NATIONAL SOLIDARITY RALLY WITH ISRAEL

U.S. CAPITOL, WASHINGTON, D.C.

1:00 P.M. EDT

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2002

            MS.      :  It is heartening how many Christian church groups have made the journey here today.  The values of this rally are universal values.  We welcome a most distinguished religious leader to offer an invocation for this historic event.  Sister Rose Faring (sp), professor emerita of Seton Hall University, and a founder and president of the National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel. (Applause.)

              SR. ROSE FARING (sp):  Shalom haverim.  Peace, my friends. Indeed, I stand with you today and always.

              When Pope John Paul II stood in Yad Vashem in Israel, he asked us Catholics, Christians, to remember for a purpose -- remember for a  purpose -- today is such a purpose, therefore I stand here before you to speak for all Catholics, Christians, when I say we are in solidarity with you, my presence here signifies that.  (Applause.) Never -- never, never before have Jews needed the support of Christians as Jews need that support today.  Never again, never again can we abandon Jews.  God has not revoked God's covenant with Jews. God has never revoked God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and I add Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca and Leah.  (Cheers; applause.)

              And I say to you this morning am Israel hai, now and forever.

              MS.      :  During our gathering today, prayers and psalms will be offered by representatives of four major rabbinic organizations of the community.  Reading Psalm 120, please welcome, representing the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, on whose national board he serves, Rabbi Fred Dobb, Rabbi of Adat Shalom Congregation in Rockville, Maryland.

              RABBI FRED DOBB:  (Speaks in Hebrew) -- Psalm 121 -- (Speaks in Hebrew) -- a psalm of ascent.  (Speaks in Hebrew.)   I lift up my eyes to the mountains.  (Speaks in Hebrew.)  From where will my help come? (Speaks in Hebrew.)  My help comes from God, maker of heaven and earth, who will not cause your foot to fail.  Your protector never slumbers.  He holds the one who slumbers not, who never sleeps, the guardian of Israel, the abundant one preserves you, the watchful one, your shelter, at your right hand a support.  By day the sun will not afflict nor the moonlight by the night.  The vigilant one shall guard you from all evil and will keep you safe.  (Speaks in Hebrew.)   May the holy one guard your going and your coming, now and forever.  Amen.

              MS.      :  Among the scores of organizations that have made this day possible, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has played a lead role in calling for this event and overseeing its organization.  Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Morton Zuckerman, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

              MR. MORTON ZUCKERMAN:  Good afternoon everybody.  It's a thrill to look around at this vast crowd and to be able to say how wonderful it is to live in a country where everybody can gather across racial and religious and ethnic lines to express their concerns.  We should convey this to our children, those who are here, and those like my wonderful little girl, who is four-years-old, who are not here.

              And why are we here?  We are here in such great numbers, on such short notice, resonating with passion and commitment to express two things.  One, to express our solidarity with the president of the United States in America's struggle against terrorism -- (Cheers) -- and the other is to stand with Israel in her struggle against terrorists -- (Cheers).

              We are here to express our sense of community with Israel, which feels alone and abandoned.  Israel has joined the mountains of   Afghanistan as the front line in the war against terrorism, and we are here, figuratively, to be with them in the foxhole that they are in -- (Cheers).

              Let us remember why Israel came into being in the 20th century, as a version, in effect, of the rebuilding of the Temple.  Israel was founded with the simple notion that Jewish powerlessness was to end -- ending the inability of the Jews to defend themselves.  Jews would now be able to take care of themselves.  They would become self-reliant, and no longer would Jewish destiny be determined and decided by others.

              Does anyone doubt that it is Israel's military strength to date that has saved so many Jews, that has saved Israel itself, including those who emigrated to Israel from Russia, from the Middle East, from North Africa, to escape persecution -- (Cheers) -- and indeed to prevent the emergence of the kind of evil that has so often victimized the Jews in the past?  

            Now, Israel as a nation is entitled to use this strength in her self-defense to the same degree that any individual or any other state would be entitled to.  (Cheers.)  Yet, when Israel takes action to ensure its very survival and that of its people, it is demanded that Israel act as if it has to win the moral man of the year award in order just to defend itself.  But Israel deserves support not only when it's a victim, but when it exercises its legitimate right of self-defense.  (Cheers.)

