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  • The President: Thank you.

  • (applause)

  • Shalom.

  • (cheers and applause)

  • Thank you so much.

  • Thank you very much.

  • Thank you.

  • Everybody, please have a seat.

  • Thank you. Thank you.

  • Thank you so much.

  • Well, it is a great honor to be with you here in Jerusalem,

  • and I'm so grateful for the welcome that I've received

  • from the people of Israel.

  • Thank you.

  • (applause)

  • I bring with me the support of the American people --

  • (applause)

  • -- and the friendship that binds us together.

  • (applause)

  • Over the last two days, I've reaffirmed the bonds between our

  • countries with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres.

  • I've borne witness to the ancient history of

  • the Jewish people at the Shrine of the Book,

  • and I've seen Israel's shining future in your scientists and

  • your entrepreneurs.

  • This is a nation of museums and patents,

  • timeless holy sites and ground-breaking innovation.

  • Only in Israel could you see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the

  • place where the technology on board the Mars Rover originated

  • at the same time.

  • (applause)

  • But what I've most looked forward to is the ability to

  • speak directly to you, the Israeli people -- especially

  • so many young people who are here today --

  • (applause)

  • -- to talk about the history that brought us here today,

  • and the future that you will make in the years to come.

  • Now, I know that in Israel's vibrant democracy,

  • every word, every gesture is carefully scrutinized.

  • (laughter)

  • But I want to clear something up just so you know -- any drama

  • between me and my friend, Bibi, over the years was just a plot

  • to create material for Eretz Nehederet.

  • (applause)

  • That's the only thing that was going on.

  • (applause)

  • We just wanted to make sure the writers had good material.

  • (laughter)

  • I also know that I come to Israel on the eve of

  • a sacred holiday -- the celebration of Passover.

  • And that is where I would like to begin today.

  • Just a few days from now, Jews here in Israel and around the

  • world will sit with family and friends at the Seder table,

  • and celebrate with songs, wine and symbolic foods.

  • After enjoying Seders with family and friends in Chicago

  • and on the campaign trail, I'm proud that I've now brought this

  • tradition into the White House.

  • (applause)

  • I did so because I wanted my daughters to experience the

  • Haggadah, and the story at the center of Passover that makes

  • this time of year so powerful.

  • It's a story of centuries of slavery,

  • and years of wandering in the desert;

  • a story of perseverance amidst persecution,

  • and faith in God and the Torah.

  • It's a story about finding freedom in your own land.

  • And for the Jewish people, this story is central to

  • who you've become.

  • But it's also a story that holds within it the universal

  • human experience, with all of its suffering,

  • but also all of its salvation.

  • It's a part of the three great religions -- Judaism,

  • Christianity, and Islam -- that trace their origins to Abraham,

  • and see Jerusalem as sacred.

  • And it's a story that's inspired communities across the globe,

  • including me and my fellow Americans.

  • In the United States -- a nation made up of people who crossed

  • oceans to start anew -- we're naturally drawn to the idea of

  • finding freedom in our land.

  • To African Americans, the story of the Exodus was perhaps the

  • central story, the most powerful image about emerging from the

  • grip of bondage to reach for liberty and human dignity --

  • a tale that was carried from slavery through the Civil Rights

  • Movement into today.

  • For generations, this promise helped people weather poverty

  • and persecution, while holding on to the hope that a better day

  • was on the horizon.

  • For me, personally, growing up in far-flung parts of the world

  • and without firm roots, the story spoke to a yearning within

  • every human being for a home.

  • (applause)

  • Of course, even as we draw strength from the story of God's

  • will and His gift of freedom expressed on Passover,

  • we also know that here on Earth we must bear

  • our responsibilities in an imperfect world.

  • That means accepting our measure of sacrifice and struggle,

  • just like previous generations.

  • It means us working through generation after generation on

  • behalf of that ideal of freedom.

  • As Dr. Martin Luther King said on the day before he was killed,

  • "I may not get there with you.

  • But I want you to know that we, as a people,

  • will get to the promised land."

  • (applause)

  • So just as Joshua carried on after Moses,

  • the work goes on for all of you, the Joshua Generation,

  • for justice and dignity; for opportunity and freedom.

