[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 19 (Monday, May 19, 2008)]
[Pages 704-705]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Jerusalem

May 14, 2008

    Thank you all. President Peres, thank you, sir, for your 
hospitality. Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Olmert, it's great to be with 
you. We consider you friends. Heads of state, thank you all for coming. 
I think it's a great tribute to this conference, as well as to Israel, 
that so many heads of state have come. Ex-heads of state and ex-leaders, 
thanks for being here. Save a seat in the ex-leader's club. [Laughter] 
Citizens of Israel, Laura and I loved coming to your beautiful country, 
and thank you for your warm hospitality. Citizens of the United States, 
my fellow Americans, spend freely, and behave yourselves. [Laughter]
    Distinguished guests, I really appreciate your warm welcome. And we 
are thrilled to be here with one of America's closest friends. Laura and 
I are honored to represent the American people on the 60th anniversary 
of your independence. Happy birthday.
    As we celebrate the anniversary, it is useful to look back at the 
story of your founding. It is the story of how faith guided the Jewish 
people through centuries of bitter exile. It is a story of how those 
living behind ghetto walls and barbed wire never lost sight of 
Jerusalem. It is a story of how brave pioneers risked everything to 
redeem the promise of this land. It is a marvelous story.
    When Israel's founders gathered in Tel Aviv to sign your Declaration 
of Independence, the threat of war loomed. But it could not overshadow 
the joy of people who had lived to see their prayers answered. 
Celebrations broke out all across this land, and of course, they broke 
out in America as well. In New York, young men and women danced the hora 
in the streets. In Washington, a crowd gathered to watch a flag-raising 
ceremony outside the building that would become Israel's first Embassy. 
After one man saw the flag bearing the Star of David, he said, ``I never 
thought I'd live to see this day.''
    Looking back 60 years later, it is important to remember what the 
founders of Israel had to overcome at every stage of the journey. They 
established one of the world's great democracies in a region where 
democracy had few roots. They formed a unified army out of immigrants 
and refugees from many different countries. They planted the seeds of a 
modern economy in the sands of an ancient desert. In these 
accomplishments, we see the visionary leadership of men and women like 
Herzl and Weizmann and Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir and Rabin and Sharon, 
and we honor each of them this evening.
    And looking back 60 years later, we've also got to remember the 
courage of President Harry S. Truman. As Israel prepared to declare 
independence, President Truman faced a tough choice over whether to 
recognize a new state. The future of Israel hung in the balance. As 
Chaim Weizmann told the President, he said, ``History and providence 
have placed this issue in your hands.'' And today, we know that the 
forces of providence could not have chosen a better man than America's 
33d President.
    Eleven minutes after Israel came into existence, the United States 
became the first nation to recognize its independence. And because Harry 
Truman did what was right instead of following the conventional wisdom, 
we can say today that America is Israel's oldest and best friend in the 
world.
    With every passing year, the bonds of friendship between America and 
Israel have grown stronger. America stands for peace, and so does 
Israel. And as we stand in peace, we must understand the realities of 
the world in which we live. We must be steadfast and we must be strong 
in the face of those who murder the innocent to achieve their 
objectives. And in the long run, we share a powerful belief in a 
powerful weapon against the terrorists. We believe that the surest way 
to defeat the enemies of hatred is to advance the cause of hope through 
the cause of freedom--liberty as the great alternative to tyranny and 
terror.

[[Page 705]]

    Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for inviting me to 
speak at the Knesset tomorrow. I hear it's a place of many a sharp 
elbow. [Laughter] I'm looking forward to giving my speech. [Laughter] 
I'm not going to be throwing any elbows. But I will talk about the day 
when I believe every child in the Middle East can live in peace and live 
in freedom. With trust in the Rock of Israel, we know that day will 
come. And when it does, the United States of America will be at your 
side.
    God bless Israel, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 9:20 p.m. at the ICC Jerusalem 
International Convention Center. In his remarks, he referred to 
President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and former Prime 
Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel; and Aliza Olmert, wife of Prime 
Minister Olmert.