Ben Gurion, David (1886-1973)
né/born David Grün
- Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Any Jewish woman … does not bring … at least 4 children is shirking her duty to the nation” — 1972
In a book. Ben Gurion offered 100 lirot to every woman for the birth of her 10th child. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Israel better rid itself of the territories and their Arab population” — June 10 1967
In a radio statement on June 10, 1967, sees that Israel will impose apartheid in the occupied territories. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Hitler, more than he hurt the Jewish people … hurt the Jewish State” — 1964
Explaining that the genocide of the Jews of Europe was less serious than the reduction in the number of European immigrants to Israel. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “In such a primitive community as the Marrocans - such a thing is possible” — Aug. 3 1959
In a letter to Judge Moshe Etzioni. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “If I were an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel” — 1956
Conversation with Nahum Goldmann. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Our future does not depend on what the nations [goyim] say, but what the Jews do” — Apr. 27 1955
During the Independence Day Rally at Ramat Gan Stadium. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “As April began, our War of Independence swung decisively from defense to attack” — Apr. 20 1954
In a text or statement dated December 12, 1948, confirms that in April, the Zionists went into a war of conquest. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “It is worthwhile throwing away ... a million dollars” — Feb. 27 1954
Reacting with insults and a lesson in Zionist chutzpah to Moshe Sharett, Prime Minister for the past month, by pushing for the creation of a Maronite state in Lebanon, allied with Israel. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “It is clear that Lebanon is the weakest link in the Arab League” — Feb. 27 1954
Letter from David Ben Gurion to Moshe Sharett, then Prime Minister of Israel, urging him to implement a plan to dismember and destabilize Lebanon. Intended to remain confidential, this letter was nevertheless published, despite the protest of the Israeli government, by David Ben Gurion's son, in 1979, as an appendix to his posthumous memoirs. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “The danger is that… we will become a Levantine people” — Jan. 1954
Addressing the Mapai Party Central Committee in January 1954, Ben Gurion unabashedly established a hierarchy of Ashkenazi (educated Jews) > "Oriental" (uneducated) Jews > Arabs. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “As fighting spread, the exodus was joined by bedouin and fellahin” — 1954
He himself indicates that the Palestinians were driven out in 1848 before the creation of Israel and the entry of Arab troops. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Hitler … caused damage to the Jewish state, whose coming he did not foresee” — 1954
Weighing, in retrospect, in his own way, the harm caused to the Jews by the genocide of the Jews of Europe. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “We were a company of conquistadores” — 1954
Evoking the beginnings of Zionist colonization in 1917. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Let me first tell you one thing: it doesn't matter what the world says about Israel” — 1953
Addressing Ariel Sharon, who had just killed 69 Palestinian civilians in Kibya in 1953 by locking them up and blowing up their homes; as reported by Sharon. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “It lacks the most basic and primary concepts of civilization” — Nov. 27 1950
Referring to Yemeni Jews in a letter to the first Israeli Chief of Staff, Yigael Yadin. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “The ingathering of the exiles brings us the rabble” — Apr. 1950
At a meeting of the army high command, explaining that the Jewish 'rabble' must be 'rebuilt'. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “These Arabs should not reside here” — 1950
At a Mapai party meeting in late 1950, Ben Gurion expressed his desire to take advantage of a war to remove the Palestinian minority from Israel. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Our supreme quality, our intellectual and moral advantage” — 1950
In a speech to young Israelis. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Return to Zion and to the Bible is a supreme expression of the rebirth ...of the Jewish people” — 1950
In a writing showing his total identification between "spirituality" and nationalism. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “I doubt if there is any Jewish community which has more thieves than the Polish ones” — Jul. 13 1949
During a session of the "Knesset Committee for the Constitution, Law and Justice", he called Moroccan Jews "savages", but soon recovered as follows. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Israël did no expel even one Arab” — 1949
In all his dialogues with western interlocutors. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “It turns out that most of the Jews are thieves” — Jul. 24 1948
In an inconsequential statement two months after the proclamation of Israel, just before he became the leader of the thieves. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Our aim is to smash Lebanon, Trans-Jordan, and Syria” — May 24 1948
In his personal notes. More drunk with power than ever after a meeting with his counsellors, he is already anticipating 1967. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “If a war is extended...our greatest gain will be the Galilee” — Apr. 1948
