Friday, October 02, 2015

Transcript of Netanyahu's UN Speech 10/1/2015

Delta's Note:  From strong words to extended silence, the message is clear - Israel is not going to roll over and play dead.  To do so would see the end of the U.N., the U.S., and certainly of Israel.

 
Transcript of Speech: 

photo by Delta Vines
Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you greetings from Jerusalem. The city in which the Jewish people’s hopes and prayers for peace for all of humanity have echoed throughout the ages.

Thirty-one years ago, as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, I stood at this podium for the first time.

I spoke that day against a resolution sponsored by Iran to expel Israel from the United Nations.

Then as now, the UN was obsessively hostile towards Israel, the one true democracy in the Middle East.

Then as now, some sought to deny the one and only Jewish state a place among the nations.

I ended that first speech by saying: Gentlemen, check your fanaticism at the door.

More than three decades later, as the prime minister of Israel, I am again privileged to speak from this podium.

And for me, that privilege has always come with a moral responsibility to speak the truth.

So after three days of listening to world leaders praise the nuclear deal with Iran, I begin my speech today by saying: Ladies and Gentlemen, check your enthusiasm at the door.

You see, this deal doesn’t make peace more likely.

By fueling Iran’s aggressions with billions of dollars in sanctions relief, it makes war more likely.

Just look at what Iran has done in the last six months alone, since the framework agreement was announced in Lausanne.

Iran boosted its supply of devastating weapons to Syria.

Iran sent more soldiers of its Revolutionary Guard into Syria.

Iran sent thousands of Afghani and Pakistani Shi’ite fighters to Syria.

Iran did all this to prop up Assad’s brutal regime.

Iran also shipped tons of weapons and ammunitions to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, including another shipment just two days ago.

Iran threatened to topple Jordan.

Iran’s proxy Hezbollah smuggled into Lebanon SA-22 missiles to down our planes, and Yakhont cruise missiles to sink our ships.

Iran supplied Hezbollah with precision-guided surface-to-surface missiles and attack drones so it can accurately hit any target in Israel.

Iran aided Hamas and Islamic Jihad in building armed drones in Gaza.

Iran also made clear its plans to open two new terror fronts against Israel, promising to arm Palestinians in the West Bank and sending its Revolutionary Guard generals to the [Syrian side of the] Golan Heights, from which its operatives recently fired rockets on northern Israel.

Israel will continue to respond forcefully to any attacks against it from Syria.

Israel will continue to act to prevent the transfer of strategic weapons to Hezbollah from and through Syrian territory.

Every few weeks, Iran and Hezbollah set up new terror cells in cities throughout the world. Three such cells were recently uncovered in Kuwait, Jordan and Cyprus.

In May, security forces in Cyprus raided a Hezbollah agent’s apartment in the city of Larnaca. There they found 5 tons of ammonium nitrate, that’s roughly the same amount of ammonium nitrate that was used to blow up the federal building in Oklahoma City.

And that’s just in one apartment, in one city, in one country.

But Iran is setting up dozens of terror cells like this around the world, ladies and gentlemen, they’re setting up those terror cells in this hemisphere, too.

I repeat: Iran’s been doing all of this, everything that I’ve just described, just in the last six months, when it was trying to convince the world to remove the sanctions.

Now just imagine what Iran will do after those sanctions are lifted.

Unleashed and unmuzzled, Iran will go on the prowl, devouring more and more prey.

In the wake of the nuclear deal, Iran is spending billions of dollars on weapons and satellites.

You think Iran is doing that to advance peace? You think hundreds of billions of dollars in sanctions relief and fat contracts will turn this rapacious tiger into a kitten? If you do, you should think again.

In 2013 President Rouhani began his so-called charm offensive here at the UN. Two years later, Iran is executing more political prisoners, escalating its regional aggression, and rapidly expanding its global terror network.

You know they say, actions speak louder than words.

But in Iran’s case, the words speak as loud as the actions.

Just listen to the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Quds Force. Here’s what he said in February: "The Islamic revolution is not limited by geographic borders...." He boasted that Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Yemen are among the countries being "conquered by the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Conquered.

And for those of you who believe that the deal in Vienna will bring a change in Iran’s policy, just listen to what Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said five days after the nuclear deal was reached: "Our policies towards the arrogant government of the United States will not change."

The United States, he vowed, will continue to be Iran’s enemy.

While giving the mullahs more money is likely to fuel more repression inside Iran, it will definitely fuel more aggression outside Iran.

As the leader of a country defending itself every day against Iran’s growing aggression, I wish I could take comfort in the claim that this deal blocks Iran’s path to nuclear weapons.

But I can’t, because it doesn’t.

This deal does place several constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.

And rightly so, because the international community recognizes that Iran is so dangerous.

But you see here’s the catch: Under this deal, if Iran doesn’t change its behavior, in fact, if it becomes even more dangerous in the years to come, the most important constraints will still be automatically lifted by year 10 and by year 15.

