It is our experience that political leaders do not always mean the opposite of what they say. – Abba Eban
I think that this is the first war in history that on the morrow the victors sued for peace and the vanquished called for unconditional surrender. – Abba Eban
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
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
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
A statesman who keeps his ear permanently glued to the ground will have neither elegance of posture nor flexibility of movement. – Abba Eban
Time and again these governments have rejected proposals today – and longed for them tomorrow. – Abba Eban
Lest Arab governments be tempted out of sheer routine to rush into impulsive rejection, let me suggest that tragedy is not what men suffer but what they miss. – Abba Eban
A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually. – Abba Eban
History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives. – Abba Eban