              Those nations and their media spokesmen who demand of Israel a standard of moral behavior that has never been demanded of others, were to follow, put Israel's existence at risk.  They speak as if the response to terrorism of a civilized nation is the moral equivalent of the acts of terrorism themselves -- as if there is no difference between the arsonist and the firefighter, as if terrorism against Israel was not the follow-up to the rejection of an extraordinarily generous proposal from an Israeli prime minister that was greeted not with Arab applause but by a premeditated campaign of violence and terror.  (Cheers.)

              America and Israel understand that international approval must not be the equivalent of a suicide pact.  Fortunately, Americans know and see the difference between good and evil, between Western values and barbarism, between an island of democracy with a free press and the rule of law in a region of tyrants and cleptocrats.  That is why, in a CBS poll taken just 10 days ago, 52 percent supported Israel and only 10 percent supported the Palestinians.  (Cheers.)

              This is especially true since November (sic) the 11th, when America and Israel were seen as allies in America's war against terrorism, and Americans remember that the Palestinians responded to September 11th by celebrating and dancing in the streets of Ramallah and Nablus, while Israel lowered its flag and declared a day of mourning.  (Cheers.)

              The Palestinians think that today they have the momentum to destroy civil life in Israel through the impact of their version of   homicide bombings.  Every month, Israel suffers proportionately to what America suffered on September the 11th.  In March alone, Israel experienced the equivalent of over six thousand American dead.  No wonder this is what makes it impossible for Israelis to live their day-to-day lives, and for any Israeli government to stand by and do nothing.  It is critical to break the Palestinian delusions that terrorism will destroy normal life in the Jewish state.  (Cheers.)

              But what Israel is facing on the other side is not a leader who focuses on education and opportunity, and economic development, and the building of a state, but rather focuses on the destruction of another state -- Israel.  After a decade of Arafat's administration, the main career opportunities of the Palestinian Authority lie in strapping on a "Yasser Arafat belt," filling it with explosives and then wandering into a shopping mall, a bar mitzvah, a cafe, a pizza parlor, a discotheque, or even more recently into a Passover dinner, and blowing up as many innocent Jewish civilians as possible.  This was their career path, to gain another $25,000 from Saddam Hussein for the murderer's jackpot for every successful detonation.  And now with the Saudis -- (audio drops) --  hundred-million dollars in a telethon no less, supported by their king and crown prince -- (cheers; boos) -- to create incentives for more terror.

              Israel deserves the world's support because their struggle is not for their homeland alone, justifiable as it is, but also because they are fighting a new and horrific form of terrorism that menaces all civilized society.  As our secretary of defense said, the only way to deal with this form of terrorism was to get them before they get us, to go after them where they are -- (cheers) -- in the understanding that terrorist sanctuaries cannot be allowed to be inviolable.

              This is what Israel is about now -- to prevent the monster of terrorism from growing to be able to sink its teeth into civilized societies and draw more blood.  America shares these concerns because these terrorists are the enemies of humanity.  Today, they arouse the Arab street.  Tomorrow, they will cause this street to send new disciples of this ritual of human slaughter to the west -- (audio drops.)

              In 1981, the Israelis destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor and were condemned by many in the world.  (Cheers.)  We found out how far-sighted this policy was.  And the youth of Israel will be recognized for fighting and helping -- (inaudible) -- reactor, the Palestinian ritual of -- (inaudible) -- terror by suicide.

              Thank you.  (Cheers.)

              Now, it is my pleasure to make a special introduction of a special -- (inaudible) -- the minority leader in the House of Representatives, Representative Dick Gephardt.  (Cheers; applause.) (Inaudible) -- in the great tradition of -- (inaudible) -- of both major parties -- (inaudible) -- security and the special relationship   between Israel and the United States.   He is a powerful and vocal advocate for working men and women, for health care, economic justice and strong U.S. leadership over democracy and human rights across the globe.  Just last week, he completed a meeting of Democratic congressional leadership with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and reaffirmed congressional support for all steps to ensure Israel's security.  He made a special effort to come here today.  We greatly appreciate it.  Please welcome a very good friend of Israel and of the Jewish community, Congressman Dick Gephardt.  (Cheers.)

              REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO):  Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to be here today.

              I want to introduce my colleagues who stand behind me in solidarity today.  Robert Wexler of Florida.  (Cheers.)  Peter Deutsch of Florida.  (Cheers.)  Jerry Nadler of New York. (Cheers.)  Jane Harman of California. (Cheers)  Al Wynn of Maryland.  (Cheers.)  Steve Rothman of New Jersey.  (Cheers.)  Ben Gilman of New York.  (Cheers.) Connie Morella of Maryland.  (Cheers.)  Eric Cantor of Virginia. (Cheers.)  Brad Sherman of California.  (Cheers.)  Anthony Weiner of New York.  (Cheers.)

              We stand before you today in solidarity with the people of Israel.  (Cheers.)  We are defending a people, a democracy, and a friend that shares our commitment to universal values cherished by all.

              Since 1948, America has stood with Israel, when Harry Truman rejected the advice of his staff and formally recognized Israel as a sovereign nation.  (Cheers.)  In his memoirs, Truman said that his decision was in part based on a meeting with Dr. Ezer Weizmann, who impressed him with a vision of a nation whose ideals endure to this day.  Mr. Truman also said that he made the decision because it was the right thing to do.  (Cheers.)

              Since its birth, Israel has withstood many challenges -- and America has stood with Israel through each of them.  (Cheers.)  As Israel has overcome these challenges, it's become stronger, and our partnership has become stronger.  Israel's strength and America's leadership have been essential in advancing our common goals.  This is true today more than ever.

              We cannot stand on the sidelines as the prospects for peace are undermined.  (Cheers.)  And we must not waver in our commitment to those -- Israelis and Arabs alike - who have chosen the path of peace. (Cheers.)

              Over the past several months, Israel has endured terrorist attacks unrelenting in their frequency and severity.  In the past 18 months, more than 450 Israelis have been killed and over 4,000 have been wounded in these attacks.  For a country the size of Israel, these numbers are staggering.  Proportionally, this equates to more than 21,000 American deaths and over 200,000 American injuries.  Yet   the Israeli people remain strong.  (Cheers.)  And they remain determined to increase their security and pursue a lasting peace in the region.

              The American people are also committed to these goals.  As we face some of the most difficult days in Israel's history, we must remind ourselves of them.  First, to preserve and strengthen Israel's security.  (Cheers.)  Second, to help Israel and its neighbors end the current violence and the threats posed by terrorism.  Third, to resume a dialogue among those committed to a just and lasting peace for all.

              To join us, the Palestinian Authority and other states in the region must turn unequivocally against terrorism.  (Cheers.)  Chairman Arafat has not yet demonstrated a true commitment to peace, and the consequences have been devastating for Israelis and Palestinians alike.  Terrorism must not be supported, condoned, or rewarded as we work for a resolution to this conflict.  (Cheers.)

              Four years ago, 50 years after America recognized the State of Israel, I traveled there to join in the celebrations commemorating its golden anniversary.  Upon arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, I drove directly to the home of Leah Rabin in Tel Aviv.  In a meeting filled with emotion, she recounted the vision of her husband Yitzhak -- a vision of peace and security for Israel.  He knew that for Israel to endure, its people needed strength.  He knew that for Israel to prosper, its people needed peace.  He knew that for Israel to achieve the vision of Ezer Weizmann, its people needed support.

              We will stand with Israel.  We will stand for freedom.  And we will stand for a future that brings peace and prosperity to all the people of the Middle East.  (Cheers.)  God bless all of you, and God bless America and Israel.  (Cheers.)

              MS.     :  It is our pleasure now to welcome a member of the board of directors of the National Religious Broadcasters, the popular national talkshow host of "Janet Parshall's America" and a spokesperson for the Family Research Council, Janet Parshall. (Cheers.)

              MS. JANET PARSHALL:  Shalom.  I wish you could see yourselves. This is a spectacular site.  I hope it's carried all over America television.  (Cheers; applause.)  And I hope it's carried on Palestinian television.  (Cheers; applause.)  I stand before you today representing the National Religious Broadcasters.  Our chairman, Glenn Plummer is here.  We represent millions of Christian broadcasters in this country.  We stand with you now and forever.  (Applause. Cheers.)