Extract from a protocol of the provisional government, between March and May 1948 according to the context, providing for the conquest of the Galilee attributed to the Palestinian state in 1947. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “All of them together are unable to stand up to us” — Mar. 14 1948
In a report to Moshe Sharett. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “There are no Arabs. One hundred percent Jews.” — Feb. 7 1948
President of the Jewish Agency and mastermind of the Nakba, speculating from February 1948 on a large-scale ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian territory. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Concepts of ours and not ours ...lose their meaning during war” — Feb. 1948
Addressing the leaders of the Jewish National Fund in early February. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “If we know the family, strike mercilessly, women and children included” — Jan. 1 1948
Exposing its doctrine of reprisals. - [wrong] Words attributed to David Ben Gurion “We must use terror, assassination, intimidation” — 1948
Apocryphal or wrong quotation or doubtful. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Almost 40 percent non-Jews. Such a composition does not provide a stable basis for a Jewish state” — Dec. 30 1947
Speech to the Central Committee of Histadrut, expressing the Zionist "democratic" conception and the coming ethnic cleansing. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Expulsion of the residents along with the seizure of the place” — Dec. 19 1947
Barely twenty days after the UN General Assembly voted for the establishment of two states, and one month before the arrival of the first ALA fighters opposed to a Jewish state, Ben-Gurion provided the Haganah with rules of engagement, according to which any attack would result in the material or human destruction of the premises. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “At least 80% Jews for a viable and stable state” — Dec. 3 1947
In a speech to the leading members of the Mapai party, Ben-Gurion clearly indicated the ethnic objective to be achieved in the wake of the UN partition plan. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Every school child knows that there is no such thing in history as a final arrangement” — Dec. 3 1947
Writes in his diary, four days after the 1947 UN partition plan and its "acceptance" by Israel. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Consider … a Jewish state in a part ...while reaffirming our right to the whole of Palestine” — Jul. 8 1947
Before the UN commission (UNSCOP) that came to investigate in Palestine. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Complete transfer without compulsion … is hardly imaginable” — Oct. 15 1941
In a memo titled "Contours of Zionist Politics", he wrote. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “At the beginning of the war… the establishment of a Jewish state” — Sep. 12 1939
Twelve days after the outbreak of World War II, Ben Gurion indicated what the Zionist objective in this war would be: to establish a Jewish state. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “For me, Zionist considerations take precedence over Jewish sentiments” — Sep. 11 1939
Speaking before the executive committee of Histadrut against the recruitment of Jews into the allied troops. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “If Palestine will not absorb them another territory will. Zionism is endangered” — Dec. 17 1938
Letter to the Zionist Executive expressing the fear that Palestine might not be the only solution to the rescue of European Jews. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Save … only half of them ... by transporting them to Eretz Yisrael, then I would opt for the second alternative” — Dec. 7 1938
One month after the Nazi Kristallnacht pogrom, in a speech delivered in London (meeting of MAPAM leaders). - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “I support compulsory transfer. I don't see anything immoral in it” — June 12 1938
In a joint meeting of the Jewish Agency and the Committee for Zionist Action. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Immigration at the rate of 60,000 a year means a Jewish state in all of Palestine” — June 1937
In a letter to Moshe Sharett, quoted twice by Ben Gurion's biographer, in slightly different forms. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “But I say on behalf of the Jews that the Bible is our Mandate” — Jan. 7 1937
Before the Peel Royal Commission. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Among ourselves there can be no debate about the integrity of the Land of Israel” — 1937
In a commentary on the Peel Commission's proposal, reported by Moshe Dayan, recalls that the goal of Zionism is the total colonization of Palestine. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “A comprehensive agreement is undoubtedly out of the question now” — June 9 1936
In a letter to the executive of the Jewish Agency. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “If we become merely landlords, then this will not be our homeland” — 1934
In a letter to Palestinian nationalist leader Moussa Alami. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Our movement has always stood for the socialist idea” — Aug. 7 1931
Exalting his notion of a national workers' socialism, two years before National Socialism took power in Germany. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “Strengthening the Hagana, accelerating the [Zionist] enterprise and imposing Hebrew Labor” — 1929
During a meeting of the Histadrout. - Quotation from David Ben Gurion “I don’t know what Arab will agree that Palestine should belong to the Jews” — June 1919
Addressing the Va'ad Zmani (temporary executive body of the Yishuv), asserting the incompatibility of Zionism with its Arab environment, while denying that the land is Arabic.