| SPEAKERS
Sister
rose thering
GOV.
GEORGE PATAKI
Elie
Wiesel
BILL
BENNETT
Benjamin
Netanyahu
MORTIMER
ZUCKERMAN and
REP. DICK GEPHARDT
Natan
Sharansky
Deputy
Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz
MARK
SOKOLOW and
other victims of terrorism
JANET
PARSHALL, Robert Goldberg and
Sen. Harry Reid
RABBI
MICHAEL MELCHIOR
REP.
DICK ARMEY
Rudolf
Giuliani
SEN.
ARLEN SPECTER
Senator
Barbara Mikulski
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RUDOLF
GIULIANI
MC: Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome Kenneth J. Bialkin, past president of the Conference of
Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations.
MR. BIALKIN: Ladies and
gentlemen, few public figures have captured the heart and soul of a
nation as has our next speaker, Rudy Giuliani. (Applause.) For several
years as mayor, Mr. Giuliani's toughness, which was honed in his long
career fighting crime, has been forcefully turned against those who
threaten both the United States and Israel.
And when the terrible events of
September 11 focused the eyes of the world on New York City, in a new
way Rudy Giuliani became a tireless symbol in the struggle of his
beloved city, both to cope with tragedy and to rise above it. Our
nation, New York City, supporters of Israel, all owe him abiding
gratitude for his courageous leadership.
Please join me in expressing
that gratitude now as we welcome Rudy Giuliani. (Applause.)
MR. GIULIANI: Thank you very much, Ken. Thank you. Thank you. We're here
– we're all here today for the same purpose – to support America, to
support Israel and to support all those who join us in understanding
that we have to end terrorism, we have to end the threat of terrorism,
and we have to make it clear that we're going to stand together to
accomplish that
purpose. (Applause.)
I commend our great president, President Bush, and our government for
the determined, the patient, the courageous and the very focused effort
to accomplish that goal over the last seven months. It has truly been
inspirational.
Israel is vitally important to America and to all Americans and to all
who agree, and like us, are dedicated to political freedom, economic
freedom, religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights
and human life.
Those five principles define us as Americans. Together they constitute
our beliefs, our philosophy and our principles. And those five
principles bind us inextricably with the state of Israel. (Applause.)
Israel is an oasis of freedom in a desert of authoritarianism and worse.
It is an outpost of democracy where democracy is unique. And in all
ways, it's America's good friend. (Applause.)
When American lives were at risk in the Gulf War, it was Israel that
stood with America – (applause) – while others turned their backs.
When America was attacked on September 11th in New York, here in
Washington, and in Pennsylvania, attacked for our beliefs, the beliefs
we share with Israel, Israel stood with us shoulder to shoulder while
some others refused to condemn or even tried to shift the blame and
celebrate. We remember that. (Applause.)
To my good friends Prime Minister Sharon and to Prime Minister –
(applause) – and to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who you will hear from
very soon – (applause) – to Natan Sharansky and to my very good
friend, Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem – (applause) – I say today that I
think of you and I feel for you, for all parties in Israel.
I remember the attack on my city and I remember your being with me to
help and assist and I remember being with you and Governor Pataki and
Mayor Bloomberg in Jerusalem just a short while ago while we stood with
you as you stood with us to make the same point – we're not afraid.
We're not going to cower. We are not going to back down. We are going to
stand up for who we are and what we are. (Applause.)
Let us remember, yes, how important it is that Jerusalem remain the
undivided capital of the state of Israel. (Applause.) But let us also
remember, as these signs demonstrate to those of us of other religions,
Jerusalem is important to us, and our sites, our important institutions,
our churches and mosques, have never been treated as fairly as they have
since Israel has been – (applause) – guiding the fate of Jerusalem.
So for all of us, it is important that it stay that way.
All of us yearn for peace, but peace must be based on realism, not
romance. (Applause.) Peace must be based on security, not terrorism.
(Applause.) The desire for peace must not overwhelm our common sense.
Otherwise we will fail to achieve peace.
Let's be clear. There is no moral equivalent between the state of Israel
and the Palestinian Authority. (Applause.) Israel and the Palestinian
Authority are different. There is a difference between a nation based on
law and democracy and one that harbors terrorism.
For the good of America and for the good of Israel, the path to peace
must be based on three principles that we must re-emphasize. The
Palestinian Authority must live up to its agreements, agreements that it
made in exchange for territory, its agreements to assist in eliminating
terrorists and terrorism. They must do that for the good of Israel, for
the good of the Palestinian Authority, for the good of America and for
the good of all of us who understand the terrible risks we take in
allowing people to support terrorism.
The Palestinian Authority also must demonstrate, over a period of time,
a real effort, which it has not, to establish institutions of political
and economic freedom and religious toleration for all religions. And we
must, thirdly, re-analyze the territorial arrangement in order to
provide one that makes more sense in leading toward a lasting peace.
(Applause.)
All of us, as all you good people who have come here, all of us wish for
peace. We pray for it. All of us today, despite the horrible, horrible
events that we've been through in America and people have been through
in Israel, we are optimistic.
We are hopeful, because we know, not in any belligerent sense, but we
know that we're right and they're wrong. (Applause.) We're right about
political and economic freedom, about religious toleration, about the
rule of law and respect for human rights and human life.
So thank you for coming. Thank you for demonstrating your abiding
commitment to those principles. God bless Israel, God bless America, and
lead us to peace. (Applause.) Thank you.
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