Philadelphia Jewish Voice - Barak

Is Eating Crow Kosher? Hagel's Critics Should Apologize

Contributing Writer — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:09:15 GMT

Hagel Meets then-Defense Minister Barak. Photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo courtesy of the Defense Department

— by Marc R. Stanley (courtesy of the The Jerusalem Post)

Now that Chuck Hagel has completed his first trip to Israel as US defense secretary, it's time for the pro-Israel community to acknowledge the obvious: Secretary Hagel has demonstrated that he is following the president's lead when it comes to supporting Israel. Like his predecessors, Hagel has personally committed himself to strengthening the US-Israel defense relationship and working to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

In Israel, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and many others enthusiastically welcomed Secretary Hagel for a series of top-level meetings. The secretary's trip was an unqualified success for the Obama administration.

More after the jump.
Netanyahu expressed his confidence in Secretary Hagel by declaring, "In the past four years, we've greatly enhanced the defense and security relationship between Israel and the United States, and I am absolutely confident that we will continue to further strengthen this under your stewardship of the American defense establishment." Politico quoted a senior defense official traveling with the delegation as saying, "In Hagel's meetings with Israeli leaders — including Prime Minister Netanyahu — they repeatedly offered strong praise for President Obama. They believe he is strongly committed to Israel's security and clearly understands how Israel views the security challenges in the Middle East."

Ya'alon also expressed his support for Secretary Hagel by saying, "I want, Chuck, to express my personal appreciation for your friendship and for your solid and powerful support for our country. Toda raba."

The Israelis have good reason to be so welcoming to Secretary Hagel. He has proved himself firmly committed to America's "iron-clad pledge... to ensure Israel's Qualitative Military Edge [QME]." Under his watch, Israel will be a party to an unprecedented regional arms deal that will see the Jewish state receive advanced V-22 Ospreys, KC-135 refueling tankers, anti-radar missiles and advanced radar systems — some of which were denied for Israel by the Bush administration.

The new deal will simultaneously boost Israel's QME and send a firm warning to Iran that force is a real option to stop its nuclear program. Secretary Hagel has also sought nearly $400 million in funding for the Iron Dome antimissile system, to be delivered in the coming years.

It's no coincidence Secretary Hagel's first meeting with a foreign leader was with then-defense minister Ehud Barak — a former prime minister and Israel's most decorated soldier. Before their meeting, Barak declared at the 2013 American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Policy Conference, "As secretary of defense [Hagel] will no doubt serve his country with the same pride and honor with which he served both on the battlefield and in Congress."

Admittedly, the National Jewish Democratic Council was sometimes critical of Hagel when he served in the Senate. In retrospect, certain aspects of the NJDC's criticism may have gone too far. But our prior criticisms were negligible compared to the disgraceful treatment he received during the confirmation process: Hagel was wrongfully slandered as anti-Semitic, libeled as a so-called "Friend of Hamas," and treated with complete disrespect by certain Republicans who seemed more interested in future primary challenges and the politics of personal destruction than the confirmation process.

Hagel's tenure to this point has done more than enough to rebut these malicious and false charges leveled by his fellow Republicans.

Given this turn of events, it's time for his harshest critics to start making amends and admit that they were wrong.

A number of Congressional Republicans have started that process. House Armed Services Committee chair Buck McKeon (R-California) — an initial critic — now gives Secretary Hagel an A rating on his performance. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) — who skewered him during the confirmation process — told The Hill that the two now have a "professional relationship" and that "it is my job to work with him."

Obviously Senator McCain has not offered a ringing endorsement and is unlikely to do so, but there are many who would be well served by following his lead.

If Secretary Hagel's critics on Capitol Hill can begin to warm to him, then his most ardent critics in the pro-Israel community should as well. They co-opted the pro-Israel community's agenda and used Secretary Hagel as a proxy for attacking President Obama. In the process, they spread baseless lies and undermined bipartisan support for the US-Israel relationship. It's time for them to undo the damaged they caused and apologize for their shameful behavior.

The writer is the chair of the National Jewish Democratic Council.

Hagel Expresses Commitment to Israel's Security to Minister Barak

Contributing Writer — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:53:12 GMT

Photos by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo courtesy of the Defense Department

— by George Little, Pentagon Press Secretary

Secretary Hagel hosted Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak yesterday at the Pentagon for his first meeting with a foreign counterpart since taking office as secretary of defense. Secretary Hagel expressed his strong commitment to Israel's security, including maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge and continued U.S. support for missile and rocket defense systems in spite of fiscal constraints.

Secretary Hagel and Minister Barak agreed that the United States-Israeli defense relationship has never been stronger than during the Obama administration and that both nations will continue this unprecedented close cooperation.

More after the jump.
The leaders discussed the range of security interests shared by the U.S. and Israel, including the need for the Syrian regime to maintain control over chemical and biological weapons in their country; the leaders pledged to continue U.S.-Israel contingency planning to counter that potential threat.

Regarding Iran, Secretary Hagel reiterated that President Obama is committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon with all options on the table. He stated that the United States continues to believe there is still time to address this issue through diplomacy, but that window is closing.

Secretary Hagel noted the two have had an outstanding working relationship dating back to Minister Barak's days as prime minister and he thanked Minister Barak for his kind words at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference. Secretary Hagel expressed his desire to visit Israel soon and Minister Barak stated that Israel looks forward to hosting him in the near future.

Sanctions, Sabotage & Sangfroid: Turning Back Iranian Nukes

Publisher — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:45:24 GMT

Before Obama took office in January 2009, the Iranian nuclear program was proceeding unabated and Iran was said to be months away from a nuclear weapon. Now, while there are those who claim that "Iran is four years closer to a nuclear weapon," we actually have signs of progress in the effort to stop Iran.

In an interview with The Telegraph , Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak reports that:

"Iran has drawn back from its ambition to build a nuclear weapon but the respite is only temporary and Tehran will still have to be confronted by next summer...
An immediate crisis was avoided in the summer when Iran quietly chose to use over a third of its medium-enriched uranium for civilian purposes, delaying the moment when it could have built a nuclear bomb. Without this decision, Mr Barak told The Daily Telegraph, the situation would "probably" have peaked before the US presidential election...
Mr Barak said this decision "allows contemplating delaying the moment of truth by eight to 10 months". As for why Iran had drawn back, the minister said: "There could be at least three explanations. One is the public discourse about a possible Israeli or American operation deterred them from trying to come closer. It could probably be a diplomatic gambit that they have launched in order to avoid this issue culminating before the American election, just to gain some time. It could be a way of telling the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] 'oh we comply with our commitments'."
Mr Barak added: "Maybe it's a combination of all these three elements. I cannot tell you for sure."
But this decision had probably avoided a crisis. Asked whether the critical moment would otherwise have arrived "about now", Mr Barak replied simply: "Probably yes."

The joint US-Israeli pressure against Iran has taken a number of forms:

Spies (presumably American or Israeli) have planted explosives on vehicles in Tehran and assassinated a number of key Iranian nuclear physicists instrumental to the success of the Iranian Nuclear Program while yet other physicists have been encourages to seek asylum.
Intense global sanctions have crippled the Iranian economy, causing the Iranian Rial to lose most of its value in recent months leading to strikes and popular unrest in the Iranian marketplaces.
Ahmadinjad's personal photographer was enticed to seek asylum in the United States during the latest United Nations General Assembly. This is a real coup for US intelligence since he came to the US with two suitcases packed with recordings of visits by the Iranian president and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of top-secret nuclear facilities and Revolutionary Guards installations.
As a sign of the international community's resolve to use force against Iran if necessary, a 26-nation fleet led by the United States and Britain held war games in the strategic Straits of Hermuz, simulating the kind of military cooperation which would be required to breach an Iranian blockade keep oil flowing through the Straits in case of war with Iran.
Similarly, the US and Israel just completed war games to demonstrate our ability to defend Israel from missile attacks. These war games were the largest ones that the US or Israel had ever taken part in.
DEBKAFile reports: "The sabotage of the Fordo uranium enrichment facility's power lines on Aug. 17, gave Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the extra leeway to move his original red line for Iran from late September 2012 - now - to the spring or early summer of 2013."
Stuxnet is believed to have been designed as a joint US-Israeli covert initiative. This computer virus infiltrated Iranian nuclear facilities, recorded sensor readings and then destroyed the Iranian nuclear centrifuges by causing them to spin out of control while false sensor readings were displayed in order to prevent the operators from being aware of what was going on.
The United States has supplied Israel with the powerful "bunker-busting" bombs necessary to penetrate Iranian defenses.
DEBKAFile reports that a secret Iranian missile base was struck by a triple blast just before Ahmadinejad arrived in Lebanon to declear that Israel was destined to "disappear".

Cartoon reprinted courtesy of Yaakov (Dry Bones) Kirschen www.DryBonesBlog.blogspot.com.

Obama's Support of Israel Gets My Support

Publisher — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:02:38 GMT

— by Richard Rosenblatt

As an old, loyal, American Jew who cares about Israel I want to explain why I am committed to Obama for a second term as president. I am a WWII veteran and former USAF pilot. In the early 1930s I traveled to Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv to visit an uncle, an aunt, and my grandparents. I returned on many occasions.