That would place a militant Islamic terror regime weeks away from having the fissile material for an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs.

That just doesn’t make any sense.

I’ve said that if Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal country.

But this deal, this deal will treat Iran like a normal country even if it remains a dark theocracy that conquers its neighbors, sponsors terrorism worldwide and chants "Death to Israel," "Death to America."

Does anyone seriously believe that flooding a radical theocracy with weapons and cash will curb its appetite for aggression? Do any of you really believe that a theocratic Iran with sharper claws and sharper fangs will be more likely to change its stripes? So here’s a general rule that I’ve learned and you must have learned in your life time: When bad behavior is rewarded, it only gets worse.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have long said that the greatest danger facing our world is the coupling of militant Islam with nuclear weapons.

And I’m gravely concerned that the nuclear deal with Iran will prove to be the marriage certificate of that unholy union.

I know that some well-intentioned people sincerely believe that this deal is the best way to block Iran’s path to the bomb.

But one of history’s most important yet least learned lessons is this: The best intentions don’t prevent the worst outcomes.

The vast majority of Israelis believe that this nuclear deal with Iran is a very bad deal.

And what makes matters even worse is that we see a world celebrating this bad deal, rushing to embrace and do business with a regime openly committed to our destruction.

Last week, Maj.-Gen. Salehi, the commander of Iran’s army, proclaimed this: "We will annihilate Israel for sure.

"We are glad that we are in the forefront of executing the supreme leader’s order to destroy Israel."

And as for the supreme leader himself, a few days after the nuclear deal was announced, he released his latest book.

Here it is.

It’s a 400-page screed detailing his plan to destroy the State of Israel.

Last month, Khamenei once again made his genocidal intentions clear before Iran’s top clerical body, the Assembly of Experts.

He spoke about Israel, home to over six million Jews.

He pledged, "There will be no Israel in 25 years."

Seventy years after the murder of six million Jews, Iran’s rulers promise to destroy my country, murder my people.

And the response from this body, the response from nearly every one of the governments represented here has been absolutely nothing! Utter silence! Deafening silence.

Perhaps you can now understand why Israel is not joining you in celebrating this deal.

If Iran’s rulers were working to destroy your countries, perhaps you’d be less enthusiastic about the deal.

If Iran’s terror proxies were firing thousands of rockets at your cities, perhaps you’d be more measured in your praise.

And if this deal were unleashing a nuclear arms race in your neighborhood, perhaps you’d be more reluctant to celebrate.

But don’t think that Iran is only a danger to Israel.

Besides Iran’s aggression in the Middle East and its terror around the world, Iran is also building intercontinental ballistic missiles whose sole purpose is to carry nuclear warheads.

Now remember this: Iran already has missiles that can reach Israel.

So those intercontinental ballistic missiles that Iran is building – they’re not meant for us.

They’re meant for you.

For Europe.

For America.

For raining down mass destruction – anytime, anywhere.

Ladies and Gentlemen, It’s not easy to oppose something that is embraced by the greatest powers in the world.

Believe me, it would be far easier to remain silent.

But throughout our history, the Jewish people have learned the heavy price of silence.

And as the prime minister of the Jewish state, as someone who knows that history, I refuse to be silent.

I’ll say it again: The days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies – those days are over.

Not being passive means speaking up about those dangers.

We have. We are.

We will.

Not being passive also means defending ourselves against those dangers.

We have. We are.

And we will.

Israel will not allow Iran to break in, to sneak in or to walk in to the nuclear weapons club.

I know that preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons remains the official policy of the international community.

But no one should question Israel’s determination to defend itself against those who seek our destruction.

For in every generation, there were those who rose up to destroy our people.

In antiquity, we faced destruction from the ancient empires of Babylon and Rome.

In the Middle Ages, we faced inquisition and expulsion.

And in modern times, we faced pogroms and the Holocaust.

Yet the Jewish people persevered.

And now another regime has arisen, swearing to destroy Israel.

That regime would be wise to consider this: I stand here today representing Israel, a country 67 years young, but the nation-state of a people nearly 4,000 years old.

Yet the empires of Babylon and Rome are not represented in this hall of nations.

Neither is the Thousand Year Reich.

Those seemingly invincible empires are long gone.

But Israel lives.

The people of Israel live.

Am Yisrael Hai! The re-birth of Israel is a testament to the indomitable spirit of my people.

For a hundred generations, the Jewish people dreamed of returning to the Land of Israel.

Even in our darkest hours, and we had so many, even in our darkest hours we never gave up hope of rebuilding our eternal capital Jerusalem.

The establishment of Israel made realizing that dream possible.

It has enabled us to live as a free people in our ancestral homeland.

It’s enabled us to embrace Jews who’ve come from the four corners of the earth to find refuge from persecution.

They came from war-torn Europe, from Yemen, Iraq, Morocco, from Ethiopia and the Soviet Union, from a hundred other lands.

And today, as a rising tide of anti-Semitism once again sweeps across Europe and elsewhere, many Jews come to Israel to join us in building the Jewish future.

