aelisnotonly,however,afriendandallyforus,itisabeaconofwhatdemocracycanandshouldmean.Itis,afterall,apluralisticdemocracy.Itis,asmanyofusknowfrompersonalexperiences,averydynamicdemocracywithmanypointsofview,andthoseareexpreedwithgreatfrequencyandvigor.SoifpeopleintheMiddleEastarenotsurewhatdemocracymea,letthemlooktoIsrael,whichhasbeenandremaiatrue,faithfuldemocracy.

Butweknowthatthegoal,theimportant,eentialgoalofademocratizingMiddleEastiscomplex,anditisnotwithoutrisks.Afewmonthsago,IwentforthesecondtimetoIraqandKuwaitandAfghanistanandPakistan,andIreturnedhomewithhopefulneaboutwhatIhadseenandlearned,butalsowithaseeofcautionabouthowweshouldproceed.InIraqIsawfirsthandthedailychallengesconfrontingtheIraqipeople.Imetwithanumberofourtroo,thebraveyoungmenandwomenwhoareonfreedom'sfrontlinesinIraq.ImetwithourcivilianrepresentativesintheembayandotheragencieswhoarealsoriskingtheirlivestohelptheIraqipeople.

AndImetwithrepresentativesoftheformerinterimIraqigovernmentandthenewlyelectedIraqigovernment,aswellasprivateIraqicitize.

NowIcameawaywithseveraloverwhelmingimpreio.First,nomatterwhatonethinksabouteventsthathaveunfoldedinIraq,thereisnodoubtthattheAmericanmilitaryhasperformedadmirably,withprofeionalism,andthateveryyoungmanandwomanwhowearstheuniformofourcountrydeservesoursuort,whethertheybeactiveduty,guard,orreservetroop.

Youknow,itisontrilikethat--deitetheoftendangerouscircumstances,IwishIcouldbringeveryoneofmycotituents--all19millionofthemandanyotherswhocouldcome--toseefirsthand.IflewfromBaghdadtoFallujahinaBlackhawkhelicopter;metwiththeMarineswhohadliberatedFallujahfromtheiurgentsandterrorists.

ImetwithmanyothersofourMarinesandsoldierswhoarecommittedtotheirmiiontotrytobringfreedomtothepeopleofIraq.They,aswellasthetrooIsawinKuwaitandinAfghanistan,arecommittedtothisfundamentalbeliefthatpeopledeservetherighttobefree,deservetherighttoselecttheirowngovernment,deservetherighttoplotandplanforabetterfutureforthemselvesandtheirchildren.

Ihopethateachofyou,asyoutravelthroughyourstatesandcommunities,willmakeitapointtothanktheseyoungpeople,becausethey'repayingaveryhighprice:1,600-pluslosttheirlivethousandsandthousandshavereturnedhomegrievouslyinjured.Becauseoftheadvancesinbattlefieldmedicineandthenewbodyarmorthatourtroowear,manyaresurvivinginjuriesthatwouldhaveleftpreviousgeneratioofyoungmenandwomendead.

SothereisnodoubtthatAmericahasstarteddownapath,withbloodandtreasure,totrytocreatetheconditionfordemocracyandfreedomintheMiddleEast--whichhascoequencesfortheentireregion,foroursecurity,andcertainlyforIsrael's.

Atthiscriticaltimeinthiscomplicatedsituationwefindourselvesin,Ithinkit'simportanttorecognizetheextraordinarystandthatPrimeMinisterSharonandthedemocraticallyelectedgovernmentofIsraelhavetakenastheyfacetherisksandchallengesofdisengagementandastheytrytodealwiththenewlyelectedPalestinianleadership.

Theprimeminister--whomIampleasedtonotewillfollowmetothisstage--andthestateofIsraelthathehasdevotedhisentirelifetoservingaretakingatremendousrisk.

IbelieveitisourobligationasfriendsandsuortersandalliesofIsraeltosuortIsrael'seffortsforpeace,stabilityandsecurity.Now,thismeadoingmorethanprovidingIsraelwitheconomicaidsothatitcanremainstronginthefaceofongoingthreats.WemustalsodemandthatPresidentAasdismantlethestructuresofterrorthatthePalestinianleadershiphasemployedforsolong.