I have watched U.S. administrations come and go in the years since the British Mandate. Never has any American president done more for Israel than has President Obama. Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, The Jerusalem Post, and Ambassador Shapiro have all spoken out publicly confirming Obama's extraordinary support and unconditional commitment to Israel.

The following are some of the areas in which Obama has exceeded all other U.S. presidents in his actions to support the "special relationship" between the United States and Israel:

Obama provided Israel with the largest amount of military aid in U.S. history.
Obama has restored Israel's Qualitative Military Edge with advanced weaponry.
Obama's diplomatic support for Israel in the UN and around the world is unparalleled and unprecedented.
Obama recently personally and forcefully intervened to rescue Israel's diplomats in Cairo.
President Obama said in front of the United Nations,
"Let us be honest with ourselves: Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against it. Israel's citizens have been killed by rockets fired at their houses and suicide bombs on their buses. Israel's children come of age knowing that throughout the region, other children are taught to hate them... Those are facts. They cannot be denied."

A Tale of Two Trips

Publisher — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:06:42 GMT

— by Elizabeth Leibowitz

Perhaps the most interesting moment in Monday's presidential debate was one of President Obama's best lines of the night:

...when I went to Israel as a candidate, I didn't take donors, I didn't attend fundraisers, I went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum there, to remind myself the nature of evil and why our bond with Israel will be unbreakable." He continued, saying, "I went down to the border towns of Sderot ... I saw families there who showed me where missiles had come down near their children's bedrooms, and I was reminded of ... what that would mean if those were my kids, which is why, as president, we funded an Iron Dome program to stop those missiles.

Now, let me begin by saying that I know Romney visited Yad Vashem in 2007 and traveled to Sderot in 2011. But when the details of the two men's trips to Israel as presidential candidates are contrasted and evaluated for who was more "presidential," only one individual fits the bill.

President Obama visited Israel during his 2008 presidential campaign and met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, President Shimon Peres, then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, then-opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and - unlike Governor Mitt Romney - with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. He traveled to Sderot, where he talked with families who faced the daily fear of Palestinian rocket fire. He visited Yad Vashem, where he laid a wreath on a tomb that contains ashes from Nazi extermination camps. Obama's trip to Israel greatly affected his actions once in office, prompting him to provide record aid to Israel, restore the country's Qualitative Military Edge, fund the Iron Dome missile defense system, and more.

Governor Romney had quite a different trip as a candidate. He did meet with Peres, Netanyahu, and various other Israeli leaders — though he opted to cancel his meeting with the Labor Party's Shelly Yachimovich. He chose to only meet with Fayyad, selecting to return to Jerusalem on the eve of Tisha B'Av to focus on his speech as well as his $50,000-a-plate fundraiser. Standing in front of his supporters, Romney spoke broadly about his stances on the Middle East, all the while dishing out subtle jabs at the President and breaking the "politics stop at the water's edge" protocol. The next day, he managed to stretch U.S.-Palestinian relations even further when he chalked up the difference between Israeli and Palestinian economies to "culture." During Romney's August 2012 trip as a candidate, there was no trip to Sderot, no visit to Yad Vashem, and no conversations with average Israelis about their hopes for the future. Instead, his trip to Israel served a political purpose.

There is only one candidate in the 2012 race whose trip to Israel was presidential and whose actions afterward were presidential-President Barack Obama.

Israelis Thank Obama for Unprecedented Missile Defense Support

Publisher — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:55:41 GMT

— by David A. Harris

Since President Barack Obama entered office back in 2009, the NJDC has been reporting the facts about his extensive pro-Israel record. But even with all of the praise from Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, what do average Israelis have to say about the President and his commitment to securing Israel — especially when it comes to missile defense programs like the Iron Dome?

Quotes follow the jump.
Sasson from Sderot — which faces daily rocket attacks from Hamas — said:

Sderot is important to him. The Jewish people are important to him. The State of Israel is important to him. .. Obama is sympathetic to our problems and he supports the protection of the citizens of Israel.

Chaim Yosef, another Sderot resident, said:

Before the Iron Dome I was afraid to fall asleep because every time the siren went off, I knew I had to run to safety. Now, with the Iron Dome existing, I am a lot less fearful.

Wolf Blitzer asks Ehud Barak about US-Israel Relations

Publisher — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:18:12 GMT

— by Andy Newbold

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threw cold water on the right-wing media narrative that President Obama is anti-Israel, praising Obama for doing "more" for Israeli security than any other U.S. president.

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer that aired yesterday on CNN's The Situation Room, Barak responded to a question about the state of the current U.S.-Israeli relationship by saying, "I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing, in regard to our security, more than anything that I can remember in the past."

BLITZER: You've studied U.S.-Israeli relations over many years. How would you describe the relationship today?
BARAK: I think that from my point of view as defense minister they are extremely good, extremely deep and profound. I can see long years, administrations of both sides of the political aisle deeply supporting the state of Israel, and I believe that reflects the profound feelings among the American people. But I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing, in regard to our security, more than anything that I can remember in the past.
BLITZER: More than any other president? LBJ, Bill Clinton, or George W. Bush?
BARAK: Yeah, in terms of the support for our security, the cooperation of our intelligence, the sharing of thoughts in a very open way even when there are differences, which are not simple sometimes, I found their support for our defense very stable.

More after the jump.
Barak's praise for Obama on Israeli security flies in the face of the right-wing media's false narrative that Obama is hostile to Israel, a narrative that goes as far back as 2008. These bogus attacks include claims that Obama and members of his administration are anti-Semitic and that Obama may use military force against Israel.

Just yesterday, conservative media figures added to this narrative by remarking that Obama, as president, hasn't visited Israel.

During an appearance on Fox News' Special Report, Fox contributor and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol praised Romney's recent visit to Israel while noting that "President Obama has not been in Israel as President of the United States." Fox's Sean Hannity similarly said that it is an "alarming fact that after nearly four years in office, President Obama has yet to visit our closest ally in the Middle East in what is now a very troubling time."

In fact, Obama visited Israel as a candidate, just like Mitt Romney, and it is not unusual for a president to not make a trip to Israel during a first term. Furthermore, none of the previous three Republican presidents made trips to Israel at this point in their presidencies, and neither Ronald Reagan nor George H.W. Bush traveled to Israel as president at all.

Panetta: U.S. "Won't Allow Iran to Develop a Nuclear Weapon. Period"

Publisher — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:27:52 GMT

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta stressed the U.S. "rock solid commitment to the security of Israel and to the security of its citizens" during his visit to the Iron Dome battery in Israel, August 1.

— by Danielle Lehrer

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta landed in Israel to reaffirm the "close defense ties between Israel and the U.S" and to discuss efforts to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. Panetta met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. According to the Defense Department, stopping Iran's nuclear program was "square on the agenda."

Panetta stated during his trip:

Israeli and American leaders 'continue to work together in the effort to ensure that Iran does not reach that point of developing a nuclear weapon.'
'What we are discussing is various contingencies and how we would respond,' Panetta said. 'We don't talk about specific military plans. We continue to run a number of options in that area, but the discussions I will have in Israel [will be to determine] the threat we are confronting and to share both information and intelligence on it.'

And:

'The United States,' he said, 'will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Period.'
'I want you and the people of Israel to know a few things that have not and will not change,' he said. 'The United States stands firmly with Israel and we have a rock solid commitment to the security of Israel and to the security of its citizens.'

After his praise for the Obama Administration this week, Barak said:

When we say all the options are on the table, and when the Americans say all the options are on the table, we mean it, and I believe the Americans mean it.

During his trip, Panetta visited one of the U.S.-funded Iron Dome batteries that are protecting Israel from rocket attacks. The American Forces Press Service published an article today about how the Iron Dome missile defense system is an important demonstration of U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation. Click here to read it.

More photos from Panetta's trip appear after the jump.

Sec. Clinton Meets with Peres and Other Leaders in Israel

Publisher — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:12:02 GMT

— by Max Samis

As part of her current overseas diplomatic trip, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is currently in the State of Israel, her fourth such trip during her time in office. During her visit, Clinton is expected to discuss a wide range of topics with a number of prominent Israeli leaders.

Ilon Ben Zion of The Times of Israel reported:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton landed in Israel early Monday morning for a two-day visit following a trip to Egypt. She was accompanied by US Middle East envoy David Hale and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, who represents Washington at the talks between world powers and Iran.
Clinton met with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem Monday morning and was set to hold meetings with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day. She will also meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at her hotel in Jerusalem. This is Clinton's fourth visit to Israel since taking office...
During her visit, Clinton is also expected to try to make inroads in restarting direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Clinton will likely ask the Israeli government to release Palestinians imprisoned in Israel since before the Oslo peace process, and will ask President Mahmoud Abbas to refrain from requesting observer state status from the UN.

Upon landing, Clinton paid a visit to the residence of Israel President Shimon Peres, where the two leaders held a joint press conference. Barak Ravid of Haaretz wrote:

Talking to the press, Clinton said, 'It is a time of uncertainty but also of a big opportunity in the region. At times like these friends like us need to work together in a smart, creative and courageous way...'
Following his meeting with Clinton, Peres said that, Egypt is a key state in the region and that Israel wants to uphold the peace treaty with Egypt. 'We respect the results of the elections in Egypt, and hope for another 30 years of peace,' he said.
Peres added that he was convinced that there is international understanding of the danger that the Iranian regime represents to the world, and highlighted that the sanctions that have been imposed on Iran have started to work.
'I hope that Iran will return to its rich legacy and be a country that does not threaten anyone, and no one makes threats against,' he said.

