Natan Sharansky

Japan is not a Western democracy. The Japanese have kept their traditions, culture and heritage, but they have joined the community of free nations. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#culture #democracy #free #free nations #heritage

Non-democratic regimes always need to mobilize their people against external enemies in order to maintain internal stability. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#always #external #internal #maintain #mobilize

Of course, there can be serious injustices within free societies. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#free #free societies #injustices #serious #societies

On the other hand, if the free world is concerned with how a new Palestinian leader governs, then the peace process will have a real chance to succeed. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#concerned #free #free world #governs #hand

The central premise behind Oslo was that if Arafat were given enough legitimacy, territory, weapons and money, he would use his power to fight terror and make peace with Israel. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#behind #central #enough #fight #given

The message of the free world to any potential Palestinian leadership should be a simple one: Embrace democratic reform and we will embrace you. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#democratic #embrace #free #free world #leadership

The only peace that can be made with a dictator is once that must be based on deterrence. For today, the dictator may be your friend, but tomorrow he will need you as an enemy. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#deterrence #dictator #enemy #friend #made

There were no dissidents then in the USSR because they were all killed. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#dissidents #killed #then #ussr #were

This scepticism is the same scepticism I heard a generation ago in the USSR when few thought that a democratic transformation behind the iron curtain was possible. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#behind #curtain #democratic #few #generation

To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace - or at least a genuine peace - the link between the nature of a regime and its external behavior must be understood. ↗

— Natan Sharansky

#between #dictators #external #genuine #least