  • For the Jewish people, the journey to the promise of the

  • State of Israel wound through countless generations.

  • It involved centuries of suffering and exile,

  • prejudice and pogroms and even genocide.

  • Through it all, the Jewish people sustained their unique

  • identity and traditions, as well as a longing to return home.

  • And while Jews achieved extraordinary success in many

  • parts of the world, the dream of true freedom finally found its

  • full expression in the Zionist idea -- to be a free people in

  • your homeland.

  • That's why I believe that Israel is rooted not just in history

  • and tradition, but also in a simple and profound idea -- the

  • idea that people deserve to be free in a land of their own.

  • (applause)

  • Over the last 65 years, when Israel has been at its best,

  • Israelis have demonstrated that responsibility does not end when

  • you reach the promised land, it only begins.

  • And so Israel has been a refuge for the diaspora -- welcoming

  • Jews from Europe, from the former Soviet Union,

  • from Ethiopia, from North Africa.

  • (applause)

  • Israel has built a prosperous nation -- through kibbutzeem

  • that made the desert bloom, business that broadened the

  • middle class, innovators who reached new frontiers,

  • from the smallest microchip to the orbits of space.

  • Israel has established a thriving democracy,

  • with a spirited civil society and proud political parties,

  • and a tireless free press, and a lively public debate --

  • "lively" may even be an understatement.

  • (applause)

  • And Israel has achieved all this even as it's overcome relentless

  • threats to its security -- through the courage of the

  • Israel Defense Forces, and the citizenry that is so resilient

  • in the face of terror.

  • This is the story of Israel.

  • This is the work that has brought the dreams of so many

  • generations to life.

  • And every step of the way, Israel has built unbreakable

  • bonds of friendship with my country,

  • the United States of America.

  • (applause)

  • Those ties began only 11 minutes after Israeli independence,

  • when the United States was the first nation to recognize the

  • State of Israel.

  • (applause)

  • As President Truman said in explaining his decision to

  • recognize Israel, he said, "I believe it has a glorious

  • future before it not just as another sovereign nation,

  • but as an embodiment of the great ideals

  • of our civilization."

  • And since then, we've built a friendship that advances

  • our shared interests.

  • Together, we share a commitment to security for our citizens and

  • the stability of the Middle East and North Africa.

  • Together, we share a focus on advancing economic growth around

  • the globe, and strengthening the middle class within our

  • own countries.

  • Together, we share a stake in the success of democracy.

  • But the source of our friendship extends beyond mere interests,

  • just as it has transcended political parties and

  • individual leaders.

  • America is a nation of immigrants.

  • America is strengthened by diversity.

  • America is enriched by faith.

  • We are governed not simply by men and women, but by laws.

  • We're fueled by entrepreneurship and innovation,

  • and we are defined by a democratic discourse that allows

  • each generation to reimagine and renew our union once more.

  • So in Israel, we see values that we share,

  • even as we recognize what makes us different.

  • That is an essential part of our bond.

  • Now, I stand here today mindful that for both our nations,

  • these are some complicated times.

  • We have difficult issues to work through within our own

  • countries, and we face dangers and upheaval around the world.

  • And when I look at young people within the United States,

  • I think about the choices that they must make in their lives

  • to define who we'll be as a nation in this 21st century,

  • particularly as we emerge from two wars and the worst recession

  • since the Great Depression.

  • But part of the reason I like talking to young people is

  • because no matter how great the challenges are, their idealism,

  • their energy, their ambition always gives me hope.

  • (applause)

  • And I see the same spirit in the young people here today.

  • (applause)

  • I believe that you will shape our future.

  • And given the ties between our countries,

  • I believe your future is bound to ours.

  • Audience Member: (indiscernible)

  • Audience: (booing)

  • President Obama: No, no --

  • Audience Member: (indiscernible)

  • -- this is part of the lively debate that we talked about.

  • (applause)

  • This is good.

  • (applause)

  • You know, I have to say we actually arranged for that,

  • because it made me feel at home.

  • (laughter)

  • I wouldn't feel comfortable if I didn't have at least

  • one heckler.

  • (laughter)

  • I'd like to focus on how we -- and when I say "we,"

  • in particular young people -- can work together to make

  • progress in three areas that will define our times --

  • security, peace and prosperity.