More after the jump.
Greer Fay Cashman of The Jerusalem Post also reported:

Clinton praised Peres, saying no other individual had done so much to build the alliance between Israel and the US. 'Few people know the inextricable link between security and peace,' she stated.
Peres was also complimentary of Clinton, referring to her as 'a constant friend' who is "blowing the wind of freedom all over the world."
Peres told Clinton that he appreciated the fact that she came to Israel immediately after Egypt because Egypt is the key country in the Middle East and it depends on Egypt and Israel to continue the march of freedom for the whole of the region.
Peres reiterated what he has frequently said, that peace between Israel and Egypt has saved the lives of thousands of Egyptians and Israelis.

You can watch the video of Clinton's remarks here or below. You can also see photos from Clinton's visit with Peres below. The full transcript of Clinton's remarks can also be read here.

Clinton also paid a visit to the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, where she spoke with Ambassador Dan Shapiro. Speaking to the staff and families of the embassy and consulate, Clinton said:

But mostly I wanted to say thank you to all of you for the work that you do every single day here in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv supporting the extraordinarily important ties between the United States and Israel, working with the Palestinian Authority on so many of the issues that are critically important, assisting a huge number of Americans who visit this area, and of course, continuing our commitment as we seek to support a lasting peace. You are working at the forefront of one of our most important and challenging diplomatic efforts. Here in the Consulate General you are assisting with development and security, helping to build the infrastructure for a future Palestinian state. In the Embassy you're sustaining one of our most important alliances, building the people-to-people connections that are so important to our relationship. And over the last year and a half, you've all continued to promote American interests amid the turbulence and unpredictable circumstances of the changes sweeping the region.
Looking at all of you is very reassuring. I read cables. I get reports. But I like seeing you in person. And it's not just because you handle so many complex issues with great poise and professionalism, but it's also frankly because this group represents the sort of collaboration across ethnicities and faiths that is so essential in the 21st century. It's essential to move toward the goals of bringing people together, of finding common ground, and of building a future based on mutual respect and mutual interests...
So from President Obama and myself, thank you. Thank you for your exemplary service, your commitment, for representing the United States so well. We may not always say it, but we know it, and whenever I get a chance to say it, I try to do so because I want you to hear it: We know what you're doing and we appreciate it very, very much.

Click here to read her full remarks.

Clinton also met with Defense Secretary Ehud Barak, discussing the various security needs facing Israel and the ongoing cooperation between the two countries. Stuart Winer of The Times of Israel, along with the AP, wrote:

Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with visiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday saying the bonds between Israel and America are strong.
'The Americans consistently and constantly backup Israel's security needs,' Barak said in the meeting.

Clinton's remarks from her meeting with Barak can be read here.

Clinton is also expected to attend a dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this evening, followed by a press conference in Jerusalem.

Clinton is just the latest official from the Obama administration to visit Israel, following National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, and ahead of the just-announced visit by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Romney in Quakertown: Says he'll do 'opposite' of Obama on Israel

Publisher — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 02:42:20 GMT

— by Ira Forman

Mitt Romney in Quakertown (Bucks County, Pennsylvania) claimed Saturday that he would "look at the things the President has done and do the opposite" in our relationship with Israel.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

He responded with ridicule when asked what he would do, if elected, to strengthen U.S. relations with the Jewish state.
'I think, by and large, you can just look at the things the president has done and do the opposite,' Romney said, to laughter and applause from members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, an evangelical Christian political organization.

But Romney is, once again, trying to score cheap political points by distorting President Obama's strong record of support for the state of Israel.

Does Mitt Romney want people to believe he would reverse President Obama's commitment — in both words and actions — to Israel's security and the unshakable bond between our two countries?

If Romney was to actually do the opposite of what the President Obama has done, he would jeopardize Israel's security and international standing:

Would Romney actually reverse President Obama's policy of increasing security assistance to Israel every year, including unprecedented support for Israel's Iron Dome rocket defense system? President Obama has increased his request for security assistance to Israel every year of his administration, and his budget includes a record-high $3.1 billion in military assistance to Israel in addition to missile defense spending. President Obama has also directed the Pentagon to expand U.S.-Israel security cooperation, committing $205 million dollars to assist in shielding Israelis from mortars and rockets as part of an ongoing effort to "deepen and expand the quantity and intensity of cooperation to the fullest extent"
Would Romney actually let Israel stand alone at the United Nations? President Obama prevented Palestinian efforts to circumvent direct negotiations with Israel and unilaterally seek statehood recognition through the United Nations. He used the first Security Council veto of his presidency to stop condemnation of Israel settlements and stood by Israel in pushing back against the one-sided Goldstone Report. Prime Minister Netanyahu called President Obama's support for Israel at the United Nations "a badge of honor."
Would Romney actually refuse to come to Israel's aid when they ask for help? When Israel's embassy in Cairo was attacked by protestors in September 2011, President Obama called on Egypt to protect the embassy and offered his support to Prime Minister Netanyahu; the next day, Netanyahu publicly thanked the President for his help and called it a "decisive and fateful moment." When Israel's Carmel Forest caught fire in 2010, the worst natural disaster in Israel's history, Prime Minister Netanyahu turned to President Obama for help, and the President directed his administration to "get Israel whatever it needs. Now."

Israeli leaders have highlighted President Obama's steadfast support for the Jewish state. In an address to the Union for Reform Judaism, Ehud Barak said that the bonds between Israel and the United States are "stronger and deeper than ever" under President Obama. President Peres said that you should judge a President on his record and that under President Obama, Israel and the United States have "the best relationship on the issue of security.... this is a fact."

It's time for Romney to stop distorting President Obama's record on Israel to score political points. Our relationship with Israel is far too important.

DHS Secretary Napolitano Visits Israel for Strategic Talks

Publisher — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:15:52 GMT

— by David Streeter

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano visited Israel this week for a number of strategic talks with high-level Israeli officials.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release recapping the first day of her trip:

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano ... traveled to Jerusalem where she met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and other Israeli officials to discuss security-related issues, and signed a Joint Statement on the implementation of the Global Entry trusted traveler program for Israeli citizens with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
'This agreement is part of the United States' strong and enduring partnership with Israel, dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of both our countries,' said Secretary Napolitano. 'Global Entry will expedite the customs and security process for trusted Israeli air travelers arriving in the United States, while maintaining the highest standards of security.'

Recap of the second day of the trip after the jump.
DHS said in a press release summarizing her second day in Israel:

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano ... concluded her visit to Israel, delivering remarks on the Department's collaboration with international partners to combat terrorism and facilitate trade and travel at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, and meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to discuss security-related issues.
'The United States remains steadfastly committed to Israel's security. The bonds between our two nations are unshakeable, lasting and critical to both our peoples,' said Secretary Napolitano.
During her remarks, Secretary Napolitano underscored the importance of partnering with Israel to address shared challenges - from preventing terrorism to securing the global supply chain to preparing for and recovering from natural disasters....
Secretary Napolitano also met with Minister of Defense Ehud Barak and Minister of Home Front Defense Matan Vilani to discuss cooperation and recent progress on issues related to information sharing, global supply chain security, aviation security and emergency management.

Obama Admin. to Provide Israel with $70M for Iron Dome

Publisher — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:20:41 GMT

— by David Streeter

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta hosted Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at the Pentagon today for bilateral discussions focused on Israel's security and Iran. Panetta announced during the meeting that the Obama Administration will be providing Israel with an addition $70 million in funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system, which is in addition to the $205 million previously given.

Panetta's statement and reaction from JTA after the jump.
Panetta said in a statement:

The level of security cooperation between the United States and Israel has never been stronger. One important example of this cooperation is U.S. support for Israel's Iron Dome short range rocket and mortar defense system.
I was pleased to inform Minister Barak that the President supports Israel's Iron Dome system and directed me to fill the $70 million in assistance for Iron Dome that Minister Barak indicated to me Israel needs this fiscal year.
My goal is to ensure Israel has the funding it needs each year to produce these batteries that can protect its citizens. That is why going forward over the next three years, we intend to request additional funding for Iron Dome, based on an annual assessment of Israeli security requirements against an evolving threat. This is part of our rock solid commitment to Israel's security and comes on top of approximately $3 billion in annual security assistance for Israel.
The U.S. has already provided $205 million in assistance for that system, and operational batteries have already proven effective in defending against rocket attacks on Israel earlier this year. Iron Dome has already saved the lives of Israeli citizens, and it can help prevent escalation in the future.
Minister Barak and I have been discussing additional U.S. support for Iron Dome, and in recent months our departments have been working closely to gauge Israel's security needs and production capacity for that system.
This is assistance that, provided Congress concurs, we can move quickly, to ensure no shortage in this important system. Meanwhile, we will stay in close consultation in the years ahead to ensure we are making necessary investments in this important system.

