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Natan Sharansky

Natan Sharansky Quotes

Israeli Politician

Natan Sharansky is an Israeli politician, born on January 20, 1948. He was a prominent Jewish hero during his time in the Soviet Union for his political activities. After being released from prison in 1986, he moved to Israel and quickly became a significant figure in Israeli politics.

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Famous Natan Sharansky Quotes

“Will dissent be permitted? The answer to that question will determine whether the society is a free society or a fear society.”

Answers Determine Dissent Free Society

Author:Natan Sharansky

“It is important to remember that some of the most serious thinkers once thought that democracy was not compatible with the cultures of Germany, Italy, Japan, Latin America and Russia.”

Important America Remember Culture Literature Democracy Serious Russia Germany Japan Latin Thinker Latin America Compatible

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Believe me, the drug of freedom is universally potent.”

Believe Drug Believe In Me

Author:Natan Sharansky

“In dictatorships you need courage to fight evil; in the free world you need courage to see evil.”

World Needs Fighting Evil Dictatorship Free World

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Democratic leaders, whose power is ultimately dependent on popular support, are held accountable for failing to improve the lives of their citizens. Therefore, they have a powerful incentive to keep their societies peaceful and prosperous.”

Literature Powerful Leader Support Failing Citizens Democratic Peaceful Dependent Incentives Prosperous Democratic Leaders

Author:Natan Sharansky

“The two most important things that can be done to promote democracy in the world is first, to bring moral clarity back to world affairs and second, to link international policies to the advance of democracy around the globe.”

World Firsts Two Important Done Literature Moral Democracy Policy Important Things Affair International Clarity Links Globes World Affairs

Author:Natan Sharansky

“I was inspired to write this book by those who are sceptical of the power of freedom to change the world.”

World Writing Book Literature Inspired Changing The World

Author:Natan Sharansky

“When did America forget that it's America?”

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Those who warned that Gorbachev was being put under too much pressure were wrong.”

Too Much Pressure Gorbachev

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Bush explained his fundamental concept to me, that freedom is not an American invention, but rather a gift from God to all people.”

People Concepts Fundamentals Invention Gift From God

Author:Natan Sharansky

“My theory is that security - also against terror - can only be accomplished through global democratization.”

Security Theory Terror Accomplished Democratization

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Free nations generally look for ways to deal with dictators amicably.”

Way Looks Nations Deals Dictator

Author:Natan Sharansky

“If you have to fight an enemy at a critical point in time, and you have an ally who happens to be a dictator, you don't say: Let's stop fighting right now, because you're not a democrat. That would be ridiculous.”

Ifs Happens Would Be Fighting Enemy Right Now Democrat Critical Ridiculous Allies Dictator

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Imagine if the United States, in its war against Hitler, had said to Stalin: we don't want your support until you make your country democratic.”

Ifs Want Said War Country States United United States Support Imagine Democratic

Author:Natan Sharansky

“As soon as people become a little less fearful, they will also begin demanding more freedom.”

People Littles Fearful

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Free societies are societies in which the right of dissent is protected.”

Literature Protected Dissent Free Society

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Can someone within that society walk into the town square and say what they want without fear of being punished for his or her views? If so, then that society is a free society. If not, it is a fear society.”

Ifs Want Literature Walks Views Towns Squares Free Society Being Free

Author:Natan Sharansky

“The only peace that can be made with a dictator is once that must be based on deterrence. For today, the dictator may be your friend, but tomorrow he will need you as an enemy.”

Needs May Made Today Literature Peace Enemy Tomorrow Dictator Need You Deterrence

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Non-democratic regimes always need to mobilize their people against external enemies in order to maintain internal stability.”

People Needs Order Literature Enemy Democratic Internals Stability Regimes

Author:Natan Sharansky

“When we are unwilling to draw clear moral lines between free societies and fear societies, when we are unwilling to call the former good and the latter evil, we will not be able to advance the cause of peace because peace cannot be disconnected from freedom.”

Able Evil Literature Causes Peace Lines Moral Clear Draws Former Latter Unwilling Free Society Disconnected

Author:Natan Sharansky

“The three main sources of scepticism are first, that not every people desires freedom second, that democracy in certain parts of the world would be dangerous and third, that there is little the world's democracies can do to advance freedom outside their countries.”

People World Firsts Littles Country Would Be Desire Certain Three Literature Can Do Democracy Dangerous Source Thirds Scepticism

Author:Natan Sharansky

“People may believe that there can be a society where dissent is not permitted, but which is nonetheless not a fear society because everyone agrees with one another and therefore no one wants to dissent.”

People Want Believe May Literature Agree Dissent

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Of course, there can be serious injustices within free societies.”

Courses Serious Injustice Seriousness Free Society

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Just as the 99% of Soviet citizens who supported the Soviet regime in 1985 was no indication of what the people inside the USSR really thought, the army of true believers that we think we see in the Arab world is an illusion.”