  • (applause)

  • Let me begin with security.

  • I'm proud that the security relationship between the

  • United States and Israel has never been stronger.

  • Never.

  • (applause)

  • More exercises between our militaries;

  • more exchanges among our political and military and

  • intelligence officials than ever before;

  • the largest program to date to help you retain your qualitative

  • military edge.

  • These are the facts.

  • These aren't my opinions, these are facts.

  • But, to me, this is not simply measured on a balance sheet.

  • I know that here, in Israel, security is something personal.

  • Here's what I think about when I consider these issues.

  • When I consider Israel's security,

  • I think about children like Osher Twito,

  • who I met in Sderot --

  • (applause)

  • -- children the same age as my own daughters who went to bed at

  • night fearful that a rocket would land in their bedroom

  • simply because of who they are and where they live.

  • (applause)

  • That reality is why we've invested in the Iron Dome system

  • to save countless lives -- because those children deserve

  • to sleep better at night.

  • (applause)

  • That's why we've made it clear, time and again,

  • that Israel cannot accept rocket attacks from Gaza,

  • and we have stood up for Israel's right to defend itself.

  • (applause)

  • And that's why Israel has a right to expect Hamas to

  • renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist.

  • (applause)

  • When I think about Israel's security,

  • I think about five Israelis who boarded a bus in Bulgaria,

  • who were blown up because of where they came from;

  • robbed of the ability to live, and love, and raise families.

  • That's why every country that values justice should call

  • Hizbollah what it truly is -- a terrorist organization.

  • (applause)

  • Because the world cannot tolerate an organization that

  • murders innocent civilians, stockpiles rockets to shoot

  • at cities, and supports the massacre of men and women and

  • children in Syria right now.

  • (applause)

  • The fact that Hizbollah's ally -- the Assad regime -- has

  • stockpiles of chemical weapons only heightens the urgency.

  • We will continue to cooperate closely to

  • guard against that danger.

  • I've made it clear to Bashar al-Assad and all who follow his

  • orders: We will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons against

  • the Syrian people, or the transfer of those weapons

  • to terrorists.

  • The world is watching; we will hold you accountable.

  • (applause)

  • The Syrian people have the right to be freed from the grip of a

  • dictator who would rather kill his own people than

  • relinquish power.

  • (applause)

  • Assad must go so that Syria's future can begin.

  • Because true stability in Syria depends upon establishing a

  • government that is responsible to its people -- one that

  • protects all communities within its borders,

  • while making peace with countries beyond them.

  • These are the things I think about when I think about

  • Israel's security.

  • When I consider Israel's security,

  • I also think about a people who have a living memory of

  • the Holocaust, faced with the prospect of a nuclear-armed

  • Iranian government that has called for Israel's destruction.

  • It's no wonder Israelis view this as an existential threat.

  • But this is not simply a challenge for Israel -- it is

  • a danger for the entire world, including the United States.

  • (applause)

  • A nuclear-armed Iran would raise the risk of nuclear terrorism.

  • It would undermine the nonproliferation regime.

  • It would spark an arms race in a volatile region.

  • And it would embolden a government that has shown no

  • respect for the rights of its own people or the

  • responsibilities of nations.

  • That's why America has built a coalition to increase the cost

  • to Iran of failing to meet their obligations.

  • The Iranian government is now under more pressure than ever

  • before, and that pressure is increasing.

  • It is isolated.

  • Its economy is in dire straits.

  • Its leadership is divided.

  • And its position -- in the region,

  • and the world -- has only grown weaker.

  • (applause)

  • I do believe that all of us have an interest in resolving

  • this issue peacefully.

  • Strong and principled diplomacy --

  • (applause)

  • Strong and principled diplomacy is the best way to ensure that

  • the Iranian government forsakes nuclear weapons.

  • (applause)

  • Peace is far more preferable to war.

  • And the inevitable costs, the unintended consequences that

  • would come with war means that we have to do everything we can

  • to try to resolve this diplomatically.

  • Because of the cooperation between our governments,

  • we know that there remains time to pursue

  • a diplomatic resolution.

  • That's what America will do, with clear eyes -- working

  • with a world that's united, and with the sense of urgency

  • that's required.