JTA reported:

Legislation under consideration in Congress, shaped in consultation with administration officials, would deliver $680 million to Israel for the system, which earlier this year successfully intercepted rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
The system was funded in part by $205 million transferred by the United States to Israel in 2011.
Barak in a statement said he 'greatly appreciated' the announcement, adding that 'This additional funding for the Iron Dome system comes at a crucial time for the Israeli people.'
Barak is in Washington to discuss with Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton efforts to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon....
Israel would likely seek to shore up its defenses against attacks on its borders ahead of any conflict with Iran, as Iran would be likely to pressure surrogates in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon to attack.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee also praised the Obama administration for its announcement.
'This funding will enable the Jewish state to better protect its citizens, thus preventing a wider conflict,' AIPAC said in a statement. 'Missile defense programs are a cornerstone of U.S.-Israel cooperative programs. The two allies work together to develop innovative technologies that advance the security of both nations.'

National Security Advisor Tom Donilon Returns From Israel

Publisher — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:29:49 GMT

National Security Advisor Tom Donilon concluded a three day visit to Israel today for consultations with senior Israeli officials including Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, Chief of the General Staff Gantz, and National Security Advisor Gen. Yaakov Amidror. Mr. Donilon and his delegation addressed the full range of security issues of mutual concern. The visit is part of the continuous and intensive dialogue between the United States and Israel and reflects our unshakeable commitment to Israel's security. Mr. Donilon relayed to Prime Minister Netanyahu that the President looks forward to meeting with him at the White House on March 5.

Gen. Dempsey in Israel: "America is Your Partner"

Publisher — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

— by David Streeter

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey visited Israel to conduct high level meetings regarding the Iranian threat. The New York Times reported on Dempsey's trip:

The meetings were closed and their contents were not revealed. But General Dempsey, on his first visit to Israel as military chief, was quoted in brief remarks released by the office of Israel's defense minister as saying, 'We have many interests in common in the region in this very dynamic time, and the more we can continue to engage each other, the better off we'll all be.'...
General Dempsey began his visit here with an intimate dinner on Thursday evening at a restaurant in Jaffa with his counterpart, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, Israel's military chief of staff. The men were joined by their wives. Early Friday, General Dempsey was greeted at Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv with an honor guard and held meetings with General Gantz and other senior commanders.
The top generals 'discussed military-to-military relations, the new U.S. defense strategy, budget and economic issues and regional security challenges,' Col. Dave Lapan, the Special Assistant for Public Affairs in the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement.
Other meetings were held with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Barak and Israel's president, Shimon Peres. General Dempsey also visited Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial, where he wrote in the visitors' book, 'We are committed to ensuring that such a human tragedy never happens again.' He departed Israel before the onset of the Sabbath at sundown on Friday.
Each of the meetings 'reinforced the deep and special relationship shared by Israel and the U.S.,' Colonel Lapan said, and 'served to advance a common understanding of the regional security environment.'...
Mr. Peres told General Dempsey on Friday that 'Even today in a very complicated situation we can find a common ground. We have profound trust in your democratic system and your armed forces.' General Dempsey assured Mr. Peres that 'America is your partner and we are honored to have you as a partner in that regard.'

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Military, General Martin E. Dempsey, visited Israel On January 19th -- 20th, 2012. This was General's Dempsey's first visit to Israel, and he was hosted by the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz.
During his visit, General Dempsey held a private meeting with Lieutenant General Gantz, as well as a briefing with senior commanders of the General Staff, focusing on cooperation between the two militaries, as well as mutual security challenges. During his visit, General Dempsey also met with the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, with the Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, and with the President, Mr. Shimon Peres.

General Dempsey was welcomed to the IDF General Headquarters in Camp Rabin (the Kirya) by an IDF honor guard of soldiers and to the sounds of the national anthems of Israel and the United States of America. General Dempsey also visited the Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial Museum, where he was very moved by the exhibition.

In brief remarks after the tour, Dempsey noted the significance of the date -- 70 years to the day of the infamous Wannsee Conference held in that Berlin suburb on Jan. 20, 1942. It was at that meeting that senior officials of the Nazi regime discussed their "Final solution to the Jewish problem."

"We are committed to ensuring that such a human tragedy never happens again," Dempsey wrote in the museum's visitor's book.

Shalom TV Live Premiers Today Throughout North America

Publisher — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:52:54 GMT

— by Alan Oirich

Barack Obama, Glenn Beck, Ed Koch and Ehud Barak will headline the premiere of Shalom TV Live

Jews throughout North America will have a new channel available for viewing beginning today, February 1, 2012, as "Shalom TV Live" premieres with a wide array of programming.

Shalom TV Live can be viewed online on any computer or mobile device by visiting the Shalom TV Web site. The channel will also be premiering in New York City and in Miami on Hotwire Communications and will soon be carried on cable systems throughout the country.

The new television channel will compliment Shalom TV's extremely successful Free Video On Demand programming which is currently available in more than 40 million homes on virtually every cable system in the United State and on Rogers Cable in Canada.

A Jewish "PBS-style" channel in the breadth of its programming, the first week of Shalom TV Live features:

the annual dinner of the Zionist Organization of America in NY and the addresses of ZOA President Morton Klein and keynote speaker Glenn Beck;
the Union For Reform Judaism's Biennial in Washington, DC, with President Barack Obama, Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Jewish Agency Chair Natan Sharansky, and outgoing URJ President Rabbi Eric Yoffie,
an interview with former New York City Mayor Ed Koch
an interview with the recent past chairman of the Presidents Conference, Alan Solow, a longtime friend of President Obama.
And viewers will share in the fiftieth anniversary of the Foundation For Jewish Culture as its CEO, Elise Bernhardt, presents Jewish Cultural Achievement Awards to individuals who have made major cultural contributions, including Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt.

In addition, Shalom TV Live will feature a daily newscast from Israel, children's programming every morning and afternoon, a series profiling the hottest Israeli musical artists ("Muzika"), and an "HBO-like" series following Jewish singles in their search for that special someone ("From Date To Mate").

More after the jump.
Shalom TV Live will also provide viewers with a front-row seat to the outstanding programs presented at The 92nd Street Y in New York; and the channel's Jewish Studies programming will enable one to learn to read and understand Hebrew ("From The Aleph Bet"), study a page of Talmud ("Dimensions of the Daf"), sit with rabbis from the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem ("Rethinking Judaism"), and be introduced to the mysteries of Kabbalah ("Kabbalah Revealed"). Shalom TV also plans on telecasting live Friday Night Services preceded by a D'var Torah on the week's Torah reading by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.

Shalom TV, a nonprofit network, is free of charge as both a VOD service and a live channel. Network president Mark S. Golub explains that the launch of the Shalom TV Live will do nothing to the Video On Demand programming which will remain available on all cable systems.

"There is something very exciting about doing live television," Golub explains. "In addition to news from Israel, Shalom TV will now be able to cover breaking stories as they occur and our guests will be able to interact with our audience via telephone. And with a live channel, many Jews and non-Jews will find it especially easy to access Shalom TV and share in the information, education, and entertainment Shalom TV provides the entire community."

To watch Shalom TV Live and to see the week's program schedule; to access archived programs; and to find how to access Shalom TV's Video On Demand network on your cable system, visit the Shalom TV Web site and click on "Find Us." Everyone is also encouraged to call their cable provider and ask them to add Shalom TV Live to their channel lineup.

Shalom TV, America's national Jewish television network, is available for free on virtually every cable system in America. It can be found in the free Video On Demand section on Comcast, Time Warner, Cablevision, Verizon FiOS, Antietam, Cox Communications, RCN, Bright House, Armstrong, Service Electric Cablevision, Service Electric Cable TV, Buckeye CableSystem, MetroCast, Blue Ridge Communications, Frontier, WOW!, Click!, GCI, and Rogers Cable (Canada).

President Obama's Record on Israel

Publisher — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:39:15 GMT

Obama's Right Wing Critics Should Be Dizzy from All their Spinning

Publisher — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:00:00 GMT

— by Marc R. Stanley

Ever since President Barack Obama's inauguration, his right wing critics have devoted countless hours and millions of keystrokes to spinning the President's record of support for Israel so far from reality that it threatens the historical bipartisan foundation of American support for Israel. The vortex of right wing spin was fully on display last week as Republican partisans and right wing pundits pounced on selectively-chosen quotes and inaccurate media reports to continue their baseless attacks on Obama's stellar record of support for Israel.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta delivered-in front of a pro-Israel crowd gathered to substantively and civilly discuss Israel-an entire address that discussed the actual steps taken by the Obama Administration to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. Right wingers took five words from the question and answer section, removed their context, and ran wild with them as if they nullified every pro-Israel action described in Panetta's speech.

More after the jump.
Despite what you may have heard or read, Panetta-who is widely regarded as being pro-Israel by many involved with the issue-made two things crystal clear. First, "Israel will always have the unshakeable backing of the United States," and second, that the President is considering a "wide range of military options" as part of his approach to stopping Iran's nuclear weapons program.