Youknow,inademocracy,evenafledglingdemocracy,leadersmustbeheldaccountable.AndPresidentAasmustbeheldaccountablefortheactiotakingplaceunderhisleadership.IknowthatyouareaskingyoursenatorsandrepresentativestosignontoalettertoPresidentBushaboutthis,andI'mproudtosuorttheseeffortsbecausetherecanbenodoubtthatasIsraelanditsdemocraticgovernmenttakethesesteandwesuortthem,therehastobereciprocityontheothersideaswell.

AndmakingprogretowardpeaceandsecurityalsorequirestheendofthebarrageofhateandincitementthatisstillofficiallysanctionedbythePalestinianAuthority.Now,IwasrelievedtolearnthisweekthatthePalestinianAuthorityremovedtheProtocolsoftheEldersofZionfromitsweite.Reportedly,ithadbeenincludedontheweiteundertheheading"historyofZionism,"butwhatwasitdoingthereinthefirstplaceeventhoughwearerelievedthatitisnolongerthere?

Wemustcontinuetobevigilantaboutmonitoringhateandincitementandanti-Semitism,notonlybythePalestinianAuthoritybutthroughouttheArabworld.SauditextbookscharacterizeJewsaswicked.Iraniannewsreports,obviouslyrepresentingtheopinionoftheirgovernment,havelentcredencetoHolocaustdeniers.Thisisaniuethatallofusneedtobeconcernedabout.

Andfiveyearsago,Istoodwithmyfriend,ElieWiesel,todenouncethisincitement,thisviolence,thisanti-SemitisminPalestiniantextbooks.AndI'vebeenworkingonthisiuebecausetomeitisoneofthosebasiciuesthat--howdoweexpecttohaveademocraticallyelectedPalestiniangovernmentiftheirtextbooksarestillpreachingsuchhatred,andifweallowthisifweallowthisdehumanizingrhetorictogounchallenged.Becausewhatishaeningisyoungmindsarebeinginfectedwiththisanti-Semitism,andthatisgoingtoruncountertowhatwehopecanhaenoverthenextyearsaswedoworkforpeaceandstability.

Sowemustcontinuetoshineabrightotlightonthesemeagesofhatredandtheseenticementsformartyrdominthesetextbooksandonthemediathattakeyoungmindsandtwistandpervertthemandcreateanewgenerationofterroristsandiurgents.

Aboutayearandahalfago,IheldahearingwithSenatorecteronthePalestinianmedia,andIconfrontedthePalestinianAuthorityrepresentativeaboutthisiue,whomwehadinvitedtocomeandaddretheSenatecommittee.Iurgedhimtoacknowledgethatwhenitcomestochildren,whoeverthosechildrenare,shieldingthemfromhateandviolenceshouldbethenumberonepriorityoftheirfamiliesandtheirgovernmentsandtheentireglobalcommunitytopreventthishatredfromfestering.

Usingchildrenaspawinapoliticalproceistantamounttochildabuse,andwemustsayithastoendnow!

And,ofcourse,thatinfectioniscontagious,anditcanreadbeyondthePalestinianterritories.ItcanreadintootherpartsoftheArabworld,anditcanimpactwhatgoesonthere.

Andofcourse,oneoftheareasIamdeeplyconcernedaboutisIran,anditspursuitofnuclearweapo,becauseanuclear-armedIranwouldshakethefoundationofglobalsecuritytoitsverycore.Israelwouldbemostimmediatelyandprofoundlythreatenedbythisdevelopment,butIsraelwouldnotbealone.KnowingofIran'shistoricandpresenttiestoterroristnetworks,howwouldwefeel,hereinAmerica,iftheIraniacouldstartproducingnuclearweapoatwill?HowwouldtheEuropeafeelifIrancouldstartnuclearweapoatwill?

Soletusbeunequivocallyclear.Anuclear-armedIranisunacceptable,butitisnotjustunacceptabletoIsraelandtotheUnitedStates.Itmustbeunacceptabletotheentireworld,startingwiththeEuropeangovernmentsandpeople.

