All I knew about Ethiopia was from a few records that I like as well as what I read about the famine. But you get there and it's another world. It's filled with art and music and poetry and intellectuals and writers - all kinds of people.

I think that one possible definition of our modern culture is that it is one in which nine-tenths of our intellectuals can't read any poetry.

Poetry is at the centre of my life too emotionally speaking and intellectually speaking - it's just that I'm one of those people who enjoy doing other stuff as well.

Imagine the peace symbol. The peace symbol has three pieces in it. One piece is emotion that's your body. Another piece has spirit in it that's your fuel. Another piece has intellect in it and that's your steering wheel. You can never overdo the fuel that goes into the body which is the emotions and the steering wheel to drive it.

That was my first lesson from Ben-Gurion. Then I saw him making peace and I saw him making war. He mobilized me before the war. The man was a very rare combination between a real intellectual and a born leader. There is a contradiction between the two.

The forces that are driving mankind toward unity and peace are deep-seated and powerful. They are material and natural as well as moral and intellectual.

Intellectually I know that America is no better than any other country emotionally I know she is better than every other country.

The first requirement of politics is not intellect or stamina but patience. Politics is a very long run game and the tortoise will usually beat the hare.

Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.

Nature holds the key to our aesthetic intellectual cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.