So here’s my message to the rulers of Iran: Your plan to destroy Israel will fail.

Israel will not permit any force on earth to threaten its future.

And here’s my message to all the countries represented here: Whatever resolutions you may adopt in this building, whatever decisions you may take in your capitals, Israel will do whatever it must do to defend our state and to defend our people.

Distinguished delegates, As this deal with Iran moves ahead, I hope you’ll enforce it...

how can I put this? With a little more rigor than you showed with the six Security Council resolutions that Iran has systematically violated and which now have been effectively discarded.

Make sure that the inspectors actually inspect.

Make sure that the snapback sanctions actually snap back.

And make sure that Iran’s violations aren’t swept under the Persian rug.

Well, of one thing I can assure you: Israel will be watching... closely.

What the international community now needs to do is clear: First, make Iran comply with all its nuclear obligations.

Keep Iran’s feet to the fire.

Second, check Iran’s regional aggression.

Support and strengthen those fighting Iran’s aggression, beginning with Israel.

Third, use sanctions and all the tools available to you to tear down Iran’s global terror network.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Israel is working closely with our Arab peace partners to address our common security challenges from Iran and also the security challenges from ISIS and from others.

We are also working with other states in the Middle East as well as countries in Africa, in Asia and beyond.

Many in our region know that both Iran and ISIS are our common enemies.

And when your enemies fight each other, don’t strengthen either one – weaken both.

Common dangers are clearly bringing Israel and its Arab neighbors closer.

And as we work together to thwart those dangers, I hope we’ll build lasting partnerships – lasting partnerships for security, for prosperity and for peace.

But in Israel, we never forget one thing. We never forget that the most important partner that Israel has has always been, and will always be, the United States of America.

The alliance between Israel and the United States is unshakable.

President Obama and I agree on the need to keep arms out of the hands of Iran’s terror proxies.

We agree on the need to stop Iran from destabilizing countries throughout the Middle East.

Israel deeply appreciates President Obama’s willingness to bolster our security, help Israel maintain its qualitative military edge and help Israel confront the enormous challenges we face.

Israel is grateful that this sentiment is widely shared by the American people and its representatives in Congress, by both those who supported the deal and by those who opposed it.

President Obama and I have both said that our differences over the nuclear deal are a disagreement within the family.

But we have no disagreement about the need to work together to secure our common future.

And what a great future it could be.

Israel is uniquely poised to seize the promise of the 21st century.

Israel is a world leader in science and technology, in cyber, software, water, agriculture, medicine, biotechnology and so many other fields that are being revolutionized by Israeli ingenuity and Israeli innovation.

Israel is the innovation nation.

Israeli know-how is everywhere.

It’s in your computers’ microprocessors and flash drives.

It’s in your smartphones, when you send instant messages and navigate your cars.

It’s on your farms, when you drip irrigate your crops and keep your grains and produce fresh.

It’s in your universities, when you study Nobel Prize-winning discoveries in chemistry and economics.

It’s in your medicine cabinets, when you use drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

It’s even on your plate, when you eat the delicious cherry tomato.

That too was perfected in Israel, in case you didn’t know.

We are so proud in Israel of the long strides our country has made in a short time.

We’re so proud that our small country is making such a huge contribution to the entire world.

Yet the dreams of our people, enshrined for eternity by the great prophets of the Bible, those dreams will be fully realized only when there is peace.

As the Middle East descends into chaos, Israel’s peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are two cornerstones of stability.

Israel remains committed to achieving peace with the Palestinians as well.

Israelis know the price of war.

I know the price of war.

I was nearly killed in battle.

I lost many friends.

I lost my beloved brother Yoni.

Those who know the price of war can best appreciate what the blessings of peace would mean – for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren.

I am prepared to immediately, immediately, resume direct peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority without any preconditions whatsoever.

Unfortunately, President Abbas said yesterday that he is not prepared to do this.

Well, I hope he changes his mind.

Because I remain committed to a vision of two states for two peoples, in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state.

You know, the peace process began over two decades ago.

Yet despite the best efforts of six Israeli prime ministers – Rabin, Peres, Barak, Sharon, Olmert and myself – the Palestinians have consistently refused to end the conflict and make a final peace with Israel.

And unfortunately, you heard that rejectionism again only yesterday from President Abbas.

How can Israel make peace with a Palestinian partner who refuses to even sit at the negotiating table? Israel expects the Palestinian Authority to abide by its commitments.

The Palestinians should not walk away from peace.

President Abbas, I know it’s not easy. I know it’s hard. But we owe it to our peoples to try, to continue to try, because together, if we actually negotiate and stop negotiating about the negotiation, if we actually sit down and try to resolve this conflict between us, recognize each other, not use a Palestinian state as a stepping stone for another Islamist dictatorship in the Middle East, but something that will live at peace next to the Jewish state, if we actually do that, we can do remarkable things for our peoples.

The UN can help advance peace by supporting direct, unconditional negotiations between the parties.