IknowthatduringyourconferenceandintheloyingthatyouwillbedoingonCapitolHill,you'retryingtodrawattentiontothethreatthatisposedbyanuclearIran.AndIcommendyoufortheseeffortthisisoneofourmostserioussecurityandforeignpolicypriorities.Andweneedtomakeworkin中华文秘版权所有gwithouralliestopreventanIraniannuclearweaponatoppriority.

NowoneoftheterroristgrouthatIransuortsisHezbollah.AndweknowthatHezbollahposesadirectanddirerisktothestabilityoftheMiddleEast.Syria'swithdrawalfromLebanon--whichisverygoodnewsfortheLebanesepeople--alsocreatesanoortunityforHezbollahtowreakhavoc.

SoweneedtoremainvigilantabouttheterroristthreatandworktostoptheflowofsuorttoHezbollahfromSyriaandIran.AndweneedtoconvinceourEuropeanalliesofHezbollah'sthreattoorderintheregionandtothecivilizedworld,andconvincethemtodesignateHezbollahasaterroristorganization.

AndtheEuropeamustdomoretocutoffthefundingandthefund-raisingthatgoesoninEuropeforHezbollah,Hamas,andIslamicJihadassoonaspoible.

Now,therearemanyotherimportantandpreingiuesthatmustbeonouragenda,butIknowthatasyoutraveltotheHilltomeetwithyourrepresentativesandsenators,youwillbepresentingaverythoughtfulandcompellinganalysisoftheseandotherchallengesweface.IthankyoufornotonlybeingwillingtostandupforourvaluesandourrelatiohipwithIsrael,butalsototakeyourreoibilitiesascitizeseriously,toloyandtoadvocate,topersuadeandtodiuade,todiscuthesecriticaliueswithallwhowilllisten.

Wearelivingatanextraordinarymomentinhistory.TherearesomedayswhenIamveryoptimistic,andthereareotherdays,Ihavetoconfe,whenI'mpeimistic.Iguethatjustgoeswiththeterritory.ButwhatIamaolutelyconvincedofisthatourcommonvalues,valuessharedandexemplifiedbyourcountryandbyIsrael,aretherightvalues,thevaluesthateveryoneshouldhaveanoortunitytobeexposedtoandtounderstandand,hopefully,toemulate.

Thereisnootheroptionintheworldthat,asTomFriedmansaid,hasbeenflattened.Wecancommunicatewitheachother,wecanbetraortedoverlongdistancesquickly,wecanfolloweventsinotherplacesfaraway.Andtherefore,weneedtorecognizethatourstruggle,ourongoingstruggleforfreedomanddemocracyistheonlywaythatwecaneurethatinthisshrinking,flattenedworld,ourchildrenwillhaveachanceforpeaceandsecurity.

Wecaotshrinkfromthedutythatthistimehasimposeduponus.Wecanhavegreat--andweshould--greatdebatesanddiscuioaboutwhatarethebestwaystoproceedandtopursuethesecommonobjectives.Weneedthat.Weneedthatdebateanddiscuionbecauseweareinunchartedterritory.Noonehasalltheawers,andweneedthecombinedintelligenceandgoodideasofasmanypeopleaspoible.

SowhatyouaredoingtodayisnotonlyonbehalfofAIPAC,notonlyonbehalfofIsrael,notonlyonbehalfofthestrongandenduringrelatiohipbetweentheUnitedStatesandIsrael;itistrulyonbehalfofthekindofworldwewantforourchildrenand,forthoseluckyenough,grandchildren.

Andwecaotgrowweary.Thisisalong,arduouspath.Israel,Israelis,theAmericanJewishcommunityandthebroaderdiaoraknowaboutthisstruggleandthispathbetterthanmost.

Soifweresolvenottogrowweary,buttopursuethesevaluestogether,Iamultimatelynotonlyoptimistic,butconfidentthattheworldwillseeabetterandbrighterday,andourchildrenwillth中华文秘版权所有ankusformakingitpoible.

Thankyouallverymuch.Godbleyou."

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