People Thinking World Literature Citizens Illusion Army Believer Soviet Regimes Indication True Believer Arab World Ussr

Author:Natan Sharansky

“They tried their best to find a place where I was isolated. But all the resources of a superpower cannot isolate the man who hears a voice of freedom, a voice I heard from the very chamber of my soul.”

Men Soul Voice Heard He Man Resources My Soul Isolated Chamber Superpower

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Unfortunately, little attention was paid to how Arafat ruled. In fact, some saw the harsh and repressive nature of Arafat's regime as actually bolstering the prospects for peace.”

Littles Facts Literature Peace Attention Saws Paid Racist Regimes Harsh Prospects Arafat

Author:Natan Sharansky

“I have no doubt that given a real choice, the vast majority of Muslims and Arabs, like everyone else will choose a free society over a fear society.”

Real Choices Literature Given Doubt Majority No Doubt No Fear Free Society

Author:Natan Sharansky

“This scepticism is the same scepticism I heard a generation ago in the USSR when few thought that a democratic transformation behind the iron curtain was possible.”

Literature Behinds Generations Heard Transformation Democratic Iron Curtains Scepticism Ussr Iron Curtain

Author:Natan Sharansky

“To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace - or at least a genuine peace - the link between the nature of a regime and its external behavior must be understood.”

Problem Peace Behavior Understood Genuine Links Regimes Dictator Making Peace

Author:Natan Sharansky

“The message of the free world to any potential Palestinian leadership should be a simple one: Embrace democratic reform and we will embrace you.”

World Should Leadership Simple Messages Embrace Democratic Reform Palestinian Reformation Free World

Author:Natan Sharansky

“To go again over the history of the struggle of resistance ... and to think 'Where are all these people today Where is the KGB' is very inspiring”

People Thinking Today Struggle Resistance Kgb Very Inspiring

Author:Natan Sharansky

“I am optimistic that peace can be achieved in the region because I believe that every society on earth can be free and that if freedom comes to the Middle East, there can be peace.”

Ifs Believe Earth I Believe Peace Middle East Optimistic Regions Middle East Easter

Author:Natan Sharansky

“It is not surprising, then, that in the decade since Oslo began, Arafat used all the resources placed at his disposal to fan the flames of hatred against Israel.”

Used Literature Fans Resources Hatred Israel Decades Flames Surprising Arafat Oslo

Author:Natan Sharansky

“The central premise behind Oslo was that if Arafat were given enough legitimacy, territory, weapons and money, he would use his power to fight terror and make peace with Israel.”

Ifs Enough Use Fighting Literature Given Peace Behinds Weapons Terror Israel Territory Premises Making Peace Legitimacy Arafat Oslo

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Only weeks after Oslo began, when nearly all the world and most of Israel was drunk with the idea of peace, I argued that a Palestinian society not constrained by democratic norms would be a fear society that would pose a grave threat to Israel.”

World Ideas Would Be Literature Peace Week Threat Democratic Israel Graves Drunk Palestinian Norm Social Norms Oslo

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Arafat rejected the deal because, as a dictator who had directed all his energies toward strengthening the Palestinians hatred toward Israel, Arafat could not afford to make peace.”

Literature Energy Peace Deals Hatred Israel Palestinian Dictator Rejected Making Peace Strengthening Arafat

Author:Natan Sharansky

“Japan is not a Western democracy. The Japanese have kept their traditions, culture and heritage, but they have joined the community of free nations.”

Culture Literature Nations Community Democracy Tradition Western Japan Heritage

Author:Natan Sharansky

“My optimism is not based primarily on the successful march of democracy in recent times but rather is based on the experience of having lived in a fear society and studied the mechanics of tyranny that sustain such a society.”

Literature Democracy Successful Optimism Tyranny March Mechanic

Author:Natan Sharansky

“On the other hand, if the free world is concerned with how a new Palestinian leader governs, then the peace process will have a real chance to succeed.”

Ifs World Real Hands Peace Process Chance Leader Succeed Concerned Palestinian Free World

Author:Natan Sharansky

“By focusing once and for all on helping the Palestinians build a free society, I have no doubt that an historic compromise between Israelis and Palestinians can be reached and that peace can prevail.”

Helping Literature Peace Doubt Compromise No Doubt Palestinian Historic Free Society

Author:Natan Sharansky

“When a man is afraid and accedes to fear, he will always find arguments to justify his own surrender.”

Men Fear Argument Surrender Justify

Book:Fear No Evil

Source: Fear No Evil

“A simple way to determine whether the right to dissent in a particular society is being upheld is to apply the town square test: Can a person walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm? If he can, then that person is living in a free society. If not, it's a fear society.”

Ifs Way Persons Simple Walks Views Liberty Middle Particular Tests Towns Determine Harm Squares Dissent Free Society Imprisonment Simple Ways

Book:The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror

Source: The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror

About the Author

Born: January 20, 1948
Known for: Israeli Politician
Quotes: 42

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Literature Peace Free Society World Ifs People Democratic Democracy Dictator Palestinian

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Books & Sources

Fear No EvilRelated source material

The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and TerrorRelated source material

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