The UN won’t help peace, certainly won’t help advance peace by trying to impose solutions or by encouraging Palestinian rejectionism, And the UN, distinguished delegates, should do one more thing. The UN should finally rid itself of the obsessive bashing of Israel.

Here’s just one absurd example of this obsession: In four years of horrific violence in Syria, more than a quarter of a million people have lost their lives.

That’s more than 10 times, more than 10 times, the number of Israelis and Palestinians combined who have lost their lives in a century of conflict between us.

Yet last year, this assembly adopted 20 resolutions against Israel and just one resolution about the savage slaughter in Syria.

Talk about injustice. Talk about disproportionality. Twenty.

Count them. One against Syria.

Well, frankly I am not surprised.

To borrow a line from Yogi Berra, the late, great baseball player and part-time philosopher: When it comes to the annual bashing of Israel at the UN, it’s déjà vu all over again.

Enough! Thirty-one years after I stood here for the first time, I’m still asking: When will the UN finally check its anti-Israel fanaticism at the door? When will the UN finally stop slandering Israel as a threat to peace and actually start helping Israel advance peace? And the same question should be posed to Palestinian leaders.

When will you start working with Israel to advance peace and reconciliation and stop libeling Israel, stop inciting hatred and violence? President Abbas, here’s a good place to begin: Stop spreading lies about Israel’s alleged intentions on the Temple Mount.

Israel is fully committed to maintaining the status quo there.

What President Abbas should be speaking out against are the actions of militant Islamists who are smuggling explosives into the al-Aksa mosque and who are trying to prevent Jews and Christians from visiting the holy sites.

That’s the real threat to these sacred sites.

A thousand years before the birth of Christianity, more than 1,500 years before the birth of Islam, King David made Jerusalem our capital, and King Solomon built the Temple on that Mount.

Yet Israel, Israel will always respect the sacred shrines of all.

In a region plagued by violence and by unimaginable intolerance, in which Islamic fanatics are destroying the ancient treasures of civilization, Israel stands out as a towering beacon of enlightenment and tolerance.

Far from endangering the holy sites, it is Israel that ensures their safety.

Because unlike the powers who have ruled Jerusalem in the past, Israel respects the holy sites and freedom of worship of all – Jews, Muslims, Christians, everyone.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, will never change.

Because Israel will always stay true to its values.

These values are on display each and every day: When Israel’s feisty parliament vigorously debates every issue under the sun, When Israel’s chief justice sits in her chair at our fiercely independent Supreme Court, When our Christian community continues to grow and thrive from year to year, as Christian communities are decimated elsewhere in the Middle East.

When a brilliant young Israeli Muslim student gives her valedictorian address at one of our finest universities, And when Israeli doctors and nurses – doctors and nurses from the Israeli military – treat thousands of wounded from the killing fields of Syria and thousands more in the wake of natural disasters from Haiti to Nepal.

This is the true face of Israel.

These are the values of Israel.

And in the Middle East, these values are under savage assault by militant Islamists who are forcing millions of terrified people to flee to distant shores.

Ten miles from ISIS, a few hundred yards from Iran’s murderous proxies, Israel stands in the breach – proudly and courageously, defending freedom and progress.

Israel is civilization’s front line in the battle against barbarism.

So here’s a novel idea for the United Nations: Instead of continuing the shameful routine of bashing Israel, stand with Israel.

Stand with Israel as we check the fanaticism at our door.

Stand with Israel as we prevent that fanaticism from reaching your door.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Stand with Israel because Israel is not just defending itself.

More than ever, Israel is defending you!


 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Opinions of Peres

by Delta Vines

The wail of sirens and the screams of children as Kassam rockets were shot into the Sderot area of Israel became a daily event for over five years. The need to hide and stay hidden in bomb shelters began lasting beyond a few hours a day, turning into weeks at a time.  It became less stressful to adapt to life inside the shelter; holding school classroom lessons inside the safety of the underground walls.  This was the legacy left by the latter part of the life of former prime minister Ariel Sharon.

Of the more recent candidates for prime ministers of Israel, Sharon seemed to be the most "hawkish".  He had fought in wartime for Israel's safety.  Several pundits posed that Sharon would fight off the Palestinians who attacked the citizens and soldiers in Israel.  Instead, Sharon negotiated away the Gaza Strip, and ordered the "disengagement", leaving hundreds of Israeli's homeless.  This, of course, was with the promise of peaceful negotiations - which never happened.

The person in charge of those negotiations was none other than Shimon Peres.  

Peres was also involved in the secret "unofficial" negotiations that went on with "unofficial representatives" of Yassir Arafat during the Oslo Accords* in 1993. At that time, Peres was the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs under former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Those "unofficial negotiations" became official as the agreement was signed on the White House Lawn during the Clinton Administration.  

One of the conditions of the Oslo Accords was Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.  

This is a pattern of Shimon Peres - negotiate away Eretz Yisrael. 

