Mahmoud Abbas Quotes

I simply want tomorrow to be better than today. I want Palestine to be independent and sovereign... Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.

I can certainly put myself in Israel's shoes. They are humans just like we are. They want peace and security inside their borders.

We cannot build foundations of a state without rule of law.

We cannot build a viable state with a country that is disintegrating into small pieces.

The little jihad is over, and now we have the bigger jihad - the bigger battle is achieving security and economic growth

We always have hoped that American diplomacy deploys itself in dialogue and persuasion rather than by ultimatums. That is the path we want in international relations.

If you run from a leaking roof you'll end up with a flood.

We want the Israelis to leave. They want to leave - so let us let them leave.

From here [the Gaza withdrawal], our people begin the march towards establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital

No state on earth can afford to allow several authorities to co-exist next to one another.

We have lost a very important religious figure who dedicated his life to peace and justice for all. [on the death of Pope John Paul II

Give me until the end of the year and I will be able to control the chaos in Gaza, ... Now that the Israeli pullout is completed, we will be able to better deal with the problem.

There is a requirement to ensure the withdrawal takes place in a civilized manner. We will be able to show the world we deserve independence and freedom.

It is high time that the Palestinian people restore their freedom and independence. It is high time that the decades, the long decades of suffering and pain would stop.

Let us all pledge to protect this opportunity in order to see that the wish of peace becomes a true and daily fact in this region.