Yasser Arafat Quotes & Sayings

Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state. — Yasser Arafat

We completely condemn this very dangerous attack, and I convey my condolences to the American people, to the American president and to the American administration, not only in my name, but on behalf of the Palestinian people. — Yasser Arafat

Jordan recognizes that east Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state and Jordan rejects foreign sovereignty
Israeli sovereignty
over the holy sites — Yasser Arafat

Since we cannot defeat Israel in war, we do this in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel. — Yasser Arafat

The Palestinian state is within our grasp. Soon the Palestinian flag will fly on the walls, the minarets and the cathedrals of Jerusalem. — Yasser Arafat

Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing for an all-out war, a war which will last for generations. — Yasser Arafat

I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. — Yasser Arafat

I want to tell Carter and Begin that when the Arabs set off their volcano there will be only Arabs in this part of the world ... Our people will continue to fuel the torch of the revolution with rivers of blood until the whole of the occupied homeland is liberated, the whole of the homeland is liberated, not just a part of it. — Yasser Arafat

All our moves are based on four general principles: continued use of the rifle, no waiving of historical rights, no peace, and no negotiations ... Whatever form of government is established in the territory when the shadow of occupation passes away, whenever I address my fighters and revolutionaries, I shall say: 'Let our rifles be aimed at the beloved land, the land of the homeland, the land of Palestine — Yasser Arafat

It's always convenient for certain people to heap accusations on Israel. — Yasser Arafat

Palestine is only a stones throw away for a small Palestinian boy or girl. — Yasser Arafat

We will not bend or fail until the blood of every last Jew from the youngest child to the oldest elder is spilt to redeem our land! — Yasser Arafat

Palestine is the cement that holds the Arab world together, or it is the explosive that blows it apart. — Yasser Arafat

With hearts that believe in Allah's will and predetermination, we have received the news about the martyrdom of the martyr ... Al-Hotary, the son of Palestine, whose noble soul ascended to ... in order to rest in Allah's Kingdom, together with the Prophets, the men of virtue, and the martyrs. The heroic martyrdom operation ... who turned his body into bombs ... the model of manhood and sacrifice for the sake of Allah and the homeland. — Yasser Arafat

The Israelis are mistaken if they think we do not have an alternative to negotiations. By Allah I swear they are wrong. The Palestinian people are prepared to sacrifice the last boy and the last girl so that the Palestinian flag will be flown over the walls, the churches and the mosques of Jerusalem. — Yasser Arafat

In order to obtain the goal of returning to Palestine, all of us sometimes have to grit our teeth. — Yasser Arafat

Martyrs, martyrs, martyrs, ... we want a million martyrs to march on Jerusalem. — Yasser Arafat

Our law is a Jordanian law that we inherited, which applies to both the West Bank and Gaza, and sets the death penalty for those who sell land to Israelis. — Yasser Arafat

Whoever thinks of stopping the uprising before it achieves its goals, I will give him ten bullets in the chest. — Yasser Arafat

We shall never stop until we can go back home and Israel is destroyed ... The goal of our struggle is the end of Israel, and there can be no compromises or mediations ... the goal of this violence is the elimination of Zionism from Palestine in all its political, economic and military aspects ... We don't want peace, we want victory. Peace for us means Israel's destruction and nothing else. — Yasser Arafat

Peace cannot be achieved except after the cessation of military escalation and the economic and financial siege. — Yasser Arafat

Our basic aim is to liberate the land from the Mediterranean Seas to the Jordan River. We are not concerned with what took place in June 1967 or in eliminating the consequences of the June war. The Palestinian revolution's basic concern is the uprooting of the Zionist entity from our land and liberating it. — Yasser Arafat

All religious wars are about people arguing over who has the biggest invisible friend. — Yasser Arafat

We plan to eliminate the state of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion. We Palestinians will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem. — Yasser Arafat

This child, who is grasping the stone, facing the tank, is it not the greatest message to the world when that hero becomes a martyr? We are proud of them. — Yasser Arafat

Whoever stands by a just cause cannot possibly be called a terrorist. — Yasser Arafat

The war of attrition against the Zionist enemy will never cease. — Yasser Arafat

We will make the lives of the infidels hell - millions of martyrs marching on Jerusalem. — Yasser Arafat

The victory march will continue until the Palestinian flag flies in Jerusalem and in all of Palestine. — Yasser Arafat

Find what strength you have to terrorize your enemy and the enemy of God. — Yasser Arafat

I am convinced that our people are now on the way to establishing a Palestinian state. The agreement signed in Cairo is the first step in establishing the state, and therefore it should be implemented. — Yasser Arafat

This is my homeland no one can kick me out. — Yasser Arafat

Even if only one guerilla cub survives the prolonged struggle, I am confident that he will raise the flag of Palestine overJerusalem ... Jerusalem is destined to be the eternal capital of our sovereign, independent Palestinian state under the P.L.O. leadership. — Yasser Arafat

We do not want to destroy any people. It is precisely because we have been advocating coexistence that we have shed so much blood. — Yasser Arafat

The goal of our struggle is the end of Israel, and there can be no compromise. — Yasser Arafat

Arafat had said that the womb of the Palestinian woman was a "biological weapon," which he could use to create Palestine state by crowding people into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. — Yasser Arafat

Israel must withdraw from Jerusalem so that it becomes the capital of a state of Palestine. — Yasser Arafat

I swear to God, I will see [the Palestinian state], whether as a martyr or alive. Please, God, give me the honor of becoming a martyr in the fight for Jerusalem. — Yasser Arafat

I am not Mr. Chairman. I am His Excellency, the President of Palestine. — Yasser Arafat

What Kuwait did to the Palestinian people is worse than what has been done by Israel to Palestinians in the occupied territories. — Yasser Arafat

The Palestinian Rifle is ready and we will aim it if they try to prevent us from praying in Jerusalem. — Yasser Arafat

I send my condolences, and the condolences of the Palestinian people to American President Bush and his government and to the American people for this terrible act ... We completely condemn this serious operation ... We were completely shocked ... It's unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable. — Yasser Arafat

The Palestinian people have no national identity.
I, Yasser Arafat, man of destiny, will give them that identity through conflict with Israel. — Yasser Arafat

Choose your friends carefully. Your enemies will choose you. — Yasser Arafat

Let us be worthy of those who pin their hopes on us. May God bless you with success. — Yasser Arafat

Anyone who relinquishes a single inch of Jerusalem is neither an Arab nor a Muslim. — Yasser Arafat

You are the generation that will reach the sea and hoist the flag of Palestine over Tel Aviv. — Yasser Arafat