Golda Meir

"Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us forty years through the desert in order to bring us to the one place in the Middle East that has no oil."

"I would much rather have a reputation for being honest than being popular."

"Every leader is followed because of what he says and what he does, not because of his title."

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself, if you embrace it with an open heart."

"I believe that what we say and what we do must be consistent."

"The only thing I can promise you is this: I will do the best I can, and if that is not good enough, then I will learn from it."

"Life has no more meaning than what we give to it."

"When you hear that you are being attacked, do not sit idle. Stand up and defend yourself immediately."

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism."

"You and I have a responsibility to act with integrity all the time."

"If we really believe in peace, then we must be willing to work for it, sacrifice for it, and live for it."

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission and your cooperation."

"I always thought that the test of one's health and character is not how much you can do, but how much you can not do."

"It is not about winning or losing. It is about whether you did your best."

"I have heard people say that they never intended to become leaders. They were forced into leadership by the times in which they lived."

"We are not accepted by all. Some will always hate us for what we believe."

"The most important thing is the mission, not the messenger."

"A person is like a painting. The background makes the picture, and the background of our lives is our daily work."

"I have learned to live with ambition, but never let ambition live with you."

"The day you stop learning about your enemy is the day you lose the war against him."

"We cannot command respect. We can only earn it."

"Do not be afraid of your enemies. Be afraid of your friends who do not tell you the truth."

"Power is something that can be taken away, but integrity is something that once lost, can never be retrieved."

"I have chosen to give my time and my strength to the building of the state of Israel."

"True friendship is not measured by the time you spend together, but by the understanding you share."

"You cannot buy your way into peace. Peace must be earned through understanding and work."

"The simplest things in life are often the most profound."

"I believe that every human being has the right to dream, and the courage to pursue it."

"If you want to know the character of a person, look at how they treat those who can do nothing for them."

"I was born with a certain determination to live, and that determination has never left me."