Now the news is he has endorsed the Zionist Union party of Herzog and Livni in the prime minister election next week.  He and Livni have the same philosophy:  give up land in Israel in order to have peace.  One would think they have learned by now that giving up Israeli land does not lead to peace with the Arab/Palestinians.  

Contrarily, it has only led to more attacks against Jewish Israeli people, towns, and religious/historical sites. Joseph's Tomb was destroyed then made into a mosque, no one is allowed even now to pray on the Temple Mount except for Muslims; people praying at the Western Wall are subject to periodically having rocks thrown on them from the Temple Mount, only Muslims are allowed access to the tomb of Isaac at Machpelah in Hebron;  and even the Church of the Nativity is encroached upon by an adjacent mosque in Bethelehem.  

Non-compliance in the actions of the Palestinians and their leadership has led to the failure of Oslo I, Oslo II, and all attempted peace treaties since between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs.  This includes the Wye River Agreement in 1998 between Arafat and Netanyahu. At those negotiations Netanyahu included a "reciprocity" condition which stated that refusing any concessions until the PLO/PA complied on its part and stopped the attacks and violence.  Netanyahu has held to that condition in order to have a safe Israel before giving anything else despite UN criticism. Netanyahu learned from mistakes from previous leadership, as well as his own

Livni, like Peres, wanted once again to give the PA anything they wanted, for yet another promise of "peace".  Some people are slow learners.

Did they not learn from Oslo?





*The Oslo Accords included a total of six subsequent attempts to bring a stop to the violence despite Israeli concessions.  It's history worth reading .


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

An Appeal to the People of Israel

Dear People of Israel,

I do not have a habit of writing to a specific group of people as a general rule.  However, it is with a sense of urgency I do so now to the people of Israel.

You have an immediate important decision to make regarding the future of your country which you signify by your vote next week.  Simply put, the future of Israel depends upon how you vote.  

Every nation has it's economic and political issues.  Jobs, wages, and services are issues of great importance. After years of attacks by terrorists, to say the country of Israel is weary of such would be an understatement.  Yet, you are not alone in several issues.

Every country on the world stage is dealing with unemployment and staggering economies. They are also now painfully aware of the hatred and attacks against their lands by terrorists. However, It is not as Israel constantly faces. 

Their people are not attacked the world over because of their nationality and religion.  They do not face the desecration of cemeteries, the mockery and jeers, and the physical attacks no matter where they visit or live.  They do not face the constant pressure to give up their heritage and their land by several nations of the world.

Now you are faced with a decision to preserve your Jewish identity as well as your lives. Although the Labor Party has join with HaTnuah and changed their name to Zionist Union, it appears there is little "zionist" about them.  Do not forget how Tzipi Livni has in her various ministerial positions has taken steps to negotiate toward a "two state solution. As part of those negotiations Livni was willing to give away Yesha and Jerusalem.  She also has stated that she sees no problem with Iran.  Given the many times Israel has had missiles land within her borders from Hamas in Gaza...I would want a PM who would stand up against such aggression.

She and Herzog would rotate years with one being PM 2 years and the other one doing the remainder of the term. Both are very willing to concede with little negotiation a large amount of the land of Israel. An example of what that has lead to in Israel's past can be seen in Israel's giving up Gaza for peace.  But peace never happened.  Instead the Palestinians in Gaza voted for a government run by Hamas in their election.  

It is no surprise that Israel has been blamed for all the problems existing in the Middle East. ISIS is warring in Syria and Iraq. Boko Haram is active in it's murderous atrocities in nearby Africa, and Russia is at war with Ukraine.  Instead of focusing on one of those very dangerous areas, the US and others push for Israel to give up safe borders in order to have "peace".  Again, remember Gaza - and how that worked out for Israel.   With the Zionist Union candidates as prime ministers the result could be dangerous to the survival of Israel and it's residents.

No other Prime Minister has stood up for Israel in the way Benjamin Netanyahu has.  Even Sharon, with all his strength and bravado, signed over the Gaza Strip.  Netanyahu has been wise enough to insist on Arab acceptance of Israel being a "Jewish state".  He has stood firm on not accepting an Arab/Palestinian "right of return" which would mean anyone related to anyone who had lived in Israel prior to 1948 could demand land and housing.  That would essentially drive many Jewish Israeli's out of their homes.  Herzog and Livni would sign everything away, based on their previous performance.  To vote for them would be geographical suicide.

I plead with you, Israel, to vote for Likud, and your present prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.  To do so would mean you will still have a homeland - the land of Israel.

With love from the U.S., 

Delta Vines



Monday, March 02, 2015

PM Netanyahu AIPAC Speech (and Transcript)

by Delta Vines

The speech given to AIPAC by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu today was very impressive.  It was wonderful that the leaders from Spain, from Canada, and from the Czech Republic attended the speech - providing support to Netanyahu similar to how Aaron & Hur held up the arms of Moses while the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea.

