Portrait of a Spy Quotes

“But that’s the beauty of American cable news, darling. It doesn’t have to be credible. It just has to be entertaining.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“Do unto others before they have a chance to do unto you.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“Heaven knows I am no expert, but it seems to me the terrorism game is a bit like the art trade. It has its peaks and valleys, its good seasons and bad, but it never goes away. – Julian Isherwood”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“It is not a question of whether France will be attacked by terrorists again but only a question of when and where. It is a sad fact that more lives will be lost to the fires of extremism. Regrettably, this is what it means to be a citizen of Europe in the twenty-first century. - French president”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“That sort of pithy comment sounds wonderful from the safety of a television studio, but I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way in the real world.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“Tikkun Olam, or Repair of the World.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“And the facts are quite simple. There exists in the world today an organized force that seeks to weaken or even destroy the West through acts of indiscriminate violence. This force is a part of a broader radical movement to impose sharia law and restore the Islamic Caliphate. And no amount of wishful thinking will make it go away.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“dilettante.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“There was a time when novelists wrote narrative and journalists were content to report facts.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“Shamron had always believed careers were defined less by the successes achieved than the calamities survived. “Any fool can take a victory lap,” he once famously remarked during a lecture at the Academy, “but only a truly great officer can maintain his composure and his cover when his heart is breaking.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught us there were Five Pillars of Islam. We believe there is a sixth. Jihad is not a choice. It is an obligation. The al-Saud understand this. Once again, they are willing to look the other way, provided the brothers don’t make trouble inside the Kingdom. That was Bin Laden’s biggest”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“I’ve always found it best to avoid the truth. It invariably leads to unnecessary complications.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“veil that hides the future from us is woven by an angel of mercy. Unfortunately, there’s no veil that can shield us from our past. It’s filled with ghosts. The ghosts of loved ones. The ghosts of enemies. They’re with us always. They’re here with us now.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy

“It’s been ten years since 9/11. Ten years, Gabriel repeated, and Saudi Arabia is still a cash machine for terrorists and Sunni extremist groups. There’s only one possible explanation. The deal with the devil has been renewed. The House of Saud is willing to turn a blind eye to Islamic terror as long as the secret rage is directed outward, away from the oil fields.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“It’s been 10 Years since 9/11. Ten years, Gabriel repeated, and Saudi Arabia is still a cash machine for terrorists and Sunni extremist groups. There’s only one possible explanation. The deal with the devil has been renewed. The House of Saud side is willing to turn a blind eye to Islamic terror as long as the secret rage is directed outward, away from the oil fields.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“A very wise man once told me that hope is not an acceptable strategy when lives are at stake. - Gabriel Allon”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“I’ve always found it best to avoid the truth. It invariably leads to unnecessary complications. - Gabriel Allon”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“In the Middle East, people of discretion are either spies or terrorists. - Nadia al-Bakari”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“In the Middle East, people of discretion or either spice or terrorists. – Nadia al-Bakari”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“There was a time with novelists wrote narrative and journalists were content to report facts. And the facts are quite simple. There exists in the world today an organize force that seeks to weaken or even destroy the West through acts of indiscriminate violence. This force is part of a broader radical movement to impose sharia law and restore the Islamic Caliphate. And no amount of wishful thinking will make it go away. - Adrian Carter”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“When counterterrorism officers feel optimism, innocent people usually end up dead. - Gabriel Allon”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“Since when has your team ever functioned smoothly? You’re Israelis. You fight with one another constantly. - Sarah Bancroft”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“I am a spy,” Carter said, relighting his pipe. I lie as a matter of course. So do you.”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“Hope is not an acceptable strategy when lives are at stake. Hope is what led to 9/11. - Adrian Carter”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait of a Spy

“Islamic Jihad. Burdened with two heavy cases filled with electronic gear, he greeted Sarah with an unambiguously frigid kiss. Eli Lavon would later describe it as”
― Daniel Silva, Portrait Of A Spy