              When Elijah gathered the people on top Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal and Ashtereft (ph), he asked a profound question that should be asked again today.  He said, How long will you waver between two opinions?  The Hebrew word for waver, and I say this recognizing the esteemed company I am in, the Hebrew word means to limp, to vacillate.  I am here to tell you today, we Christians and Jews together will not labor any less in our support of Israel.  We will never limp, we will never wimp, we will never vacillate in our support of Israel.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              Whoever came up with the idea of land for peace has a very interesting definition of that.   Apparently, to some people's way of thinking, it means giving Israel away one piece at a time.  (Applause. Cheers.)  We will never give up the Golan!  (Applause.  Cheers.)  We will never divide Jerusalem!  (Applause.  Cheers.)  And we will call Yasser Arafat what Yasser Arafat is:  a terrorist!  (Applause. Cheers.)  The time has come for moral clarity.  Moral clarity!  We stand together with our Jewish brothers and sisters, and as God said to Joshua four times in the first chapter of that book, Stand firm. Be courageous.  That is our message from God today.  We will stand firm, we will be courageous, and next year in Jerusalem!  (Applause. Cheers.)  God bless us.

              Ladies and gentlemen, Robert Goldberg, chairman of the executive committee of the United Jewish Community which together is a 189- member federation, is co-sponsoring today's event.  (Applause.)

              MR. GOLDBERG:  Representing the Democratic leadership of the Senate of the United States today is the distinguished senator from   Nevada, Harry Reid -- (applause) -- a master consensus-builder, an effective legislator, an effective advocate for children, families and workers.  Senator Reid now serves as assistant majority leader of the Senate, working closely with Majority Leader Tom Daschle, in setting Democratic priorities for the Senate.  A staunch supporter of Israel, he has particularly focused recently on stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction.  Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Senator Harry Reid.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              SEN. REID:  I'm happy to be here to represent the United States Senate.  We have here today with us Russ Feingold -- (applause) -- Wisconsin; Ron Wyden, Oregon -- (applause).  And also, showing how bipartisan this issue is, Republican Bob Smith, New Hampshire. (Applause.)

              Shalom.  This of course means peace.  It's the focus of our hope. Salaam means precisely the same thing in Arabic, peace.  Shalom, Salaam, both words, are the sum of all our prayers.  But the prayers and hope and faith on the part of the victims did not prevent them from being cast into the fire of furnace of the Shoah, the Holocaust. Nor did it prevent the bitter dose of tragedy that America swallowed last September 11th.

              There is a certain terribly irony in the numbers.  This nation of 280 million people lost 3,000.  And when we reacted, as we should and must in our nation's defense, and to find justice for our victims, the world applauded.  Israel is comprised of about five million citizens, and six million souls lost in the Holocaust.

            I am here today to say loudly and proudly America stands with Israel.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  I stand with Israel.  (Applause. Cheers.)  The United States Senate includes members of different faiths, ethnic backgrounds and political ideologies.  But despite our differences, we have shown our ability to come together for the good of America.  Immediately after our country was attacked, Congress rallied to support the war on terrorism, just as you declare your support for this effort today.  And the presence of members of Congress demonstrates that we stand with Israel.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              We stand with Israel, because Israel has been a friend and partner of the United States.  We stand with Israel, because Israel is a democracy and shares our values.  (Applause.)

              Last week, Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed.  And we reaffirmed its message, Never again.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  Never again will the world fail to see, or hear or speak or act when the Jewish people are being persecuted or murdered.  We stand with Israel, because we have an obligation to secure the continuance of a Jewish state.

              The tragic events of September 11th were eye-opening.  I went to ground zero in New York City and saw the devastation.  I saw the twisted and destroyed buildings.  I spoke with those who handled   twisted and mutilated bodies.  I saw emptiness where the twin towers once rose to the sky.  I choked on the smoke that continued to billow. I smelled death.

