Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres; Hebrew: שמעון פרס; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923) is a Polish-born Israeli statesman. He was the ninth President of Israel from 2007 to 2014. Peres served twice as the Prime Minister of Israel and twice as Interim Prime Minister, and he was a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years. Peres was elected to the Knesset in November 1959 and, except for a three-month-long hiatus in early 2006, served continuously until 2007,...
NationalityIsraeli
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth2 August 1923
CountryIsrael
Israel has its attractions. It's the most dramatic country in the world. Everybody's engaged. Everybody argues. When I leave Israel, I get a little bit bored, you know?
I didn't plan to be a politician. The founder of our country, David Ben-Gurion, called me from the kibbutz to serve in the underground. We were short of manpower, short of arms. I was 24 years old. I was supposed to serve my country for one or two years. I am 89 years old this year, and I keep going.
I will confine myself to reaffirming the Israel will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons to the region.
Germany and Israel should dream together for a Middle East in which all the countries are willing to exchange the dispute of the parents with peace for their children.
In order to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear country you have to introduce a system of verification and inspection.
What is wrong with the Iranians in addition to the nuclear bomb? This is the only country on Earth in the 21st century that has renewed imperialistic ambitions. They really want to become the hegemon of the Middle East in an age that gave up imperialism.
Iran is a great problem, but not necessarily a great country. In fact, I think it is a very weak country.
I do not know anybody that is threatening Iran. It is a safe country.
We are the only country who is an ally of the United States that never asked for American soldiers.
In any democratic country you have more than one view.
We understand perfectly well that without an inflow of people and goods within Gaza or outside Gaza, Gaza will not be able to exist,
Saddam Hussein is one of the greatest killers -- and a smart one -- around us. He endangers his own people. He endangers his neighbors. And he will not stop being a danger because this is his nature, and this is his position,
Contrary to his father, he speaks foreign languages, ... He was educated abroad. He is aware that the world has changed.
We don't want to occupy them or reoccupy them, and as soon as it is possible we shall be more than happy to leave them, provided that security can be assured,