Political Quotes

“we all know that making peace has never been easy. It is hard to forget the pain of having lost loved ones. It is hard to abandon the image of an enemy as fundamentally evil and begin to recognize that same enemy as a fellow human being. It is hard all of a sudden to forget the vocabulary of hatred and recrimination and start using words like ``goodwill'' and ``trust'' and ``cooperation.'' It is even harder to lead others to do these things. The risks are enormous. The enemy leader may doublecross you, or his followers may try to do that. You may be branded as weak and gullible. In fact, extremists on each side may try to undermine the process. And then, if you are the peacemaker, extremists on your side may prevent you from keeping your promises or, worse yet, attack you. The chances are great that you will end up being blamed for any bloodshed rather than being praised for the bloodshed you prevented. Madam President, I wish to take a moment today to recognize one who, despite all the risks, embarked on the road to peace and who, despite all the efforts to derail him, remains on it. I am speaking of the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin. Sunday, Israel was shaken by yet another bomb attack: 19 Israelis were killed and dozens injured. And once more, understandably, families are grieving. Once more, they are wondering what peace with the Palestinians means.…”