              Whether they have visited ground zero, all Americans have gained an understanding of evil and terror that we had not seen before.  The Israelis though have suffered such violence since the state of Israel was born more than 50 years ago.  Israel is a small country, and really a small community where it seems everyone knows each other.  So when tragedy strikes, the loss is intensely felt by all.  Israelis have somehow learned to endure attack after attack.  And for most of you terrorism is a normal part of life.  Certainly deadly attacks have occurred frequently.  But for them to be seen as normal is itself a tragedy.

              We stand with Israel, because we too mourn the loss of innocent lives.  During the Jewish festival of Passover, 28 Israelis who gathered for a Seder were butchered -- 28 innocent victims, including children, mothers, fathers and grandparents; 28 people in a country whose population is small -- 28 deaths in Israel is proportionately equivalent to 1,300 Americans massacred.  And that was just one day in March in Israel.

              America experienced a piercing wound on September 11th, physically and emotionally.  We had never before suffered so much at the hands of terrorists.  The pain is now a part of who we are, and we'll never be the same.  The hurt we felt and continue to feel is the same suffering Israelis have endured and continued under on the scale that crushes the soul.  We recall other incidents, like the joyous bat mitzvah celebration that suddenly became a killing field.  And we think of Israelis participating in typical activities, like stopping for a nosh at the pizzeria, riding a bus to school or to work, enjoying a night at the disco -- not realizing that they would instead be killed.  But these are the conditions Israelis face.

              While we admire Israel's bravery and perseverance in the face of constant threats, we must not accept a world in which running mate is so commonplace.  Americans do not want to be victims again.  Nor can we expect Israel to stand idle while her citizens are being slaughtered.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  Once we identified those responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, we sent our troops to Afghanistan, to bring the terrorists to justice and end their ability to strike terror again.  We vowed to stamp out evil and to continue our fight as long as necessary.  How then can we, or anyone, reasonably ask Israel to allow terrorists responsible for murdering innocent Israelis to remain free and continue to plan more attacks?  We can.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              Hundreds of Israelis have been killed by suicide bombers.  But the total would be even higher if Israel did not have the ability to protect herself.  It's been estimated that up to 85 percent of planned terrorist attacks against Israelis have been foiled.  So we must reaffirm our commitment to Israel's security and right to self-   defense.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  We stand with Israel, because Israel's enemy, terrorism, is also our enemy.  And the United States has no better ally than Israel in the war on terrorism.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              During the Passover Seder, it is customary to spill a drop of wine, as each of the plagues visited upon the foes of the Israelites is recited, so as not to rejoice at others' sufferings.  We stand with the people of Israel who want a safe, peaceful and prosperous future -- not only for themselves, but also for their neighbors.  I call on all who share our vision and hopes to continue to spread a message of peace:  Shalom, Salaam, peace!  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              MR. ZUCKERMAN:  -- Major Owens, congressman of New York, 20 years representing the great state of New York.  Major Owens. (Applause.  Cheers.)

              REP. OWENS:  Ladies and gentlemen, again we need your cooperation.  As you can see, the people are still streaming in in what is the largest demonstration ever in America on behalf of Israel since its founding!  (Applause.  Cheers.)  This is America standing for Israel!  (Applause.  Cheers.)  Unprecedented numbers after five days -- so we ask you please don't push to the front!  And if all the people in the VIP section would please sit down.  Please sit down so the others can see -- and the sign down -- please?  We have a problem that the people are pushing.  So, please, don't put the pressure on the front.  We have people on all the areas across the pool.  We will fill up all the way to the Washington Monument if necessary! (Applause.  Cheers.)  But please -- just please don't push to the front.

              MR. ZUCKERMAN:  In choosing his personal representative to be here today, President Bush selected one of America's preeminent military policy analysts -- one of its premier public servants, and a tireless champion of close political and defense ties between Israel and the United States, Undersecretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. (Applause.  Cheers.)  Over many years as a top official in both the State Department and the Defense Department, and as the former dean of the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and as ambassador to Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation in the world, Dr. Wolfowitz has left his mark on American foreign policy and defense strategies with a particular emphasis recently on the nation's war against global terrorism.  Please join me in expressing our enormous appreciation to this administration for its efforts to enhance Israel's security and to fight global terrorism, by welcoming our nation's Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz! (Applause.  Cheers.)