Bibi personified grace under pressure as he shone a very good light on President Obama. This was despite the fact that the president and staff have been campaigning against the Israeli prime minister's speech to U.S. Congress.   P.M. Netanyahu was in a difficult situation:  to keep his word to House Speaker Boehner when he accepted the invitation.  More importantly, to the people of the world to expose the probable dangers the negotiations with Iran could produce.  With Israel literally the primary target for elimination by Iran, Netanyahu needed to speak up.

So, why speak before the U.S. Congress....of all countries with which to present his case?  1) Because Iran has not been shy in it's threats to Israel first, then to the U.S. whom they refer to as "the big satan".  2)  Because the United States of America is the least "Israel angry" and most "Israel friendly" in the world.  I'm speaking of the people of the United States as well as several in our Congress.  As Bibi mentioned in this speech regarding the U.S. - "we're practically mishpocha" (family).

It is my fervent prayer and hope that leaders involved in these negotiations will hear the truth of the dangers Iran poses to all of us; just as ISIS poses dangers to all of us.

______________________________________

Transcript

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the AIPAC Policy Conference
 Delivered on March 2, 2015

“Thank you. Wow, 16,000 people. Anyone here from California? Florida? New York?  Well, these are the easy ones. How about Colorado? Indiana? I think I got it. Montana?Texas?

You’re here in record numbers. You’re here from coast to coast,from every part of this great land.
And you’re here at a critical time. You’re here to tell the world that reports of the demise of the Israeli-U.S. relations are not only premature, they’re just wrong.

You’re here to tell the world that our alliance is stronger than ever.

And because of you, and millions like you, across this great country, it’s going to get even stronger in the coming years.

Thank you Bob Cohen, Michael Kassen, Howard Kohr and all the leadership of AIPAC. Thank you for your tireless, dedicated work to strengthen the partnership between Israel and the United States.

I want to thank,most especially, Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans. I deeply appreciate your steadfast support for Israel, year in, year out. You have our boundless gratitude.

I want to welcome President Zeman of the Czech Republic .Mr. President, Israel never forgets its friends.  And the Czech people have always been steadfast friends of Israel, the Jewish people, from the days of Thomas Masaryk at the inception of Zionism. You know, Mr. President, when I entered the Israeli army in 1967, I received a Czech rifle.That was one of the rifles that was given to us by your people in our time of need in 1948. So thank you for being here today.

Also here are two great friends of Israel, former Prime Minister of Spain Jose Maria Aznar and as of last month, former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird. Thank you both for your unwavering support. You are true champions of Israel, and you are, too, champions of the truth.

I also want to recognize the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, for your genuine friendship, Dan,and for the great job you’re doing representing the United States and the State of Israel.

And I want to recognize the two Rons. I want to thank Ambassador Ron Prosor for the exemplary job he’s doing at the U.N. in a very difficult forum.

And I want to recognize the other Ron, a man who knows how to take the heat, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer. Ron, I couldn't be prouder to have you representing Israel in Washington.

And finally, I want to recognize my wife, Sara, whose courage in the face of adversity is an inspiration to me.Sara divides her time as a child psychologist, as a loving mother, and her public duties as the wife of the prime minister.Sara, I’m so proud to have you here with me today, to have you with me at my side always.

My friends, I bring greetings to you from Jerusalem, our eternal undivided capital.

And I also bring to you news that you may not have heard. You see, I’ll be speaking in Congress tomorrow.

You know, never has so much been written about a speech that hasn’t been given. And I’m not going to speak today about the content of that speech, but I do want to say a few words about the purpose of that speech.

First, let me clarify what is not the purpose of that speech. My speech is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the esteemed office that he holds. I have great respect for both.

I deeply appreciate all that President Obama has done for Israel,security cooperation, intelligence sharing, support at the U.N., and much more, some things that I, as prime minister of Israel, cannot even divulge to you because it remains in the realm of the confidences that are kept between an American president and an Israeli prime minister.I am deeply grateful for this support, and so should you be.

My speech is also not intended to inject Israel into the American partisan debate. An important reason why our alliance has grown stronger decade after decade is that it has been championed by both parties and so it must remain.

Both Democratic and Republican presidents have worked together with friends from both sides of the aisle in Congress to strengthen Israel and our alliance between our two countries, and working together, they have provided Israel with generous military assistance and missile defense spending. We've seen how important that is just last summer.

Working together, they've made Israel the first free trade partner of America 30 years ago and its first official strategic partner last year.

They've backed Israel in defending itself at war and in our efforts to achieve a durable peace with our neighbors. Working together has made Israel stronger; working together has made our alliance stronger.

And that’s why the last thing that anyone who cares about Israel,the last thing that I would want is for Israel to become a partisan issue. And I regret that some people have misperceived my visit here this week as doing that. Israel has always been a bipartisan issue.

Israel should always remain a bipartisan issue.

