Americans admire a people who can scratch a desert and produce a garden. The Israelis have shown qualities that Americans identify with: guts, patriotism, idealism, a passion for freedom. I have seen it. I know. I believe that.

I can take it. The tougher it gets the cooler I get.

I don't think that a leader can control to any great extent his destiny. Very seldom can he step in and change the situation, if the forces of history are running in another direction.

In the long term we can hope that religion will change the nature of man and reduce conflict. But history is not encouraging in this respect. The bloodiest wars in history have been religious wars.