              MR. WOLFOWITZ:  Thank you for that.  Senators, congressmen, all of you who have joined us here today, President Bush asked me to come, to extend greetings to each one of you, and to thank you for being here.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              It is my privilege to represent a president who has rallied the world against the forces of terror, and to tell you that President Bush is deeply moved that so many people came here to demonstrate solidarity with Israel and support for the global war on terrorism. (Applause.  Cheers.)

              Like you, like me, the president has been horrified by the scenes of suffering and carnage we are witnessing in the Middle East.  And so he sent me here today with this simple message, a message to each of you who rallies here on the steps of this historic building, a building whose halls have witnessed so many of the great dramas of peace and freedom in American history.  To all of you here today, President Bush wants you to know that he stands in solidarity with you.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              Private citizens and public officials, Christians, Jews and Muslims, President Bush joins the words of truth and affirmation that go out to the world from this place -- words that say terrorism must end.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  Hatred of Israel must end.  (Applause. Cheers.)  The murder of innocents must end.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  And the tomorrow of Israel's children and the future of Palestine's children, and the future of all the children of the Middle East must be filled not with fear and death but with the hope of peace and the expectation of freedom and, yes, with the love that God enjoins his children to share with one another.

              In the words of Malachai, "Have we not all one Father?  Did not one God create us?"

              For people who cherish freedom and seek peace, particularly those who do so in the Middle East, these are difficult times.  But such times can also deepen our understanding of the truth.  This truth we know that the single greatest threat to peace and freedom in our time is terrorism.  And the advance of peace requires the end of terror. (Applause.)  And we know another truth as well.  Israelis -- Israelis are not the only victims of the violence in the Middle East.  Innocent Palestinians are suffering and dying in great numbers as well.  It is critical that we recognize and acknowledge that fact. But the people of Palestine and their leaders must also recognize another fact:  That suicide bombers are the single greatest obstacle to ending their suffering and to realizing the Palestinian state, that the whole world is prepared to recognize.  Peace in the Middle East is the only way to end the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis, Arabs and Jews.

              To those who champion the cause of an independent Palestine:  We say this -- (inaudible) --

                          MR. WOLFOWITZ:  To those who champion the cause of an independent Palestine, we say this:  Stopping terror is the most important thing you can do to serve the Palestinian cause.  (Applause.)  Those who blow themselves up to deliberately destroy innocent life are not suicide bombers -- they are killers.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  As President Bush has said, they are not martyrs -- they are murderers. (Applause.  Cheers.)  Those who fill the minds of children with hate, who use the bodies of children as weapons, who exploit the deaths of the young to further their own power have as their goal the destruction of peace and freedom.

              So this truth we also affirm:  that the future does not belong to the terrorists.  It belongs to those who dream the oldest and noblest dream of all, the dream of peace among nations.  We gather here today to stand with Israel in this time of trial.  The people of America have always had much in common with the people of Israel.  Like the people of Israel, we value human life and liberty.  We deplore the deliberate killing of innocents.  And I believe in my heart the majority of Palestinians do as well.

              But since September 11th, we Americans have one thing more in common with Israelis.  On that day America was attacked by suicide bombers.  At that moment every American understood what it was like to live in Jerusalem, or Netanya or Haifa.  And since September 11th Americans now know why we must fight and win the war on terrorism. (Applause.  Cheers.)

              As the president said in his address to the nation, in a single instant we realized that this would be a decisive decade in the history of liberty; that we have been called to a unique role in human events.  Rarely, he said, has the world faced a choice more clear or consequential.

              It is my -- (inaudible) -- see up close what the world seems from a distance:  the determination and leadership of President Bush as he directs the war against terrorism.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  It has also been my privilege to help Secretary Rumsfeld as he leads those who wear our country's uniform.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  And so today I ask you to express our gratitude to the brave men and women of America who put their lives on the line to fight the global war on terror. (Applause.  Cheers.)  We salute them.

