The test of democracy is freedom of criticism.
David Ben-GurionRead
Those who today murdered our people in an ambush not only plotted to murder some Jews but intended to provoke us... The Arabs stand to gain from such a development. They want the country to be in a state of perpetual pogrom.... Any further bloodshed [by the Jews] will only bring political advantage to the Arabs and harm us... Our strength is in the defense... and this strength will give us political victory if England and the world will know that we are defending ourselves rather than attacking.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the necessity of self-defense in the face of aggression, suggesting that responding to violence appropriately is crucial for political legitimacy.
In this quote, David Ben-Gurion emphasizes the strategic importance of self-defense for the Jewish people in the context of their political struggle. He argues that any violent actions against Jews could be used by their adversaries, the Arabs, to incite further conflict and political gain. Instead, he asserts that demonstrating strength through defensive measures can help win both military and political recognition from not only England but also from the global community.
Themes
DefensePoliticsViolenceJewsArabsStrengthSelf-Defense
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on national security, one could quote this to highlight the importance of defensive strategies.
More from David Ben-Gurion
All quotes →We offer peace and neighborliness to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Hebrew nation for the common good of all.
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Without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence.
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Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.
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After eighty, there are no enemies, only survivors.
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We do not want to create a situation like that which exists in South Africa, where the whites are the owners and rulers, and the blacks are the workers. If we do not do all kinds of work, easy and hard, skilled and unskilled, if we become merely landlords, then this will not be our homeland
David Ben-GurionRead
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