As usual though, Republicans overlooked Panetta's positive statements and continued their effort to make Israel a partisan wedge issue. The spin on Panetta's speech was so far removed from reality that the nonpartisan American Jewish Committee weighed in and criticized the inaccurate reports of Panetta's speech, in addition to setting the record straight on his strongly pro-Israel statements.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton-also a stalwart supporter of Israel-received similar treatment following an off-the-record session during the same Israel forum that Panetta spoke at. Clinton reportedly expressed concern over certain recent Knesset bills and incidents regarding women and Israel's Orthodox community. Predictably, Obama's right wing critics spun Clinton's reported comments past the point of reality, and largely ignored the mainstream American Jewish leaders and organizations that vocally expressed similar concerns about similar issues.

These two recent incidents highlight the lengths that Obama's right wing detractors will go to malign his Administration's stellar record of support for Israel. After vocally opposing the Palestinians' unilateral state declaration, increasing security cooperation with Israel to unprecedented levels-including supplemental funding for the Iron Dome missile system that protects Israelis from Hamas' rockets, consistently defending Israel's legitimacy at the United Nations, personally intervening to save Israel's diplomats in Cairo, and personally authorizing the delivery of any equipment Israel needed to fight the Carmel fire, Obama's naysayers simply have little substance to criticize.

As a result, those seeking to make Israel a partisan wedge issue create bogus stories based on inaccurate media reports and remarks taken out of context. Most seriously though, right wing partisans politicize the occasional tactical disagreements that have zero act on the fundamental core principles of the U.S.-Israel relationship. When Israeli and American leaders state publically that the U.S.-Israel relationship is as strong as it has ever been-as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren have all loudly and repeatedly stressed-right wing partisans tune out and keep pushing their spin and smears. Their hope is that their efforts will bring the mass exodus of Jews from Democratic Party to the Republican Party that they've been wishing for since at least the 1980's.

Recent polls of American and Israeli Jews indicate that the right wing spin of Obama's Israel record is not causing the massive Israel-based shift that Republicans want to see. Given the wide distance separating the Republican presidential field from the majority of American Jews, right wing partisans should be dizzy to the point of sickness by now. But since the GOP-from Party leaders to presidential candidates to rank-and-file members of Congress-has demonstrated its intent to politicize the U.S.-Israel relationship without regard to Obama's actual record, those who support a strong bipartisan consensus of support for Israel must speak out loudly to refute the spin before the relationship suffers collateral damage from their partisan attacks.

Originally published in the Texas Jewish Post. Marc R. Stanley is the Chair of the National Jewish Democratic Council.

Ed Koch Likes Romney & Gingrich, But He Will Vote For Obama

Publisher — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:20:19 GMT

— by Alan Oirich

In an exclusive interview on Shalom TV, one of the nation's leading Democrats has some kind words for two of the candidates vying for the Republican party's presidential nomination, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

When asked by Shalom TV President Mark S. Golub who among the current Republican candidates would be best for America and for Israel, the former New York City Mayor groups the two front runners together, saying:

I believe that both Romney and Gingrich--one of which will be the Republican candidate--are both able. I'm not voting for either of them; I am voting for Obama; but they're both able; they are fine Americans (I mean, they have a philosophy which is not mine); but they will do what they think is in the best interest of America--and they are also both very supportive of Israel.

Mr. Koch also described how after the Turner victory, the President reached out to him. In a private meeting in New York City, after the President gave what Mr. Koch calls a "magnificent" pro-Israel speech at the United Nations, Mr. Obama told the former Mayor that he didn't understand why the Jewish community is upset with him given how very supportive of Israel he is. Mr. Koch explained to the President that he would not have been so upset with Mr. Obama if, when the President had placed demands on Israel, he had also made demands of Hamas. Koch reports the President's responding, "Didn't I?"

After the half hour meeting, Mr. Koch was convinced that Mr. Obama believes he is a friend of Israel and now supports Mr. Obama's re-election campaign because of the President's strong stand in opposition to Palestinian statehood at the United Nations and because the President has been praised by Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, for being one of the most supportive of all U.S. presidents when it comes to supplying military aid.

Full interview follows the jump.

Barak "Lavishes Praise" on Obama for Resolve

Publisher — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:50:18 GMT

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak-Israel's most decorated soldier and former Prime Minister-strongly praised President Barack Obama's commitment to stopping Iran's nuclear weapons program during an interview with Israel Radio. Politico reported:

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak lavished praise on the president Thursday, commending him for being 'ready to undertake the fiercest of political risks to his survival, in order to make good on what he believes in' and defending him against those who call him a 'soft appeaser.'

Barak forcefully pushed back against those who question Obama's consistent resolve when it comes to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran by saying:

He added, 'We are asked, sometimes, whether Obama is really a soft appeaser. To that, I say: "Go ask Osama bin Laden."'
Barak, who met with Obama in Washington last week, also hailed the president's 'internal consistency,' which he said 'stems from being a leader,' and also pointed to Obama's 'circumspection that comes from seeing, above, only the heavens and one's own conscience.'

Obama Addresses Grand Assembly of the Union for Reform Judaism

Publisher — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:32:33 GMT

Obama reiterates his record on Israel:

President defends commitment to Israel's security
Proud of "hardest-hitting" sanctions on Iran expected to be signed into law soon
Obama says his administration has led fight against delegitimization

Before the speech, Obama met on the sidelines of the conference with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who had already spoke at the convention, for about a half hour.

Transcript of Remarks by President Barack Obama

I am honored to be here because of the proud history and tradition of the Union for Reform Judaism, representing more than 900 congregations, around 1.5 million American Jews.

I want to congratulate all of you on the golden anniversary of the Religious Action Center. As Eric mentioned, When President Kennedy spoke to leaders from the RAC in 1961, I was three months old, so my memory is a bit hazy. But I am very familiar with the work that you've done ever since, and so is the rest of America.

And that's because you helped draft the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. You helped to liberate Soviet Jews. You have made a difference on so many of the defining issues of the last half-century. And without these efforts, I probably wouldn't be standing here today. So thank you. Thank you. You have brought to life your faith and your values, and the world is a better place for it.

Now, since my daughter Malia has reached the age where it seems like there's always a Bar or Bat Mitzvah every weekend, and there is quite a bit of negotiations around the skirts that she wears at these Bat Mitzvahs — (laughter) — do you guys have these conversations as well? (Laughter.) All right. I just wanted to be clear it wasn't just me. (Laughter.) What time you get home.

As a consequence, she's become the family expert on Jewish tradition. And if there's one thing I've learned from her, it's that it never hurts to begin a speech by discussing the Torah portion. It doesn't hurt.

So this week congregations around the world will retell the story of Joseph. As any fan of Broadway musicals will tell you, there is a lot going on in this reading. But many scholars have focused on a single word that Joseph uses when he replies to his father Jacob.

In Hebrew, that word is hineni. It translates to "Here I am." Hineni. It's the same word Abraham uses to reply to God before the binding of Isaac. It's the same word Moses uses when God summons him from the burning bush. Hineni. The text is telling us that while Joseph does not know what lies ahead, he is ready to answer the call.

In this case, "hineni" leads Joseph to Egypt. It sets in motion a story of enslavement and exodus that would come to inspire leaders like Martin Luther King as they sought freedom. It's a story of persecution and perseverance that has repeated itself from Inquisition-era Spain to Tsarist Russia to Hitler's Germany.

And in that often-tragic history, this place, America, stands out. Now, we can't whitewash the past. Like so many ethnic groups, Jews faced prejudice, and sometimes violence, as they sought their piece of the American Dream. But here, Jews finally found a place where their faith was protected; where hard work and responsibility paid off; where no matter who you were or where you came from, you could make it if you tried. Here in America, you really could build a better life for your children.

I know how much that story means to many of you, because I know how much that story means to me. My father was from Kenya; my mother was from Kansas — not places with a large Jewish community. But when my Jewish friends tell me about their ancestors, I feel a connection. I know what it's like to think, "Only in America is my story even possible."

More after the jump.
Now I have to interrupt. My friend Debbie Wasserman Schultz just got in the house. (Applause.)

Now, the Jewish community has always understood that the dream we share is about more than just doing well for yourself. From the moment our country was founded, American Jews have helped make our union more perfect. Your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, they remembered what it was like to be a stranger, and as a result treated strangers with compassion. They pursued tikkun olam, the hard work of repairing the world.

They fought bigotry because they had experienced bigotry. They fought for freedom of religion because they understood what it meant to be persecuted for your religious beliefs. Our country is a better place because they did. The same values that bring you here today led Justice Brandeis to fight for an America that protects the least of these. Those same values led Jewish leaders to found RAC 50 years ago. They led Abraham Joshua Heschel to pray with his feet and march with Dr. King. And over the last three years, they have brought us together on the most important issues of our time.

When we began this journey, we knew we would have to take on powerful special interests. We would have to take on a Washington culture where doing what's politically convenient is often valued above doing what's right; where the focus is too often on the next election instead of the next generation.

And so time and time again, we've been reminded that change is never easy. And a number of the rabbis who are here today, when I see them, they'd been saying a prayer. They noticed my hair is grayer. (Laughter.) But we didn't quit. You didn't quit. And today, we're beginning to see what change looks like.

And Eric mentioned what change looks like. Change is the very first bill I signed, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which says in this country an equal day's work gets an equal day's pay. That's change.