Ladies and gentlemen, the purpose of my address to Congress tomorrow is to speak up about a potential deal with Iran that could threaten the survival of Israel. Iran is the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Look at that graph. Look at that map. And you  see on the wall, it shows Iran
training, arming, dispatching terrorists on five continents. Iran envelopes the entire world with its tentacles of terror. This is what Iran is doing now without nuclear weapons. Imagine what Iran would do with nuclear weapons.

And this same Iran vows to annihilate Israel. If it develops nuclear weapons, it would have the means to achieve that goal. We must not let that happen.

And as prime minister of Israel, I have a moral obligation to speak up in the face of these dangers while there’s still time to avert them. For 2000 years, my people, the Jewish people, were stateless, defenseless, voiceless. We were utterly powerless against our enemies who swore to destroy us. We suffered relentless persecution and horrific attacks. We could never speak on our own behalf, and we could not defend ourselves.

Well, no more, no more.

The days when the Jewish people are passive in the face of threats to annihilate us, those days are over.Today in our sovereign state of Israel, we defend ourselves. And being able to defend ourselves, we ally with others, most importantly, the United States of America, to defend our common civilization against common threats.

In our part of the world and increasingly, in every part of the world, no one makes alliances with the weak. You seek out those who have strength, those who have resolve, those who have the determination to fight for themselves. That’s how alliances are formed.

So we defend ourselves and in so doing, create the basis of a broader alliance.

And today, we are no longer silent; today, we have a voice.And tomorrow, as prime minister of the one and only Jewish state, I plan to use that voice.

I plan to speak about an Iranian regime that is threatening to destroy Israel, that’s devouring country after country in the Middle East, that’s exporting terror throughout the world and that is developing, as we speak, the capacity to make nuclear weapons, lots of them.

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel and the United States agree that Iran should not have nuclear weapons, but we disagree on the best way to prevent Iran from developing those weapons.

Now disagreements among allies are only natural from time to time, even among the closest of allies. Because they’re important differences between America and Israel.

The United States of America is a large country,one of the largest. Israel is a small country, one of the smallest.

America lives in one of the world’s safest neighborhoods. Israel lives in the world’s most dangerous neighborhood. America is the strongest power in the world. Israel is strong, but it’s much more vulnerable. American leaders worry about the security of their country. Israeli leaders worry about the survival of their country.

You know I think that encapsulates the difference. I've been prime minister of Israel for nine years. There’s not a single day, not one day that I didn't think about the survival of my country and the actions that I take to ensure that survival, not one day.

And because of these differences, America and Israel have had some serious disagreements over the course of our nearly 70-year-old friendship.

Now, it started with the beginning. In 1948, Secretary of State Marshall opposed David Ben-Gurion’s intention to declare statehood.That’s an understatement. He vehemently opposed it. But Ben-Gurion,understanding what was at stake, went ahead and declared Israel’s independence.

In 1967, as an Arab noose was tightening around Israel’s neck,the United States warned Prime Minister Levi Eshkol that if Israel acted alone, it would be alone. But Israel did act — acted alone to defend itself.

In 1981, under the leadership of Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Israel destroyed the nuclear reactor at Osirak. The United States criticized Israel and suspended arms transfers for three months. 

And in 2002, after the worst wave of Palestinian terror attacks in Israel’s history, Prime Minister Sharon launched Operation Defensive Shield. The United States demanded that Israel withdraw its troops immediately, but Sharon continued until the operation was completed.

There’s a reason I mention all these. I mention them to make a point. Despite occasional disagreements, the friendship between America and Israel grew stronger and stronger, decade after decade.

And our friendship will weather the current disagreement, as well, to grow even stronger in the future.And I’ll tell you why; because we share the same dreams. Because we pray and hope and aspire for that same better world; because the values that unite us are much stronger than the differences that divide usvalues like liberty, equality, justice, tolerance,compassion.

As our region descends into medieval barbarism, Israel is the one that upholds these values common to us and to you.

As Assad drops bell bombs on his own people, Israeli doctors treat his victims in our hospitals right across the fence in the Golan Heights.

As Christians in the Middle East are beheaded and their ancient communities are decimated, Israel’s Christian community is growing and thriving, the only one such community in the Middle East.

As women in the region are repressed, enslaved, and raped, women in Israel serve as chief justices, CEOs, fighter pilots, two women chief justices in a row. Well, not in a row, but in succession. That’s pretty good.

In a dark, and savage, and desperate Middle East, Israel is a beacon of humanity, of light, and of hope.

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel and the United States will continue to stand together because America and Israel are more than friends. We’re like a family. We’re practically mishpocha.

Now, disagreements in the family are always uncomfortable, but we must always remember that we are family.

Rooted in a common heritage, upholding common values, sharing a common destiny. And that’s the message I came to tell you today. Our alliance is sound. Our friendship is strong. And with your efforts it will get even stronger in the years to come.

Thank you, AIPAC. Thank you, America. God bless you all.”

