    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [December 15, 2008]
    [Pages 1466-1467]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Lighting the Hanukkah Menorah
    December 15, 2008

        Please be seated. Welcome to the White House. You may have heard
    I've had a pretty eventful weekend. [Laughter]
        So I slipped out Saturday night to Andrews Air Force Base, boarded
    Air Force One, and landed in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday afternoon. It was
    an unbelievable experience--it really was--to stand next to the
    President of a democracy and hold my hand
    over my heart as they played the national anthem in front of one of
    Saddam Hussein's palaces. I then had--[applause]. And then I had the
    honor to thank our brave troops who have helped make the transformation
    in Iraq possible.
        This morning we landed in Afghanistan. I spoke to American forces
    serving courageously to make sure that Afghanistan never becomes a safe
    haven from which the killers could launch attacks on the homeland.
        And then I met with President Karzai, who
    is determined to help the young democracy survive. And so he said, ``Why
    don't you hang around for a while?'' And I said, ``Well, you don't
    understand. [Laughter] I need to get back to the White House for an
    important event.'' [Laughter] The Hanukkah reception is always one of
    the most special events of the season. Laura and
    I are pleased to be with so many friends. And we are honored to gather
    with leaders of the Jewish community to celebrate our final Hanukkah
    here in the White House.
        I want to thank our Attorney General
    for joining us. General, I appreciate you and Susan joining us. I am proud to be here with one of America's
    great United States Senators, Joe
    Lieberman--[applause]--his greatness made possible by his wife
    Hadassah, I might add. [Laughter] And
    one of the young leaders of the United States Congress, Eric
    Cantor, and his wife Diana. And we're proud to be here with Kol Zimra as well, who
    will perform later.
        The story of Hanukkah recalls the miraculous victory of a small band
    of patriots against tyranny and the oil that burned for eight nights.
    Through centuries of exile and persecution, Jews have lit the menorah.
    Each year, they behold its glow with faith in the power of God and love
    for His greatest gift, freedom.
        This Hanukkah we celebrate another miraculous victory, the 60th
    anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. When President Harry
    Truman led the world in recognizing Israel in May of 1948, many wondered
    whether the small nation could possibly survive. Yet from the first days
    of independence, the people of Israel defied dire predictions. With
    determination and hard work, they turned a rocky desert into fertile
    soil. They built a thriving democracy, a strong economy, and one of the
    mightiest

    [[Page 1467]]

    military forces on Earth. Like the Maccabees, Israel has defended itself
    bravely against enemies seeking its destruction. And today, Israel is a
    light unto the nations and one of America's closest friends.
        This evening we have the great privilege of celebrating Israel's
    60th anniversary and Hanukkah in a very special way. Thanks to the
    generosity of the Truman Library, we are fortunate to light the menorah
    presented to President Truman in 1951 as a symbol of friendship by
    Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.
        A decade after President Truman received this gift, he visited Prime
    Minister Ben-Gurion for one of the last times. As they parted, Ben-
    Gurion told the President that as a foreigner he could not judge
    President Truman's place in American history, but the President's
    courageous decision to recognize the new State of Israel gave him an
    immortal place in Jewish history. Those words filled the President's
    eyes with uncharacteristic tears. And later, Ben-Gurion would say he
    rarely had seen somebody so moved.
        And so tonight I'm deeply moved to welcome the grandsons of these
    two great men--Clifton Truman Daniel
    and Yariv Ben-Eliezer--to light the Truman
    menorah together.
        Laura and I wish all the people of Jewish
    faith a happy Hanukkah and many joyous Hanukkahs in the years ahead.
    Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:30 p.m. in the Grand Foyer at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to President Jalal Talabani of Iraq;
    President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; Susan Mukasey, wife of Attorney
    General Michael B. Mukasey; and entertainers Kol Zimra. The Office of
    the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these
    remarks.