History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.

Abba Eban (February 2, 1915 – November 16, 2002), born Aubrey Solomon Eban, was an Israeli diplomat, politician and author. He was born in South Africa but was educated in England.

Quotes

• History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.
  • Speech in London (16 December 1970); as quoted in The Times [London] (17 December 1970) and in Great Jewish Quotations (1996) by Alfred J. Kolatch, p. 115.

• 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 wrote "Israel's Dilemmas: An Opportunity Squandered" in Stephen J. Roth, ed. "The Impact of the Six-Day War: A Twenty-Year Assessment".

• The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
  • As quoted in The Jerusalem Post (18 November 2002); often misquoted as "Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." The quote is attributed to Abba Eban after the Geneva Peace Conference with Arab countries (21 December 1973).

• 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.
  • Comment about the United Nations General Assembly, as quoted in The Guardian (3 February 2004).

External links

• Profile at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• A Collection of Abba Eban's speeches
• Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Diplomacy