--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I was an Arab leader I would never…" description: "\"If I was an Arab leader I would never make [peace] with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country.\" — David Ben-Gurion" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/david-ben-gurion-9178_country_if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never-ma_2157988.jpg" --- # If I was an Arab leader I would never make \[peace\] with… ![“If I was an Arab leader I would never make [peace] with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country.” quote by David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/david-ben-gurion-9178_country_if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never-ma_2157988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/david-ben-gurion-9178_country_if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never-ma_2157988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/david-ben-gurion-9178_country_if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never-ma_2157988.jpg) > “If I was an Arab leader I would never make \[peace\] with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country.” [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He asserts that peace with Israel is impossible for Arab leaders because they have taken Israeli land. **In simple terms:** He claims Arab leaders cannot accept peace due to territorial claims. Key Takeaway Recognize historical grievances in conflict resolution. Themes conflict territorial claims politics Mood serious historical Type political analytical When to use this quote - diplomatic talks - historical education - peacebuilding initiatives Key Concepts nationalism peace negotiations Questions to Reflect On - What conditions could change this stance? - How can mutual recognition be fostered? A Different Perspective Peace may still be achievable through compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/) [Arab Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab-leader-394750/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Make Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-peace-277868/) [Making peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-peace/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-israel-759120/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) ## Related quotes > [Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/why-should-the-arabs-make-peace-if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Every time an Arab leader truly wanted peace, they got it. If the Palestinians truly want peace, we will make peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/every-time-an-arab-leader-truly-wanted-peace-they-got-it-if-the/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [Being an Arab leader has its rewards: the suite at the Waldorf-Astoria during the United Nations General Assembly, travel in your own plane, plenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/being-an-arab-leader-has-its-rewards-the-suite-at-the-waldorf-astoria/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Yasser Arafat never wanted to make peace with Israel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-olmert/yasser-arafat-never-wanted-to-make-peace-with-israel/) [Ehud Olmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-olmert/) > [We'll fight terror like there's no peace, and make peace like there's no terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/we-ll-fight-terror-like-there-s-no-peace-and-make-peace-like-there-s/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [But at some point you have to make peace with what you were given and if God wanted me to be a shy girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/but-at-some-point-you-have-to-make-peace-with-what-you-were-given-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The only way to abolish war is to make peace seem heroic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-only-way-to-abolish-war-is-to-make-peace-seem-heroic/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [Il est plus facile de faire la guerre que la paix. It is far easier to make war than to make peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-clemenceau/il-est-plus-facile-de-faire-la-guerre-que-la-paix-it-is-far-easier-to/) [Georges Clemenceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-clemenceau/) > [That's what being a demigod was all about, not quite belonging in the mortal world or on Mount Olympus but trying to make peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/that-s-what-being-a-demigod-was-all-about-not-quite-belonging-in-the/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [there’s too much tension in the world… what hope is there in the middle east if you and i can’t make peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/there-s-too-much-tension-in-the-world-what-hope-is-there-in-the/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“You don’t make peace only with God. You make it with people. Sin isn’t global. It’s personal. If you do wrong to someone, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-don-t-make-peace-only-with-god-you-make-it-with-people-sin-isn-t/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Although wrongs have been done to me, I live in hopes. I have not got two hearts…Now we are together again to make peace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-kettle/although-wrongs-have-been-done-to-me-i-live-in-hopes-i-have-not-got/) [Black Kettle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-kettle/) > [At the end, the realization is that she had to get to a place in her life where she could drop her guard and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlize-theron/at-the-end-the-realization-is-that-she-had-to-get-to-a-place-in-her/) [Charlize Theron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlize-theron/) > [Make peace with your past - so it won't spoil the present!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/make-peace-with-your-past-so-it-won-t-spoil-the-present/) [Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/) > [It is essential for world peace that the world religions make peace with each other. If they don't, we can hardly expect the nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keating/it-is-essential-for-world-peace-that-the-world-religions-make-peace/) [Thomas Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keating/) ## More by David Ben-Gurion > [Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/why-should-the-arabs-make-peace-if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The assets of the Jewish National Home must be created exclusively through our own work, for only the product of the Hebrew labor can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-assets-of-the-jewish-national-home-must-be-created-exclusively/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Thought is a strenuous art - few practice it, and then only at rare times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/thought-is-a-strenuous-art-few-practice-it-and-then-only-at-rare-times/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [In the land of Israel was born the Jewish nation. There came an order to kill the religious and social spirit of the people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/in-the-land-of-israel-was-born-the-jewish-nation-there-came-an-order/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We must assist the British in the war as if there were no White Paper and we must resist the White Paper as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-must-assist-the-british-in-the-war-as-if-there-were-no-white-paper/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We regard it as our duty to declare that Jewish Jerusalem is an organic and inseparable part of the State of Israel, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-regard-it-as-our-duty-to-declare-that-jewish-jerusalem-is-an/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [You must talk to us as equals, or not talk to us at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/you-must-talk-to-us-as-equals-or-not-talk-to-us-at-all/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The present map of Palestine was drawn by the British mandate. The Jewish people have another map which our youth and adults should strive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-present-map-of-palestine-was-drawn-by-the-british-mandate-the/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The past is our very being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-past-is-our-very-being/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Let us not ignore the truth among ourselves ... politically we are the aggressors and they defend themselves... The country is theirs, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/let-us-not-ignore-the-truth-among-ourselves-politically-we-are-the/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We don't consider manual work as a curse, or a bitter necessity, not even as a means of making a living. We consider it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-don-t-consider-manual-work-as-a-curse-or-a-bitter-necessity-not/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We have preserved the Book, and the Book has preserved us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-have-preserved-the-book-and-the-book-has-preserved-us/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We consider that the United Nations' ideal is a Jewish ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-consider-that-the-united-nations-ideal-is-a-jewish-ideal/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [If I knew that it was possible to save all the children of Germany by transporting them to England, and only half by transferring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/if-i-knew-that-it-was-possible-to-save-all-the-children-of-germany-by/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/courage-is-a-special-kind-of-knowledge-the-knowledge-of-how-to-fear/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) [Explore all 74 David Ben-Gurion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) ## More Arab quotes > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [The majority of Arab people would side with Russia and China, not with the West. And they'd throw their 'elites' groomed in and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-would-side-with-russia-and-china-not-with/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [“For the Arab, the past does not merely live. The past defines the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-bunn/for-the-arab-the-past-does-not-merely-live-the-past-defines-the/) [Davis Bunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-bunn/) > [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [The twin causes Bin Laden invokes are Islam and Arab self-determination, and armies rise to serve him. No need to convert or dogmatize. Believers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-twin-causes-bin-laden-invokes-are-islam-and-arab-self/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [Arab youth are taught to wonder, 'Since the Holocaust was a European affair, why are the Palestinians being forced to pay for the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/arab-youth-are-taught-to-wonder-since-the-holocaust-was-a-european/) [Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/) > [The majority of Arab people see the United States and Israel (definitely not Iran or Syria) as the greatest danger to the world. 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And I visit Dubai quite often, I really like the place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-dhupia/i-have-been-to-burj-al-arab-and-i-visit-dubai-quite-often-i-really/) [Neha Dhupia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-dhupia/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [None of us is certain about the outcome of the Arab Spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/none-of-us-is-certain-about-the-outcome-of-the-arab-spring/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [As you know with the Arab Spring, there were no dividends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najib-razak/as-you-know-with-the-arab-spring-there-were-no-dividends/) [Najib Razak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najib-razak/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. 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