National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel
Tel. (248) 557-4540 · Fax. (248) 557-4527 · E-mail: NCLCI@MSN.COM

Speeches from the 2002 Pro Israeli Washington Rally 

Washington Mall, April 15, 2002

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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

RABBI DAVID SAPERSTEIN (Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism): A lot of our speakers have been standing here from the beginning of the program. Let me introduce one of them now, a brilliant attorney, past chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, a champion of a broad range of concerns to the American Jewish community and the state of Israel. It's my honor to introduce Senator Arlen Specter.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA): (Cheers, applause.) I thank you and congratulate you for coming here today, on a gathering which is larger than we have in this area for the inauguration of the president of the United States. (Cheers, applause.) This gathering has been estimated at more than 100,000. I suggest to you that it is much more than 100,000, certainly in spirit. And I address you today in place of Senator Trent Lott, the Republican leader, who unavoidably is out of town.

This gathering is a strong affirmation of Israel's right to self- defense. (Cheers, applause.) The terrorist – the terrorist bombers who struck the United States on September 11th were just a little more sophisticated, hijacking planes and crashing into the trade center and heading for the White House and heading for this Capitol. And just as the United States pursued Taliban and al Qaeda and defeated them in Afghanistan, so too Israel has a right of self-defense. (Cheers, applause.)

It had been my hope that the Saudi peace plan would have amounted to something, but now we see Saudi Arabia having a telethon to raise $92 million for the Palestinians. When is Saudi Arabia going to have a telethon for the thousands of Americans who were killed by 19 terrorists, 15 of whom were Saudis? (Cheers, applause.)

I'm glad that President Bush sent Secretary Powell to the Mideast. It is my hope that moderates like Mubarak of Egypt and Abdullah of Jordan and the Moroccan leader would join together for some sensible approach.

My three minutes are up. Thank you for coming. God bless America. God bless Israel. (Cheers, applause.)