Quotes from Raphael Cohen-Almagor

I rather have one true friend than 1000 friends on Facebook.

Jealousy is a human trait, cultivated by petty people who will never be what they want to be, or will never have what they want to have.

Elderly people reach out and hold the hand of people who speak to them. Imagine holding hands while we argue. Our life will be different.

Whenever man tries to become God, it is a tragedy.

The world is shaped by those who dare.

Great people are those who make great effort to achieve innovative ideas against great opposition and great forces, and succeed in the shaping of history.

Size does matter: Try to surround yourself with people who are blessed with a big heart.

Do not seek what you do not wish to find.

On future tellers: I rather live the present than know the future.

We must learn from the past, not relive it time and again.

In the Middle East, optimism is a virtue; realism – a duty.

The hand should not necessarily be the quickest organ in one's body when one is writing.

A stable democracy needs a strong government but no less importantly also a strong opposition. Without the latter, the road to corruption is wide open.

The triumph of humanity is to recognise diversity and difference yet having the ability to bring people together and create bridges between them.

I wish all nations name their national airports after scientists and artists.

Fearful people always find reasons to confirm their worst fears.

Happy person is one who knows how to bridge the gap between dreams and reality.

Hatred is self and other destructive

One scratch on the wall is just a scratch. Many scratches, however, may change the shape of the wall. Often many incremental steps rather than a single blow, bring about historical changes.

Contrary to common wisdom, dreamers can affect reality.

All freedoms need to be constricted, otherwise the result is infinite conflict and the triumph of the fittest.

We need to balance between two important values, freedom of expression, and social responsibility.

People are so preoccupied with the pursuit of happiness that they ignore their little everyday blessings.

Israelis and Palestinians need to create spaces of living together to replace places where they die together.