Israel
President Peres To AIPAC: Iran Will Not Have Nuclear Weapons
By
Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Washington,
D.C. --- March 4, 2012 .... The following speech by Israel President
Peres was communicated to the Israel News Agency by the
Israel Government Press Office.
"As
The President of the State of Israel I came here first and foremost
to say on behalf of my people: 'Toda'
'Thank You'. Thank you President Obama, for being such a good
friend.
Thank you AIPAC, for your
dedication and excellence. It is great to be here. To be together.
Strong and united."
Peres continues:" I see old friends and new ones. I see many
young faces. The future belongs to you. Israel loves you.
I am moved by your generous tribute. I stand here, before you,
a hopeful man. Proud to be Jewish, proud to be Israeli, proud
to be there at the birth of Israel, proud to have served it for
65 years, proud of our alliance with the United States.
Israel, like America, was conceived as an idea, Born in defiance
of history; Creating a new world by drawing on the values of the
past and the innovations of the future. Friends, The restoration
of Jewish statehood after two thousand years in exile - is a historic
miracle. We started as a doubt and wound up as a certainty. We
had to fight six wars in six decades. We did not lose one. We
never will. We can not afford it.We had to defend ourselves. Self-defense
is our right and obligation.
With little land, water or resources, Israel grew tenfold in population.
Fifty-fold in gross domestic product. Israel's high-tech and innovation
enriches the world its agriculture makes deserts green. Israel
built new villages, new cities, new universities, new theatres
and cultural centers. Our children are speaking the language of
the prophets. Hebrew literature is flourishing. From a dispersed
people we became a united democracy. No day of war ever interrupted
a day of Democracy.
Dear Friends, Permit me a personal note. Fate placed me in the
eye of the storm. I was eleven years old when my beloved grandfather,
Rabbi Tzvi Melzer, accompanied me to the train-station on my way
to Israel. He hugged me and whispered in my ear only three words,
"Shimon . stay Jewish."
Those were his last words to me. I never saw him again.
In 1942, when the Nazis arrived to his village, they forced my
Grandfather, together with the remaining Jews into the wooden
synagogue and set it on fire. No one survived. Not one. What remained
was my Grandfather's legacy, His last words to me "Stay Jewish."
Dear Friends, I was privileged to work with the father of our
nation, my mentor, David Ben-Gurion. For me, Ben Gurion's great
leadership with my Grandfather's legacy became my compass. That
compass is comprised of four core values: Our moral code. Our
pursuit of peace and security. Our quest for knowledge. Our alliance
with America. The moral code, the return to the Book and its values,
enabled the Jewish people to survive, for four thousand years.
Not because of quantity - Because of quality. Not due to thousands
of guns - but due to Ten Commandments. We are guided by the call
of our Prophets, to me it means: To be just. To do justice. To
never deny justice to others.
Dear Friends, The pursuit of peace, for us, is not a passing opportunity
it is a moral imperative. It is the tenet of our national security.
To make peace, Israel must be strong. Let me assure you, Israel
is strong .
Dear Friends, The Middle East is undergoing its greatest storm.
With horrible bloodshed in Syria, where a tyrant is killing his
people, killing children. I admire the courage of the Syrian people.
We wish them peace and freedom. In spite of the storm, we have
to reach out to the young generation in the Arab world, to those
who strive for freedom, democracy and peace. The Palestinians
are our neighbors for life. Peace can and must be achieved. A
peace based on A Two State Solution. A Jewish state - Israel,
an Arab state - Palestine.
It was accepted by past and present Israeli Prime ministers and
American presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
The principle of "The Two State" solution is a paramount
Israeli interest.
We want to preserve an Israel that is Jewish, democratic and attractive.
I meet from time to time with President Abbas and PM Fayyad. They
need and want peace. I believe that peace is possible. They are
our partners for peace. Not Hamas.
A peace that is a dream for both of us, is a nightmare for the
Ayatollahs in Iran. Iran is an evil, cruel, morally corrupt regime.
It is based on destruction. and is an affront to human dignity.
Iran is the center. The sponsor. The financer of world terror.
Iran is a danger to the entire world. It threatens Berlin as well
as Madrid, Delhi as well as Bangkok. Not just Israel.
Iran's ambition is to control the Middle East, so it can control
a major part of the world's economy. It must be stopped.
And it will be stopped. Israel experienced the horrors of war.
It does not seek it. Peace is always our first option,
But, if we are forced to fight, trust me - we shall prevail.
President Obama is leading and implementing, an international
complex and decisive policy, imposing economic and political sanctions
against Iran. President Obama made it clear that the US will not
permit Iran to become nuclear. That containment is not a sustainable
policy, all options are on the table.
The United States and Israel share the same goal - to prevent
Iran from developing a nuclear weapon . There is no space between
us.
Our message is clear:
Iran will not develop a nuclear weapon.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the quest for knowledge defines Jewish history.
Judaism is a constant debate.
It is about asking the right questions. It is about being a liberal
and pluralistic society. I believe, Jews are never satisfied because
they are always seeking new answers. A better tomorrow, Tikun
Olam. I believe that the next decade will be the most scientific,
the most dramatic chapter in human history. It will expose possibilities
that today sound like science fiction.
Its center will be brain research. The more we shall know about
ourselves, the more we shall be ableto control ourselves. In a
global world without a global government self-control is vital.
Friends, In a world of science and knowledge the Jewish people
and Israel have an exciting role to play. Much to contribute.
Ladies and
Gentlemen, members of Congress,
America was, is, and will remain: The Indispensable leader of
the free world. The Indispensable friend of our poeple. Today
more than ever, the world needs America. I have had the privilege
to meet all American Presidents in the last fifty years,
Democrats and Republicans. I was strongly impressed by their deep
commitment. Their care for Israel. That commitment was and is
bipartisan.
Mr. President, Members of the administration, members of congress
on both side of the aisle
We are forever grateful for your unwavering support of the unbreakable
alliance between the US and Israel.
I first met President Barack Obama, our great friend, when he
was a Senator from Illinois. I saw before me a born leader. His
care and devotion to Israel's security were evident.
Mr. President, I know your commitment to Israel is deep and profound.
Under your leadership, security cooperation between the US and
Israel has reached its highest level.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a friend in the White House. He
reflects the values that make America great and make Israel secure.
Thank you President Obama on behalf of my people. Soon I will
return home. Great challenges and promising opportunities await
us. Thanks to your love and commitment and America's great friendship.
I return home, much more hopeful Much more encouraged.
Thank you very much, God Bless America, God Bless Israel. Shalom."