David Ben-Gurion Quotes
We do not wish and do not need to expel Arabs and take their places.
Ben-Gurion, David. Letter to Amos Ben-Gurion. 5 Oct. 1937. Published in Letters to Paula, Vallentine Mitchell, 1971.
A major issue amongst Israeli’s is to how they should relate to those hostile Islamic nations in their area who claim they are at war with Israel or the Jewish People. This position in effect says that the oratory of those Islamic groups that claim that they are in a war—a holy war even—should be taken at their word and treated as a wartime enemy and Israel should actively attempt to kill and destroy them.
Al-Ahram is the semi-official newspaper of the Egyptian Government.
The strategy was to have Arab refugees, who had been trained to not only hate the Israelis but also in military and terrorist techniques, to return to israel and foment an insurgency. Ironically, this quotation was cited at the time as one of the few statements upon which the Israeli and Egyptian governments could agree.
Israel had again been attacked by Arab armies and at the same time the parties were in peace negotiations. Some argued that there should be a cease fire while negotiations were ongoing, but Rabin explained that if the two did not go on simultaneously and independently, neither might go well.
South Africa’s transition from apartheid white minority rule to an interracial society with Black majority rule was one of the great political achievements in history. The Black leadership set a tone of reconciliation and inclusiveness that there was neither back retribution and vengeance, nor extensive white flight. Tutu and Nelson Mandella were two of those most resonsible for the leadership, but the good will and Christian charity of the South African blacks was the key to the success where all other white dominated African nations were NOT able to transition without extensive violence and/or flight.
David Ben-Gurion, born David Grün, was the primary founder of the State of Israel and the first Prime Minister of Israel. Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946. As head of the Jewish Agency from 1935, and later president of the Jewish Agency Executive, he was the de facto leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, and largely led its struggle for an independent Jewish state in Mandatory Palestine. On 14 May 1948, he formally proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel, and was the first to sign the Israeli Declaration of Independence, which he had helped to write. Ben-Gurion led Israel during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and united the various Jewish militias into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Subsequently, he became known as "Israel's founding father".; David Ben-Gurion was the primary founder of the State of Israel and the first Prime Minister of Israel.