Change is finally doing something about our addiction to oil and raising fuel-efficiency standards for the first time in 30 years. That's good for our economy. It's good for our national security. And it's good for our environment.

Change is confirming two Supreme Court justices who will defend our rights, including our First Amendment rights surrounding religion — happen to be two women, by the way. That's also a good thing.

Change is repealing "don't ask, don't tell," so that in the first time in history, you don't have to hide who you love to serve the country that you love. That's change.

Change is working with the Reform movement, and other faith-based groups, to reform the federal faith-based initiatives, improving the way we partner with organizations that serve people in need. Change is health care reform that we passed after a century of trying, reform that will finally ensure that in the United States of America, nobody goes bankrupt just because they get sick. That's change.

Change is the 2.5 million young people — maybe some of those NFTY folks who have already who have health insurance on their parents' plans because of Affordable Care Act. That's change.

It's making family planning more accessible to millions of Americans. It's insurance companies not being able to charge you more just because you're a woman, or deny you coverage if you have breast cancer.

Change is committing to real, persistent education reform, because every child in America deserves access to a good school and to higher education — every child.

And change is keeping one of the first promises I made in 2008: After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq is ending this month and our troops are coming home.

That's what change is. And none of this would have happened without you. That's the kind of change we'll keep fighting for in the months and years ahead.

And just last night, you took another step towards the change we need and voted for a set of principles of economic justice in a time of fiscal crisis. And I want to thank you for your courage. That statement could not have come at a more important time. For as you put it, we're at a crossroads in American history. Last Tuesday, I gave a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, where I described that crossroads. And I laid out a vision of our country where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules. And these are not Democratic values or Republican values; they're not Christian values or Jewish values or Hindu or Muslim values — they're shared values, and we have to reclaim them. We have to restore them to a central place in America's political life.

I said it last week, I'll say it again: This is not just a political debate. This is a moral debate. This is an ethical debate. It's a values debate. It's the defining issue of our time. It is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and for all those who are fighting to get into the middle class. And for those of us who remember parents or grandparents or great-grandparents who had to fight to get in the middle class, but they understood that the American Dream was available to them because we were all in it together &mndash; that's what this is about. And last night, you reaffirmed the moral dimension of this debate.

We have to decide who we are as a country. Is this a place where everyone is left to fend for themselves? The most powerful can play by their own rules? Or do we come together to make sure that working people can earn enough to raise a family, send their kids to college, buy their own home, have a secure health care and a secure retirement? That is the story that almost all of us here share, in one way or another. This is a room full of folks who come from immigrants, and remember what it was like to scratch and claw and work. You haven't forgotten. You know what it's like to see those in your own family struggle.

Well, we have to apply those same values to the American family. We're not a country that says, you're on your own. When we see neighbors who can't find work or pay for college or get the health care they need, we answer the call — we say, "Here I am." And we will do our part.

That's what you affirmed last night. But more importantly, it's what you affirm every day with your words and your actions. And I promise you that as you pray with your feet, I will be right there with you every step of the way. I'll be fighting to create jobs, and give small businesses a chance to succeed. I'll be fighting to invest in education and technology. I will fight to strengthen programs like Medicare and Social Security. I will fight to put more money in the pockets of working families. I won't be afraid to ask the most well-off among us — Americans like me — to pay our fair share, to make sure that everybody has got a shot. I will fight alongside you every inch of the way.

And as all of you know, standing up for our values at home is only part of our work. Around the world, we stand up for values that are universal — including the right of all people to live in peace and security and dignity. That's why we've worked on the international stage to promote the rights of women to promote strategies to alleviate poverty — to promote the dignity of all people, including gays and lesbians — and people with disabilities — to promote human rights and democracy. And that's why, as President, I have never wavered in pursuit of a just and lasting peace — two states for two peoples; an independent Palestine alongside a secure Jewish State of Israel. I have not wavered and will not waver. That is our shared vision.

Now, I know that many of you share my frustration sometimes, in terms of the state of the peace process. There's so much work to do. But here's what I know -- there's no question about how lasting peace will be achieved. Peace can't be imposed from the outside. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them.

And the fact that peace is hard can't deter us from trying. Because now more than ever, it's clear that a just and lasting peace is in the long-term interests of Israel. It is in the long-term interests of the Palestinian people. It is in the interest of the region. It is the interest of the United States, and it is in the interest of the world. And I am not going to stop in pursuit of that vision. It is the right thing to do.

Now, that vision begins with a strong and secure State of Israel. And the special bonds between our nations are ones that all Americans hold dear because they're bonds forged by common interests and shared values. They're bonds that transcend partisan politics — or at least they should.

We stand with Israel as a Jewish democratic state because we know that Israel is born of firmly held values that we, as Americans, share: a culture committed to justice, a land that welcomes the weary, a people devoted to tikkun olam.

So America's commitment and my commitment to Israel and Israel's security is unshakeable. It is unshakeable.

I said it in September at the United Nations. I said it when I stood amid the homes in Sderot that had been struck by missiles: No nation can tolerate terror. And no nation can accept rockets targeting innocent men, women and children. No nation can yield to suicide bombers.

And as Ehud has said, it is hard to remember a time when the United States has given stronger support to Israel on its security. In fact, I am proud to say that no U.S. administration has done more in support of Israel's security than ours. None. Don't let anybody else tell you otherwise. It is a fact.

I'm proud that even in these difficult times we've fought for and secured the most funding for Israel in history. I'm proud that we helped Israel develop a missile defense system that's already protecting civilians from rocket attacks.

Another grave concern -- and a threat to the security of Israel, the United States and the world -- is Iran's nuclear program. And that's why our policy has been absolutely clear: We are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. And that's why we've worked painstakingly from the moment I took office with allies and partners, and we have imposed the most comprehensive, the hardest-hitting sanctions that the Iranian regime has ever faced. We haven't just talked about it, we have done it. And we're going to keep up the pressure. And that's why, rest assured, we will take no options off the table. We have been clear.

We're going to keep standing with our Israeli friends and allies, just as we've been doing when they've needed us most. In September, when a mob threatened the Israeli embassy in Cairo, we worked to ensure that the men and women working there were able to get out safely. Last year, when raging fires threatened Haifa, we dispatched fire-fighting planes to help put out the blaze.

On my watch, the United States of America has led the way, from Durban to the United Nations, against attempts to use international forums to delegitimize Israel. And we will continue to do so. That's what friends and allies do for each other. So don't let anybody else tell a different story. We have been there, and we will continue to be there. Those are the facts.

And when I look back on the last few years, I'm proud of the decisions I've made, and I'm proud of what we've done together. But today isn't about resting on our laurels. As your tradition teaches, we're not obligated to finish the work, but neither are we free to desist from it.

We've got to keep going. So today we look forward to the world not just as it is but as it could be. And when we do, the truth is clear: Our union is not yet perfect. Our world is still in desperate need of repair. And each of us still hears that call.

And the question is, how we will respond? In this moment, every American, of every faith, every background has the opportunity to stand up and say: Here I am. Hineni. Here I am. I am ready to keep alive our country's promise. I am ready to speak up for our values at home and abroad. I am ready to do what needs to be done. The work may not be finished in a day, in a year, in a term, in a lifetime, but I'm ready to do my part.

And I believe that with tradition as our guide, we will seize that opportunity. And in the face of daunting odds, we will make the choices that are hard but are right. That's how we've overcome tougher times before. That's how we will overcome the challenges that we face today. And together, we will rewrite the next chapter in America's story and prove that our best days are still to come.

Thank you, God bless you, God bless the United States of America.

Send Obama A Message!

Publisher — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:44:11 GMT

-- by Rabbi Avi Shafran

The Obama administration considers Israel a sponsor of terror — at least according to Dick Morris, the disgraced ex-advisor to Bill Clinton, and a host of self-styled "conservative" media. The news was shocking — well, maybe not to the clever folks who knew all along that the president is a secret Muslim, but certainly to the rest of us.

What turned out to be the case is that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency maintains a list of 36 "specially designated countries" whose immigrating citizens get extra scrutiny because their nations "promote, produce or protect terrorist organizations or their members." Note the word "or."

"Produce," in this context, means that terrorists reside in the country. Thus, countries like the Philippines and Morocco, along with Israel, are on the list. Approximately a million and a half Israeli citizens are Arabs-many of whom have ties to Arab residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. So no, with apologies to Mr. Morris et al, the U.S. does not consider Israel a terror sponsor.

What makes some people all too ready to misrepresent such things is that many Americans, especially in the Jewish community, have deep concerns about President Obama's Middle East policies. My personal view is that these concerns are overblown. While I realize there are other opinions, as far as I can tell Mr. Obama's positions on building in the settlements and on the terms of Israel-Palestinian negotiations have been American policy since long before his presidency.

Even doubters of Mr. Obama's good will, though, should recognize the import of the administration's declared readiness to veto any U.N. Security Council resolution recognizing Palestinian statehood. That stance risks the U.S.'s international political capital and may even, G-d forbid, come to threaten Americans' safety. Might it speak more loudly about the president than his opposition to new settlements?

