[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 50 (Monday, December 22, 2008)]
[Pages 1537-1538]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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

[[Page 1538]]

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 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.