Quotes from Ariel Sharon

To our Palestinian neighbours, I assure you that we have a genuine intention to respect your right to live independently and in dignity. I have already said that Israel has no desire to continue to govern over you and control your fate.

There is a famous saying: 'It's hard to be a Jew.' It's also hard to be a Palestinian. I know that.

If there is ever to be an end to the conflict, the Palestinians must recognize the Jewish people's right to a homeland and the existence of an independent Jewish state in the homeland of the Jewish people.

It is in Israel's interest not to govern the Palestinians but for the Palestinians to govern themselves in their own state.

Arabs have the right to visit everywhere in the Land of Israel, and Jews have the right to visit every place in the Land of Israel.

Even the sheep are afraid of me.

It is impossible to have a Jewish, democratic state and at the same time to control all of Eretz Israel. If we insist on fulfilling the dream in its entirety, we are liable to lose it all. Everything. That is where the extremist path takes us.

Israel's security policy is determined by our needs. I strongly reject all the unfounded publicity suggesting that Israel is prevented from taking action because of international pressure.

It's very, very clear that you cannot move to the next phase unless the former one has been fully accomplished.

Israel does not start wars.

Israel is the only country in the world that is ready to make compromises - even though it did not lose any wars.

Even a superpower has limits.

We do not build new Jewish communities in Samaria, Judea and Gaza. The United States has never accepted our building of communities or of the fence. Yet, I've managed to develop relations between Israel and the United States even though President Bush never supported settlements.

I was born on a farm. My strength has nothing to do with political apparatus. I get my strength from nature, from flowers.

I am 73 years old. I've seen everything. I've met the kings, the queens, the presidents, I've been around the world. I have one thing that I would like to do: to try to reach peace.

Ariel Sharon is a man of peace.

If we [are to] reach a situation of true peace, real peace, peace for generations, we will have to make painful concessions. Not in exchange for promises, but rather in exchange for peace.

I believe that Jews and Arabs can live together. It's not an easy thing but I believe we can reach an agreement.

That is all that we want, what people want, what people want in New York, in Washington, in Pittsburgh, in any other place in the United States or in Europe. People want to live peacefully. That's what we want.

Staying in Likud means wasting time in political squabbles rather than acting on behalf of the good of the country.

The ongoing conflict between us has caused heavy suffering to both peoples. The future can and must be different. Both our peoples are destined to live together side by side, on this small piece of land. This reality we cannot change.

I'm a friend of Colin Powell. We talk quite often.

The State of Israel is not collapsing and will not collapse.

As a Jew, it is my historic responsibility to defend the Jewish people. I feel this responsibility for the survival of the Jewish people. We're not going to accept any decision by anybody else about security of the State of Israel. It is our role and only our role.