  • But Iran must know this time is not unlimited.

  • And I've made the position of the United States of America

  • clear: Iran must not get a nuclear weapon.

  • This is not a danger that can be contained, and as President,

  • I've said all options are on the table for achieving

  • our objectives.

  • America will do what we must to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

  • (applause)

  • For young Israelis, I know that these issues of security are

  • rooted in an experience that is even more fundamental than

  • the pressing threat of the day.

  • You live in a neighborhood where many of your neighbors have

  • rejected the right of your nation to exist.

  • Your grandparents had to risk their lives and all that they

  • had to make a place for themselves in this world.

  • Your parents lived through war after war to ensure the survival

  • of the Jewish state.

  • Your children grow up knowing that people they've never met

  • may hate them because of who they are,

  • in a region that is full of turmoil and changing

  • underneath your feet.

  • So that's what I think about when Israel is faced with these

  • challenges -- that sense of an Israel that is surrounded

  • by many in this region who still reject it,

  • and many in the world who refuse to accept it.

  • And that's why the security of the Jewish people in Israel is

  • so important.

  • It cannot be taken for granted.

  • But make no mistake -- those who adhere to the ideology of

  • rejecting Israel's right to exist,

  • they might as well reject the earth beneath them or the sky

  • above, because Israel is not going anywhere.

  • (applause)

  • And today, I want to tell you -- particularly the young people --

  • so that there's no mistake here, so long as there is a United

  • States of America -- Atem lo levad.

  • (applause)

  • You are not alone.

  • (applause)

  • The question is what kind of future Israel

  • will look forward to.

  • Israel is not going anywhere -- but especially for the young

  • people in this audience, the question is what does

  • its future hold?

  • And that brings me to the subject of peace.

  • (applause)

  • I know Israel has taken risks for peace.

  • Brave leaders -- Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin --

  • reached treaties with two of your neighbors.

  • You made credible proposals to the Palestinians at Annapolis.

  • You withdrew from Gaza and Lebanon,

  • and then faced terror and rockets.

  • Across the region, you've extended a hand of friendship

  • and all too often you've been confronted with rejection and,

  • in some cases, the ugly reality of anti-Semitism.

  • So I believe that the Israeli people do want peace,

  • and I also understand why too many Israelis -- maybe an

  • increasing number, maybe a lot of young people here today --

  • are skeptical that it can be achieved.

  • But today, Israel is at a crossroads.

  • It can be tempting to put aside the frustrations and

  • sacrifices that come with the pursuit of peace,

  • particularly when Iron Dome repels rockets,

  • barriers keep out suicide bombers.

  • There's so many other pressing issues that

  • demand your attention.

  • And I know that only Israelis can make the fundamental

  • decisions about your country's future.

  • (applause)

  • I recognize that.

  • I also know, by the way, that not everyone in this hall will

  • agree with what I have to say about peace.

  • I recognize that there are those who are not simply skeptical

  • about peace, but question its underlying premise,

  • have a different vision for Israel's future.

  • And that's part of a democracy.

  • That's part of the discourse between our two countries.

  • I recognize that.

  • But I also believe it's important to be open and honest,

  • especially with your friends.

  • I also believe that.

  • (applause)

  • Politically, given the strong bipartisan support for Israel in

  • America, the easiest thing for me to do would be to put this

  • issue aside -- just express unconditional support for

  • whatever Israel decides to do -- that would be the easiest

  • political path.

  • But I want you to know that I speak to you as a friend who

  • is deeply concerned and committed to your future,

  • and I ask you to consider three points.

  • First, peace is necessary.

  • (applause)

  • I believe that.

  • (applause)

  • I believe that peace is the only path to true security.

  • (applause)

  • You have the opportunity to be the generation that permanently

  • secures the Zionist dream, or you can face a growing challenge

  • to its future.

  • Given the demographics west of the Jordan River,

  • the only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish

  • and democratic state is through the realization of

  • an independent and viable Palestine.

  • (applause)

  • That is true.

  • (applause)

  • There are other factors involved.

  • Given the frustration in the international community about

  • this conflict, Israel needs to reverse an

  • undertow of isolation.

  • And given the march of technology,

  • the only way to truly protect the Israeli people over the

  • long term is through the absence of war.