Speaking equally loudly is what happened on September 9, when Mr. Obama acted swiftly to warn Egyptian authorities that they had better protect Israeli embassy guards in Cairo besieged by a mob. When Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minster Barak were unable to reach the apparently indisposed Egyptian military leader Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spent hours hounding the Egyptian, finally reaching him at 1 AM to let him know that if anything happened to the Israelis, there would be "very severe consequences." Egyptian soldiers protected the hostages until an Israeli Air Force plane safely evacuated them.

Mr. Netanyahu later recounted that he had asked for Mr. Obama's help and that the president had replied that he would do everything he could. "And so he did," testified the Prime Minister.

It may not be meaningful for many, but I was struck two days later on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks when the president, betraying his Islamic beliefs (joke!), chose for his reading at the New York ceremony the 46th chapter of Tehillim. The one including the words (in the White House's translation):

"Though its waters roar and be troubled... there's a river whose streams shall make glad the City of G-d, the holy place of the Tabernacle of the Most High."

And:

"The God of Jacob is our refuge."

Whatever our takes on this or that statement or position, hard facts are not up for debate.

Let's not forget some such facts:

The Obama administration has provided more security assistance to Israel than any American administration;
he has repeatedly declared (first in 2009 in Cairo during his speech to the Arab world) that the bond between the U.S. and Israel is "unbreakable";
his Secretary of State lectured Al-Jazeera that "when the Israelis pulled out of Lebanon they got Hezbollah and 40,000 rockets and when they pulled out of Gaza they got Hamas and 20,000 rockets";
his State Department has condemned the Palestinian Authority's "factually incorrect" denial of the Western Wall's connection to the Jewish people;
and much more.

Last week, in the lead-up to a Congressional election in Brooklyn in which Jews had ample other reason to vote against the Democratic candidate, some ads presented the contest as an opportunity to "Send Obama a Message"-which some Jews took to mean an angry message about Israel.

Many thoughtful Jews, though, have a different message for Mr. Obama:

"Thank you."

Sec'y of Defense Robert Gates on Strength of US-Israel Relationship

Publisher — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:41:52 GMT

-- David Streeter

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates traveled to Israel and held a high level meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The two have met multiple times over the last two years and their latest meeting underscores the Obama Administration's commitment to Israel's security in the face of a changing Middle East.

During the post-meeting press conference, Barak praises Gates' personal commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship:

I would like to welcome Secretary Gates in his visit here to Israel, and a leading American and a leading friend of the whole region and of Israel as well. I would like to draw our attention once again to the pivotal role of the relationship and the unique relation between the United States and Israel in shaping our security, the qualitative military edge of Israel, and the stability of the whole region.
...
I would like to thank you, Secretary Gates, for your friendship, for your personal and institutional contribution to making our security-related exchanges more profound, more substantial than ever in the past. We highly appreciate this, and we wish you all the best in this visit all around the region and back home. Thank you.

Gates spoke on the current state of U.S.-Israel relations during his prepared remarks:

I would start by joining President Obama in condemning yesterday's terrorist bomb attack in Jerusalem, as well as the rockets and mortars fired into Israel from Gaza in recent days and even today. The thoughts and condolences of the American government and the American people are with the victims and their families. We underscore that Israel, like all nations, has the right to self-defense and to bring justice to the perpetrators of these repugnant acts.
In my meeting today with Minister Barak, in addition to discussing these attacks, we discussed a range of important defense issues both in our bilateral relationship and across the region, including the dramatic political shifts taking place in the Middle East and the implications those changes hold for the future; Iran's nuclear program; the security environment on Israel's borders, including southern Lebanon and the Palestinian territories; and the ongoing military operation over Libya.
Our bilateral relationship and this dialogue is so critical because, as Minister Barak once said, Israel lives at the focal point of some of the biggest security challenges facing the free world: violent extremism, the proliferation of nuclear technologies, and the dilemmas posed by adversarial and failed states. And I think it important, especially at a time of such dramatic change in the region, to reaffirm once more America's unshakable commitment to Israel's security.
Indeed, I cannot recall a time during my public life when our two countries have had a closer defense relationship. The U.S. and Israel are cooperating closely in areas such as missile defense technology, the Joint Strike Fighter, and in training exercises such as Juniper Stallion-cooperation and support that ensures that Israel will continue to maintain its qualitative military edge.

And during an exchange with a reporter Gates said:

President Obama is the eighth American president I've worked for. And I don't believe that the security relationship between the United States and Israel has ever been stronger than it is right now. And the steps that we have taken in the last two years in terms of, just as one example, collaborating together on missile defense, I think are without precedent. I see no change in prospect for that relationship.

Gates concluded his prepared remarks by affirming the U.S.-Israel relationship:

Every time I visit Israel, I'm reminded of the extraordinary challenges the Jewish people have overcome throughout their history, the tremendous accomplishment that the state of Israel represents and the importance of our alliance to ensuring Israel's security.

Full transcript follows the jump.
Joint Press Conference with Secretary Gates and Minister Barak from Tel Aviv, Israel

MIN. BARAK: Good afternoon. I will make a short statement in English, then a few words in Hebrew and then will yield to the secretary. And then we'll answer one question on each side, with your permission.

I would like to welcome Secretary Gates in his visit here to Israel, and a leading American and a leading friend of the whole region and of Israel as well. I would like to draw our attention once again to the pivotal role of the relationship and the unique relation between the United States and Israel in shaping our security, the qualitative military edge of Israel, and the stability of the whole region.

We share with the United States a common set of values, and the main topic that we discussed is the developments in the region and the need to keep fighting against terror and the sources of radical behavior.

Just in the recent hour, once again a rocket hit Ashdod and probably another one even north of Ashdod, and that's part of an escalation which takes part in the last several days. I would like to reemphasize that Israel will not tolerate these terror attacks, and we will not allow terror to rise once again.

The Israel Defense Forces are our main guarantee for deterrence, consultation and even for the backing of our efforts to pursue peace in the region, which we continuously keep doing.

And once again, I would like to thank you, Secretary Gates, for your friendship, for your personal and institutional contribution to making our security-related exchanges more profound, more substantial than ever in the past. We highly appreciate this, and we wish you all the best in this visit all around the region and back home. Thank you.

(Continues in Hebrew.)

SEC. GATES: It's a pleasure to be back in Israel and to have this opportunity to visit with my friend Ehud Barak, a true warrior-statesman and someone I've known and respected and worked with for over 20 years.

I would start by joining President Obama in condemning yesterday's terrorist bomb attack in Jerusalem, as well as the rockets and mortars fired into Israel from Gaza in recent days and even today. The thoughts and condolences of the American government and the American people are with the victims and their families. We underscore that Israel, like all nations, has the right to self-defense and to bring justice to the perpetrators of these repugnant acts.

In my meeting today with Minister Barak, in addition to discussing these attacks, we discussed a range of important defense issues both in our bilateral relationship and across the region, including the dramatic political shifts taking place in the Middle East and the implications those changes hold for the future; Iran's nuclear program; the security environment on Israel's borders, including southern Lebanon and the Palestinian territories; and the ongoing military operation over Libya.

Our bilateral relationship and this dialogue is so critical because, as Minister Barak once said, Israel lives at the focal point of some of the biggest security challenges facing the free world: violent extremism, the proliferation of nuclear technologies, and the dilemmas posed by adversarial and failed states. And I think it important, especially at a time of such dramatic change in the region, to reaffirm once more America's unshakable commitment to Israel's security.

Indeed, I cannot recall a time during my public life when our two countries have had a closer defense relationship. The U.S. and Israel are cooperating closely in areas such as missile defense technology, the Joint Strike Fighter, and in training exercises such as Juniper Stallion -- cooperation and support that ensures that Israel will continue to maintain its qualitative military edge.

As you know, I have a full agenda here during my visit. Later today, I will see President Peres. Tomorrow, I will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss our defense relationship and the prospects for a two-state solution, and I will then have discussions with Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad.

I know there may be a temptation during this time of great uncertainty in the region to be more cautious about pursuing the peace process, but in my meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, I carry a different message: that there is a need and an opportunity for bold action to move toward a two-state solution. And as the parties move forward, the United States stands ready to support them in any way we can.

In closing, every time I visit Israel, I'm reminded of the extraordinary challenges the Jewish people have overcome throughout their history, the tremendous accomplishment that the state of Israel represents and the importance of our alliance to ensuring Israel's security.

Thank you, Ehud, for hosting us, and I look forward to seeing you again at dinnertime.

STAFF: Thank you. Thank you both.

Now two questions. We start with an American question, then an Israeli question.

STAFF: (Off mic.)

Q: Thank you very much. Good afternoon. This is a question for both Minister Barak and Secretary Gates. What is your opinion of the upheaval that has now reached Syria by all accounts? Is this something that Israel's encouraged by? Perhaps not, given calls by yourself at times to approach the Assad government for peace. I'd also like to deepen that question and ask whether Israel sees potentially a Syrian connection to the flare-up in Gaza. It's no secret that Islamic Jihad, Hamas have their headquarters in Syria. Perhaps there's an outside interest in opening up that front?

SEC. GATES: Well, first of all, I would say that what the Syrian government is confronting is, in fact, the same challenge that faces so many governments across the region, and that is the unmet political and economic grievances of their people, in some of these countries -- Libya is an example, Syria is another example -- where authoritarian regimes have suppressed their people and have been willing to use violence against them. Of course, the other example is the Iranian government prepared to use force against its own people.

