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National Christian Leadership Conference for
Israel
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National Christian Leadership Conference for
Israel
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Speeches from the 2002 Pro Israeli Washington RallyWashington Mall, April 15, 2002 |
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| SPEAKERS
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI MORTIMER ZUCKERMAN and REP. DICK GEPHARDT Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz MARK SOKOLOW and other victims of terrorism |
GOV.
GEORGE PATAKI
MC: Please welcome Larry Zicklin, president of UJ Federation of New York, and Ezra Levin, president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. (Applause.) MR. ZICKLIN: New York Governor George Pataki has never hesitated to stand with the people of Israel. How many of us, for example, will ever forget the powerful 13-hour visit he led with Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg in December of last year, exactly when it was most needed? MR. LEVIN: Today Governor Pataki is with us representing the governors of America. All too often across the nation, state and local officials are at the front lines of the battle against terrorism, as Governor Pataki was over these past months when his dedication and determination was an inspiration to us all. And like Governor Pataki, many of these officials have expressed their commitment to the goals of this rally, with the Oklahoma State Senate having passed a formal resolution in support of this gathering. MR. ZICKLIN: My friends, we are honored to introduce our friend and a friend of Israel and supporter of a request for peace with security, New York's governor, George Pataki. (Applause.)
GOV. PATAKI: Thank you. Thank you. And let me say, it's an honor to be here. When I was asked, "Could you be here for this rally in support of Israel?" my response was very simple: How could I not be here at this rally in support of the state of Israel? How could anyone who loves freedom, how could anyone who rejects terror, not be here? And certainly, how could anyone who represents New York, where we've seen the face of terror and the face of evil, not be here in support of the people and the state of Israel? I came here this afternoon. This morning I was in Watertown, New York at Fort Drum, and I was part of a ceremony where we welcomed back to New York State members of the 10th Mountain Division, who had just come back from Afghanistan, where they are risking their lives in defense of our freedom. It was an emotional moment. And we are proud of those heroes and we are proud of our president, who is committed to rooting out terror that threatens America anywhere in the globe, whether it's Afghanistan or the Middle East. But let me say that just as everyone here understands that the United States has the right to defend itself against terror, wherever that terror may come from, so too the people of Israel have the right to defend themselves against terror wherever that terrorism, wherever that threat may come from. (Applause.) And to me it's very clear. When you look at what Israeli soldiers have uncovered over the course of the past few weeks and days, the Palestinian Liberation Organization is not an organization looking to achieve peace. The documents have been found with Arafat's signature supporting terror. The PLO is an organization that harbors terrorists, supports terrorists, helps terrorists engage in their horrible activities. The PLO is a terrorist organization and must be stopped from continuing. (Applause.) And there are those who would say that there's some sort of a moral equivalency between the actions of Israel and the actions of the Palestinian terrorists. There is no moral equivalency between those who would kill using children, innocent civilians, children and adults, in their homes and in their places of worship, to that of a government that is seeking those terrorists before they can engage in that awful activity. The moral equation strongly tells everyone who understands freedom, who understands morality, that Israel is engaging in a just war in defense of its people and its freedom. (Applause.) You know, April 9th is a solemn day. It is Holocaust Remembrance Day. And I was honored to be at a ceremony at Temple Emmanuel in New York where we remembered the 6 million martyrs. It's incredible that less than 60 years later, not just terrorism but anti-Semitic terrorism exists, not just in the Middle East. It exists in France. It exists in Europe. We saw it in Kiev yesterday. We must denounce anti-Semitism. We must denounce terrorism, not just in the Middle East but wherever that terrorism rears its ugly head. (Applause.) You know, the real reason, the true reason Israel is under this barbaric attack is because Israel is our friend. Israel is an ally of the United States. Israel is a country that respects freedom – freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of worship. Today I could go to Jerusalem as a Roman Catholic and celebrate my religion in the cathedrals in Jerusalem. Today a Muslim could go to Jerusalem and express their religious beliefs in a Muslim mosque. Today Jews can go to synagogues across Israel and respect and reflect their religious beliefs. That was not the case before Israel controlled Jerusalem. Jerusalem is protecting the religious freedoms of the great religious. The Israeli people are doing that, and that is why Jerusalem must remain the eternal, undivided capital of Israel and of the Jewish people. (Applause.) So let me just say that I'm proud there is such an enormous crowd of those in support of Israel today. I'm proud there are so many New Yorkers in this crowd who not just stand with Israel but stand with those of us who believe in freedom. And I'm confident that as this world goes forward and our message gets heard, that we will defeat terrorism, whether it's al Qaeda or in the Middle East, and that Israel will have a bright, long and secure future. (Speaks phrase in Hebrew.) Long live Israel. God bless us. God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. (Applause.) |
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