  • Because no wall is high enough and no Iron Dome is strong

  • enough or perfect enough to stop every enemy that is intent on

  • doing so from inflicting harm.

  • (applause)

  • And this truth is more pronounced given the changes

  • sweeping the Arab world.

  • I understand that with the uncertainty in the region --

  • people in the streets, changes in leadership,

  • the rise of non-secular parties in politics -- it's tempting to

  • turn inward, because the situation outside of Israel

  • seems so chaotic.

  • But this is precisely the time to respond to the wave

  • of revolution with a resolve and commitment for peace.

  • (applause)

  • Because as more governments respond to popular will,

  • the days when Israel could seek peace simply with a handful of

  • autocratic leaders, those days are over.

  • Peace will have to be made among peoples, not just governments.

  • (applause)

  • No one -- no single step can change overnight what lies in

  • the hearts and minds of millions.

  • No single step is going to erase years of history and propaganda.

  • But progress with the Palestinians is a powerful

  • way to begin, while sidelining extremists who thrive on

  • conflict and thrive on division.

  • It would make a difference.

  • (applause)

  • So peace is necessary.

  • But peace is also just.

  • Peace is also just.

  • There is no question that Israel has faced Palestinian factions

  • who turned to terror, leaders who missed

  • historic opportunities.

  • That is all true.

  • And that's why security must be at the center of any agreement.

  • And there is no question that the only path to peace is

  • through negotiations -- which is why,

  • despite the criticism we've received,

  • the United States will oppose unilateral efforts to bypass

  • negotiations through the United Nations.

  • It has to be done by the parties.

  • (applause)

  • But the Palestinian people's right to self-determination,

  • their right to justice, must also be recognized.

  • (applause)

  • Put yourself in their shoes.

  • Look at the world through their eyes.

  • It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot

  • grow up in a state of their own.

  • (applause)

  • Living their entire lives with the presence of a foreign army

  • that controls the movements not just of those young people but

  • their parents, their grandparents, every single day.

  • It's not just when settler violence against Palestinians

  • goes unpunished.

  • (applause)

  • It's not right to prevent Palestinians from farming

  • their lands; or restricting a student's ability to move around

  • the West Bank; or displace Palestinian families from

  • their homes.

  • (applause)

  • Neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer.

  • (applause)

  • Just as Israelis built a state in their homeland,

  • Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their own land.

  • (applause)

  • I'm going off script here for a second, but before I came here,

  • I met with a group of young Palestinians from the age

  • of 15 to 22.

  • And talking to them, they weren't that different from

  • my daughters.

  • They weren't that different from your daughters or sons.

  • I honestly believe that if any Israeli parent sat down with

  • those kids, they'd say, I want these kids to succeed;

  • I want them to prosper.

  • (applause)

  • I want them to have opportunities just

  • like my kids do.

  • I believe that's what Israeli parents would want for these

  • kids if they had a chance to listen to them and talk to them.

  • (applause)

  • I believe that.

  • (applause)

  • Now, only you can determine what kind of democracy you will have.

  • But remember that as you make these decisions,

  • you will define not simply the future of your relationship with

  • the Palestinians -- you will define the future of

  • Israel as well.

  • (applause)

  • As Ariel Sharon said -- I'm quoting him -- "It is impossible

  • to have a Jewish democratic state,

  • at the same time to control all of Eretz Israel.

  • If we insist on fulfilling the dream in its entirety,

  • we are liable to lose it all."

  • (applause)

  • Or, from a different perspective,

  • I think of what the novelist David Grossman said shortly

  • after losing his son, as he described the necessity of

  • peace -- "A peace of no choice" he said,

  • "must be approached with the same determination and

  • creativity as one approaches a war of no choice."

  • (applause)

  • Now, Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with anyone who is

  • dedicated to its destruction.

  • (applause)

  • But while I know you have had differences with the Palestinian

  • Authority, I genuinely believe that you do have a true partner

  • in President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad.

  • (applause)

  • I believe that.

  • (applause)

  • And they have a track record to prove it.

  • Over the last few years, they have built institutions and

  • maintained security on the West Bank in ways that few could have

  • imagined just a few years ago.

  • So many Palestinians -- including young people -- have

  • rejected violence as a means of achieving their aspirations.

