Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharanskyon 20 January 1948) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician, human rights activist and author who spent nine years in Soviet prisons. Natan Sharansky has served as Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency since June 2009...
NationalityRussian
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth20 January 1948
CountryRussian Federation
links dictator problem
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.
pressure too-much gorbachev
Those who warned that Gorbachev was being put under too much pressure were wrong.
country people desire
The three main sources of scepticism are first, that not every people desires freedom second, that democracy in certain parts of the world would be dangerous and third, that there is little the world's democracies can do to advance freedom outside their countries.
army thinking people
Just as the 99% of Soviet citizens who supported the Soviet regime in 1985 was no indication of what the people inside the USSR really thought, the army of true believers that we think we see in the Arab world is an illusion.
theory accomplished terror
My theory is that security - also against terror - can only be accomplished through global democratization.
serious injustice free-society
Of course, there can be serious injustices within free societies.
latin japan america
It is important to remember that some of the most serious thinkers once thought that democracy was not compatible with the cultures of Germany, Italy, Japan, Latin America and Russia.
order people enemy
Non-democratic regimes always need to mobilize their people against external enemies in order to maintain internal stability.
way looks dictator
Free nations generally look for ways to deal with dictators amicably.
simple world messages
The message of the free world to any potential Palestinian leadership should be a simple one: Embrace democratic reform and we will embrace you.
easter believe optimistic
I am optimistic that peace can be achieved in the region because I believe that every society on earth can be free and that if freedom comes to the Middle East, there can be peace.
japan community democracy
Japan is not a Western democracy. The Japanese have kept their traditions, culture and heritage, but they have joined the community of free nations.
successful optimism democracy
My optimism is not based primarily on the successful march of democracy in recent times but rather is based on the experience of having lived in a fear society and studied the mechanics of tyranny that sustain such a society.
fighting israel use
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.