And so I think that what we see is the opening to the future that's occurring in virtually all of these countries. Some of them are dealing with it better than others. I've just come from Egypt, where the Egyptian army stood on the sidelines and allowed people to demonstrate, and in fact, empowered a revolution. The Syrians might take a lesson from that.

MIN. BARAK: First of all, I do not pretend to know exactly what happens now in Syria. We learn it through a low-visibility kind of filters. But if our -- and I'm -- I think that we are lucky enough to be at the center or the focal point of this internal (inaudible) Syria. But if I would have to advise them, I would join the advice of the secretary, saying that we prefer the Egyptian model of behavior rather than the Libyan one to be adopted by our neighbors.

In regard to the peace opportunities, once again, we cannot -- we cannot pass a judgment right now whether it's good or not, whether the situation really is right or not. But in time, the Syrian government will decide that they are open to consider negotiating with us. We will be open. But it's up to them. It's their decision. We cannot pass a judgment. I think that this difficult situation creates not just sweat and challenges but also opportunities. And we have be -- have to be alert to be able to see those opportunities the moment they emerge rather than let them slip out of our fingers and face the uncertainties of a deeper chaos in the Middle East.

SEC. GATES: Phil.

Q: Thank you. And this is a question for both of you. Do you believe a heavy-handed Israeli response to yesterday's bombing and today's rocket attacks would play into the hands of those in the region who want to sever peace talks? And what path should Israel pursue in regards to peace?

MIN. BARAK: Can you repeat the question? I'm not (inaudible).

Q: Sure. Do you believe a heavy-handed Israeli response to yesterday's bombing and today's rocket attacks would play into the hands of those in the region who want to sever peace talks? And what path should Israel pursue in regards to peace?

MIN. BARAK: I think that's it not about giving a name or description to this response, though is a need to respond. Every sovereign would have responded when its citizenry is -- became a target for indiscriminate launching of rockets. I do not know any government that would sit idle. So we have to respond.

Now, we do not want to become the -- kind of the -- kind of the victims of our own (inaudible). So we keep the right to pass a judgment about how, when and in what kind of amount of firepower or ammunition to respond. But we will respond. We have to respond. And we are determined to bring back tranquility to the region. And unfortunately, this tough neighborhood, it cannot be done without the readiness and practice of using, from time to time, force.

SEC. GATES: I think the Israelis will have to make their own decision in terms of how to respond. No sovereign state can tolerate having rockets fired at its -- at its -- at its people.

I think one of the -- one of the significant features of what is going on across the region is that as diverse as the countries are, where there is -- where there are demonstrations and unrest, in virtually every case, the theme of those demonstrations has been directed inward at problems in those countries. And I think we all just need to be mindful to keep that we don't want to do anything that allows extremists or others to divert the narrative of reform that is going on in virtually all of the countries of the region.

MIN. BARAK: Please, last question for an Israeli reporter.

Q: Mr. Secretary, you've just emphasized the special relationship between the United States and Israel. In light of the recent events in the Middle East, could you comment on Minister Barak's suggestion that the United States will expand its military aid to Israel by $20 billion? And Mr. Barak, regarding the shootings from Gaza, do you see Hamas as the only -- only Hamas as responsible for this situation, or do you make a distinction between Hamas and Islamic Jihad?

MIN. BARAK: I would like to answer, sir, with your permission. I raised the issue of 20 billion [dollars] as a part of a wider development; will Israel sign a peace agreement with a major neighbor, be it the Palestinians or the whole region or Syria or whatever. It's only within this context when we are taking extra mile of risks in order to stabilize the whole region that we can afford turning to the United States and ask them, in spite of all the circumstances therein, to try to help us to upgrade the security of Israel for the next generation.

In fact, that's nothing new. I talked about it 10 years ago with Clinton. I talked about it five years ago with President Bush. I already talked to him about it more than once at the Pentagon and the (inaudible) Americans.

So it's nothing new about it. In order to make peace in this tough neighborhood where there is no mercy for the weak, no second opportunity for those who cannot defend themselves, Israel has to take further security risks for all potential development that could happen, as we see around there from time to time. And that's where we ask the United States to help us to upgrade our security capabilities by systems that sometimes they are the only one who produces (inaudible). And we've sent in support for us in systems that only we know how to build and develop.

In regarding to your other question, we see the Hamas as responsible because Hamas is basically not just a terrorist group. It's also the regime in Gaza. And they have to enforce or impose their will upon -- be it the Islamic Jihad or other dissident groups. We cannot make this fine differentiation between different sources of rockets. When the rockets come on the head of a family somewhere in Ashkelon or in Beersheba or in a small village or city around the Gaza Strip, it doesn't matter for them whether it came from the -- this gang or the other gang or from the Islamic Jihad or from the Hamas. For us, Hamas is responsible for whatever comes from Gaza.

SEC. GATES: First of all, I understood the minister's comment and in precisely the context that he described it. And I would just restate what I said in my opening statement, that President Obama is the eighth American president I've worked for. And I don't believe that the security relationship between the United States and Israel has ever been stronger than it is right now. And the steps that we have taken in the last two years in terms of, just as one example, collaborating together on missile defense, I think are without precedent. I see no change in prospect for that relationship.

David.

Q: Mr. Secretary, you've just come from Egypt. And I wonder whether in your conversations with Field Marshal Tantawi and others you had any chance to think about whether Egypt will be as strong a partner as it has been in security issues -- for example, in preventing smuggling of weapons to Gaza -- and if you had any other questions or concerns after your visit.

And Minister Barak, I'd be interested in your views about the new Egypt. And also, as this revolution spreads, it seems now, to Syria, to lemon -- to Yemen, to other countries, do you sometimes think --

MIN. BARAK: Well, not Iran.

Q: Well --

MIN. BARAK: We wish together that it will jump directly to Tehran, yeah.

Q: Include that in your answer. But my question is whether you ever wonder whether the United States is -- has been so supportive of change that perhaps it should think a bit more about stability in addition?

SEC. GATES: First of all, I was quite reassured by my conversations in Egypt, and in particular with Field Marshal Tantawi, about their commitment to the treaty with Israel and to their commitment to continuing a high-level dialogue on a routine basis between Israeli and Egyptian leaders. They, too, are concerned about the smuggling problem. And I offered our assistance to them, technical and otherwise, in terms of getting a handle on this. But I came away persuaded that they take it seriously, and that they also take the relationship with Israel seriously.

MIN. BARAK: I think that the historic aspect that we see on the -- all over -- all around the Arab world is something unprecedented -- we didn't see such phenomena since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire some hundred years ago, almost hundred years ago, or the -- or the demise of the French colonial empire some 60 or 50 -- it depends how you count -- years ago.

And it's really -- historically speaking, it's moving and inspiring phenomena; clearly promising for the future of the Arab people, for the young generation in the Arab world, for the right of women, for the right to self -- express themselves and so on.

But unfortunately, we are experienced (inaudible). As the secretary mentioned today, you know, an optimist in the Middle East is a -- a pessimist in the Middle East is an optimist with experience. We have to follow historic experiences of similar revolutions. Usually after a short period of elation from the romanticism and the idealism that spreads around the streets, there might come, and came in the past, a determined group, however small, who is ready to kill and be killed if necessary in order to come to power, and they come to power.

So we have to look around us and make whatever we can. We are extremely limited in our capacity to influence. United States has more influence. But the rest of the world should support the elements that provides or ensures stability in the short range and try to minimize the chances of extremist group to come to power.

I believe that the basic process is good. It's true that the moderate (inaudible) leaders in the region, and I don't count neither Libya or Iran among them, but the others who are extremely sensitive and responsible regarding to the stability issue and extremely sensitive to international commitments, including the Israeli-Egyptian peace. So I feel that we have to be careful and open-eyed in the short term to minimize negative developments and minimize risk for stability, but in the long run it's -- it is an extremely positive phenomena.

In regard to the Egyptian leadership, I know Field Marshal Tantawi for many years. In fact, 35 years or so -- 30 years ago, we fought each other. We were both (inaudible) battalion commanders in the same -- in the same sector when we crossed the Suez Canal. He was protecting the Eastern Bank with his infantry battalion. I came with my tank battalion. When I talked to him after he took power, I told him we have an utmost responsibility to make sure that our younger generation will not find themselves in the same experiences we had been through.

And I cannot quote him of course, but I have a reason to believe that as long as the Egyptian armed forces are in power, they're a major pillar of stability within Egypt. The peace agreement, as well as other Egyptian international commitments, will be respected and kept.

Thank you once again, my friend, Bob Gates, and have a good stay here. Thank you all.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak Comes to Washington

Publisher — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:38:54 GMT

National Security Advisor Thomas E. Donilon, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates met jointly today with Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak at the White House today. They stressed the United States' unshakeable commitment to Israel's security, including through our continued support for Israel's military, and the unprecedented security cooperation between our two governments. Mr. Donilon, Secretary Clinton, and Secretary Gates discussed with Minister Barak the latest developments in Egypt, the need to move forward on Middle East peace, our efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and other regional and bilateral issues. They agreed that the U.S. and Israel would continue to consult closely on common challenges and issues across our shared agenda.