It’s worth watching in full, but here are some of the highlights.
On Jews and Israel:
The future of the Jewish state can never depend on the goodwill of even the greatest of men. Israel must always reserve the right to defend itself.
The connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel cannot be denied. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem cannot be denied.
The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 year ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital.
On the peace process:
Last year, I spoke of a vision of peace in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state. Just as the Palestinians expect Israel to recognize a Palestinian state, we expect the Palestinians to recognize the Jewish state. In the past year, my government has removed hundreds of roadblocks, barriers and checkpoints in the West Bank. As a result, we have helped spur a fantastic economic boom there. Finally, we announced an unprecedented moratorium on new Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria.
This is what my government has done for peace.What has the Palestinian Authority done for peace? Well, they have placed preconditions on peace talks, waged a relentless international campaign to undermine Israel’s legitimacy, and promoted the notorious Goldstone Report that falsely accuses Israel of war crimes.
On Israel and America’s relationship:
For decades, Israel served as a bulwark against Soviet expansionism.Today it is helping America stem the tide of militant Islam. Israel shares with America everything we know about fighting a new kind of enemy. We share intelligence and we cooperate in countless other ways that I am not at liberty to divulge. This cooperation saves American lives.
Our soldiers and your soldiers fight against fanatic enemies that loathe our common values. In the eyes of these fanatics, we are you and you are us. … Militant Islam does not hate the West because of Israel. It hates Israel because of the West Because it sees Israel as an outpost of freedom that prevents them from overrunning the Middle East. When Israel stands against its enemies, it stands against America’s enemies.
Politico has the transcript. Watch or read the speech in full. It’s worth it.
“For decades, Israel served as a bulwark against Soviet expansionism.Today it is helping America stem the tide of militant Islam. Israel shares with America everything we know about fighting a new kind of enemy. We share intelligence and we cooperate in countless other ways that I am not at liberty to divulge. This cooperation saves American lives”
I’m not an American. I’m a Jew. As a non-American Jew, I am totally fed up with Israel being a pawn in America’s Middle East game plan. Whereas it obviously was to Israel’s advantage thirty years ago, it has become less so in the past fifteen years, and now is positively detrimental.
Having said that, I haven’t a clue what Israel should or could do to extricate herself from this alliance.
I am by no means anti-American, I love your country and would happily move there if my circumstances were different, but I don’t think it’s very good for Israel at this time.
Meryl:
I posted the remarks as well on my blog, without Ben Smith’s snarky preamble. Feel free to link; why should anyone give him the traffic? http://slavetomybulldog.blogspot.com/2010/03/israeli-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-speaks-at.html
As for Bibi’s remarks – what can I say? I only wish we had a like-minded personality on the American political scene right now. Anything would be better than the empty platitudes and recycled pap that comes from the White House these days.
Changed the link to your blog, Jonathan. Sorry I forgot the hat-tip.