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Obama Takes a Stand (Dry Bones)

Thanking Our Legislators

by Delta Vines

Tomorrow morning PM Netanyahu will address the U.S. Congress to make them aware of  just how much danger Israel, and other nations, are in should Iran be allowed to continue on in their aspirations of nuclear power/weapons.  As you know, some congressmen and women have said they will not attend.  If your congressperson is going to attend, it would be a very nice thing to contact them and thank them.  Sometimes we do not say "thank you" enough to our legislators.

For that matter, if you are a constituent of a member of Congress who has said they will not attend the prime minister's speech, it would be nice to thank them for their hard work as well.  All of our legislators work very hard to represent us.  If you would like them to attend the speech tomorrow morning, feel free to kindly request they reconsider attending.  Even if they do not attend, your kindness will leave a positive impression our legislators and their staff will appreciate.

However, if you would like to remind them how childish they are being in not attending the speech....it is ok by me!   (As long as you do so politely )

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Thursday, February 05, 2015

Obama, Netanyahu, and Iran's Split Promises

by Delta Vines

The ongoing debate over U.S. House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation to (and acceptance of) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to the U.S. Congress has gotten a surprisingly amount of criticism toward both men.  It appears the procedure of clearing the invitation with President Obama before actually issuing and accepting such was the first “strike”.  The timing of the proposed date for the speech is yet another issue. 

Granted, there is no love lost from President Obama toward PM Netanyahu.  Ever since his first term began, President Obama has dis-respected PM Netanyahu on numerous visits and occasions.  On their first meeting, P.M. Netanyahu was presented with a list of demands from President Obama; who then left him alone in a room for an hour.  There was no joint statement to the press, and no photo of the two together.  In May 2011, President Obama announced Israel would go back to the 1967 borders. The problem was, no one had told Israel.  Any country only 9 miles wide in extended places is not big enough for millions of people. The negotiations for peace continues – between Israel and the “Palestinians”. The negotiations for peace between President Obama and Israeli PM Netanyahu continues as well, right into 2015.

It seems simple enough to me.  The Speaker of the House contacted PM Netanyahu about addressing the U S Congress on the threat Iran poses to Israel and the rest of the world. The date(s) of the proposed visit is during the AIPAC convention, which would be a convenience as P.M. Netanyahu has many times addressed the AIPAC convention in person.

We have three branches of government.   The last I knew, the Supreme Court does not ask the President or the Congress permission to rule on certain cases, or who is or is not allowed to argue cases, as long as they are licensed litigators. The President doesn’t ask Congress’s permission to go to other countries to meet with heads of state.  Congress does not ask the Supreme Court’s permission to vote on a bill making it law.  A courtesy, at worse, was neglected.  However, PM Netanyahu’s people apparently were under the impression that President Obama had been informed of the invitation and had no opposition to it.

Over one week ago this issue was discussed on Fox News Sunday broadcast.  Ever the eloquent speaker, George Will had an excellent summation to a couple of questions posed by Chris Wallace:

HOST CHRIS WALLACE: George, was Boehner wrong to invite Netanyahu to Congress without consulting the White House? Was Netanyahu wrong to accept the invitation?

WILL: Neither were wrong. Congress is a collegial branch of government, with many responsibilities in foreign policy. Second, the president has gone out of his way to show disdain for both Congress in foreign and domestic policy, and for Mr. Netanyahu in particular. Steve Hayes makes the point in the Weekly Standard today, it is by no means good protocol to have the prime minister of another country, [UK Prime Minister David] Cameron, lobby our Congress about policy he favors.
WALLACE: Let me just quickly point out, Cameron called members of Congress to say don’t pass a sanctions bill threatening sanctions against Iran.
WILL: Correct. The president’s people were apologizing to members of Congress this week for not consulting them. We may be sure that if a deal is reached with Iran by June 30th, and if a climate deal is reached in Paris, the president will try to treat both of those as something other than a treaty and go around Congress. Israel lives in a tough neighborhood. In 726 days the president will be gone, they will still live in a tough neighborhood. And they’re not going to worry about showing manners to this man who has such bad manners.

Bad manners aside, I think Mr. Will hit the nail on the head:  it is all about Iran.  More to the point, it's all about placating Iran.  While U.S. President Obama, Great Britain, China, France, and Russia will be "re-negotiating" a deal with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to .....to do what?  They haven't stopped any advancement on their nuclear capabilities.  In fact, they've said one thing and done another, as usual.  President Obama refuses to impose sanctions upon the country.  Instead, he talks and talks while they build and build.

Enter P.M. Netanyahu and a dose of reality:  Iran threatens the existence of Israel.  Iran also threatens the existence of the U.S.   And Netanyahu's visit threatens President Obama's negotiations with Iran.  His speech would do more.

It makes one wonder even more if the reason President Obama is against P.M. Netanyahu speaking to the U.S. Congress is his plans for Iran will be thwarted.  What plans would that be?  To continue to do as he has done his entire presidency:  empower Islamic countries in order to try to boost his own ego.

The American people are no longer buying it.  WE THE PEOPLE want to hear what P.M. Netanyahu has to say.  WE are in charge of this country...not a dictatorial president sitting in his ivory tower.