

Revolutions are never peaceful.

Let us remember that revolutions do not always establish freedom.

Revolution is not a one time event.

And revolutions always mean the breakdown of old authority.

You can bring down governments, you can do a lot of things that are in your own interests even though liberals will get very antsy when you start talking about it.

In crises, the old is dying and the new has not been born. Hence, the revolts we are witnessing in Egypt and Tunisia, which may yet extend to other countries in the region, are full of uncertainties.