  • There is an opportunity there, there's a window -- which brings

  • me to my third point: Peace is possible.

  • It is possible.

  • (applause)

  • I'm not saying it's guaranteed.

  • I can't even say that it is more likely than not.

  • But it is possible.

  • I know it doesn't seem that way.

  • There are always going to be reasons to avoid risk.

  • There are costs for failure.

  • There will always be extremists who provide

  • an excuse not to act.

  • I know there must be something exhausting about endless talks

  • about talks, and daily controversies,

  • and just the grinding status quo.

  • And I'm sure there's a temptation just to say,

  • "Ah, enough.

  • Let me focus on my small corner of the world and my family and

  • my job and what I can control."

  • But it's possible.

  • Negotiations will be necessary, but there's little secret about

  • where they must lead -- two states for two peoples.

  • Two states for two peoples.

  • (applause)

  • There will be differences about how to get there.

  • There are going to be hard choices along the way.

  • Arab states must adapt to a world that has changed.

  • The days when they could condemn Israel to distract their people

  • from a lack of opportunity, or government corruption or

  • mismanagement -- those days need to be over.

  • Now is the time for the Arab world to take steps toward

  • normalizing relations with Israel.

  • (applause)

  • Meanwhile, Palestinians must recognize that Israel will be

  • a Jewish state and that Israelis have the right to insist upon

  • their security.

  • (applause)

  • Israelis must recognize that continued settlement activity

  • is counterproductive to the cause of peace,

  • and that an independent Palestine must be viable

  • with real borders that have to be drawn.

  • (applause)

  • I've suggested principles on territory and security that

  • I believe can be the basis for these talks.

  • But for the moment, put aside the plans and the process.

  • I ask you, instead, to think about what can be done to build

  • trust between people.

  • Four years ago, I stood in Cairo in front of an audience of young

  • people -- politically, religiously,

  • they must seem a world away.

  • But the things they want, they're not so different from

  • what the young people here want.

  • They want the ability to make their own decisions and to get

  • an education, get a good job; to worship God in their own way;

  • to get married; to raise a family.

  • The same is true of those young Palestinians that I

  • met with this morning.

  • The same is true for young Palestinians who yearn for

  • a better life in Gaza.

  • That's where peace begins -- not just in the plans of leaders,

  • but in the hearts of people.

  • Not just in some carefully designed process,

  • but in the daily connections -- that sense of empathy that takes

  • place among those who live together in this land and in

  • this sacred city of Jerusalem.

  • (applause)

  • And let me say this as a politician -- I can promise

  • you this, political leaders will never take risks if the people

  • do not push them to take some risks.

  • You must create the change that you want to see.

  • (applause)

  • Ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things.

  • (applause)

  • I know this is possible.

  • Look to the bridges being built in business and civil society by

  • some of you here today.

  • Look at the young people who've not yet learned a reason to

  • mistrust, or those young people who've learned to overcome a

  • legacy of mistrust that they inherited from their parents,

  • because they simply recognize that we hold more hopes in

  • common than fears that drive us apart.

  • Your voices must be louder than those who would drown out hope.

  • Your hopes must light the way forward.

  • Look to a future in which Jews and Muslims and Christians can

  • all live in peace and greater prosperity in this Holy Land.

  • (applause)

  • Believe in that.

  • (applause)

  • And most of all, look to the future that you want for your

  • own children -- a future in which a Jewish, democratic,

  • vibrant state is protected and accepted for this time

  • and for all time.

  • (applause)

  • There will be many who say this change is not possible,

  • but remember this -- Israel is the most powerful country

  • in this region.

  • Israel has the unshakeable support of the most powerful

  • country in the world.

  • (applause)

  • Israel is not going anywhere.

  • Israel has the wisdom to see the world as it is,

  • but -- this is in your nature -- Israel also has the courage to

  • see the world as it should be.

  • (applause)

  • Ben Gurion once said, "In Israel,

  • in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles."

  • Sometimes, the greatest miracle is recognizing

  • that the world can change.

  • That's a lesson that the world has learned from the

  • Jewish people.

  • And that brings me to the final area that I'll focus on:

  • prosperity, and Israel's broader role in the world.

  • I know that all the talk about security and peace can sometimes

  • seem to dominate the headlines, but that's

  • not where people live.

  • And every day, even amidst the threats that you face,

  • Israelis are defining themselves by the opportunities

  • that you're creating.

  • Through talent and hard work, Israelis have put this small

  • country at the forefront of the global economy.

  • Israelis understand the value of education and have produced

  • 10 Nobel laureates.

  • (applause)

  • Israelis understand the power of invention,

  • and your universities educate engineers and inventors.

  • And that spirit has led to economic growth and human

  • progress -- solar power and electric cars,

  • bandages and prosthetic limbs that save lives,

  • stem cell research and new drugs that treat disease,

  • cell phones and computer technology that changed the

  • way people around the world live.

  • So if people want to see the future of the world economy,

  • they should look at Tel Aviv, home to hundreds of start-ups

  • and research centers.

  • (applause)

  • Israelis are so active on social media that every day seemed to

  • bring a different Facebook campaign about where I should

  • give this speech.

  • (laughter and applause)

  • That innovation is just as important

  • to the relationship between the United States and Israel as our

  • security cooperation.

  • Our first free trade agreement in the world was reached with

  • Israel, nearly three decades ago.

  • (applause)

  • Today the trade between our two countries is at

  • $40 billion every year.

  • (applause)

  • More importantly, that partnership is creating

  • new products and medical treatments; it's pushing

  • new frontiers of science and exploration.

  • That's the kind of relationship that Israel should have -- and

  • could have -- with every country in the world.

  • Already, we see how that innovation could reshape

  • this region.

  • There's a program here in Jerusalem that brings together

  • young Israelis and Palestinians to learn vital skills in

  • technology and business.

  • An Israeli and Palestinian have started a venture capital fund

  • to finance Palestinian start-ups.

  • Over 100 high-tech companies have found a home on the West

  • Bank -- which speaks to the talent and entrepreneurial

  • spirit of the Palestinian people.

  • One of the great ironies of what's happening in the broader

  • region is that so much of what people are yearning for --

  • education, entrepreneurship, the ability to start a business

  • without paying a bribe, the ability to connect to the global

  • economy -- those are things that can be found here in Israel.

  • This should be a hub for thriving regional trade,

  • and an engine for opportunity.

  • (applause)

  • Israel is already a center for innovation that helps power the

  • global economy.

  • And I believe that all of that potential for prosperity can be

  • enhanced with greater security, enhanced with lasting peace.

  • (applause)

  • Here, in this small strip of land that has been the center of

  • so much of the world's history, so much triumph and so much

  • tragedy, Israelis have built something that few could have

  • imagined 65 years ago.

  • Tomorrow, I will pay tribute to that history -- at the grave of

  • Herzl, a man who had the foresight to see the future

  • of the Jewish people had to be reconnected to their past;

  • at the grave of Rabin, who understood that Israel's

  • victories in war had to be followed by the battles for

  • peace; at Yad Vashem, where the world is reminded of the cloud

  • of evil that can descend on the Jewish people and all of

  • humanity if we ever fail to be vigilant.

  • We bear all that history on our shoulders.

  • We carry all that history in our hearts.

  • Today, as we face the twilight of Israel's founding generation,

  • you -- the young people of Israel -- must now claim

  • its future.

  • It falls to you to write the next chapter in the great story

  • of this great nation.

  • And as the President of a country that you can count

  • on as your greatest friend --

  • (applause)

  • -- I am confident that you can help us find the promise in the

  • days that lie ahead.

  • And as a man who's been inspired in my own life by that timeless

  • calling within the Jewish experience -- tikkun olam --

  • (applause)

  • -- I am hopeful that we can draw upon what's best in ourselves to

  • meet the challenges that will come;

  • to win the battles for peace in the wake of so much war;

  • and to do the work of repairing this world.

  • (applause)

  • That's your job.

  • That's my job.

  • That's the task of all of us.

  • May God bless you.

  • May God bless Israel.

  • May God bless the United States of America.

  • Toda raba.

  • Thank you.

  • (applause)

The President: Thank you.

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奧巴馬總統向以色列人民發表講話 (President Obama Speaks to the People of Israel)

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    marmot 發佈於 2021 年 01 月 14 日
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