              Together we have now embarked upon a great cause.  In Afghanistan we have driven the Taliban from power and put al Qaeda on the run. But we cannot stop there.  Around the world we are working to make certain that terrorism finds no safe haven, no sanctuary, anywhere in the world.  And we must confront -- and we must confront what the   president calls the threat of terror on a catastrophic scale, the danger of terrorist states armed with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.  No people craves peace more than the Israelis.  (Applause. Cheers.)  They demonstrated that when President Anwar Sadat of Egypt traveled to Israel and spoke to the Knesset, the first Arab leader to speak directly and respectively to the Israeli people.  That bold and courageous move was a psychological breakthrough, and the Israeli response was overwhelming.  The result was a giant step toward peace that has endured to this day.

              In that historic speech to the Knesset, Anwar Sadat spoke in words that are still compelling 25 years later:  "Any life," he said, "any life that is lost in war is a human life, be it that of an Arab or an Israeli.  Innocent children who are deprived of the care and compassion of their parents are ours.  They are ours, the president of Egypt said, whether they live in Arab land or in Israel.  There are moments in the lives of nations and peoples, he continued, "when those who shoulder great responsibilities must have the courage to make decisions that fit the magnitude of the situation and never to forget that infallibility belongs to God alone."

              Today the terrible suffering on both sides is the real price of war.  President Bush has said Israel faces hard choices of its own. The United States recognizes, as do the people of Israel, that hard decisions must be made by both sides to achieve a lasting peace. Peace has a political price, but it is a price to be paid at the negotiating table, not at the threat of bombs.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              As the president said to the Congress three months ago, America will lead by defending liberty and justice, because they are right and true, and unchanging to all people everywhere.  America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these values around the world, including the Islamic world, because, the president, we have a greater objective than eliminating threats and containing resentment. We seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror.

              So let me conclude with these words from the psalms.  "Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls, and security within your citadels.  and I will say peace be within you."  May God bless America, may God bless Israel, and may God bless all the peacemakers in the world.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              MR. ZUCKERMAN:  (?)  Ladies and gentlemen, you are part of history.   You all, by being here today, are writing a new page not only for Jewish history but American history in this massive gathering of support.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  As you see, the people, tens of thousands, are still yet to come.  But in order to let all of our speakers be heard, we ask you please not to -- to refrain at this time -- we will have plenty of opportunity to hear from you as well. We have people you definitely want to hear from, great leaders of Israel and America.  So we ask you please cooperate.  Hold your comments.  We'll have time in a little while for all of you to be heard.  

            MS. CARDIN:  Good afternoon.  I am Shoshanna Cardin, past chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.  (Applause.)

              MR. NAPARSTEK:  Good afternoon.  I'm Art Naparstek, United Jewish Communities, representing 189 federations throughout North America.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              MS. CARDIN:  Let me say -- (speaks Hebrew phrase) -- May your strength continue.  May you continue to be united.  And may we all stand solidly with the president on the war against terrorism and the war against terrorists with Israel.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              It is my pleasure to introduce an outstanding leader of the U.S. Senate, a great granddaughter of Polish immigrants, the first woman to be elected to a statewide office in Maryland, the first woman to serve in the Democratic leadership of the Senate, and by longevity and wisdom -- and wisdom -- the dean of the 13 women of the United States Senate today.  Senator Barbara Mikulski has been a passionate friend, both of Israel and the Jewish community.  As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Foreign Operations, she has been a consistent champion of foreign aid in general, and of aid to Israel and refugee resettlement in particular for which we thank you.

              As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, she is intimately involved in the war on terrorism.

              MR. NAPARSTEK:  Please welcome our dear friend, Senator Barbara Mikulski, a great champion of democracy, and a friend of Israel and all of America!  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              SEN. MIKULSKI:  Thank you, and good afternoon.  Hello!  I know you're hot.  I know you are tired.  I know you made enormous sacrifices to be here, but boy are we glad to see you, and it's worth every single bit of it!  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              I am so proud to join you today, to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel.  The people of the United States and Israel must stand shoulder to shoulder against the war, against terrorism.  And that war against terrorism must be tenacious, and it must be tireless. I know that we both suffered terrible losses, and we have absolutely decided to fight against those who will attack us.  (Applause. Cheers.)

              I k now how you feel when you turn to the morning papers, to hear of yet another homicide bombing on Israel, or yet another attack on a synagogue, in France, in Argentina.  I know you feel full of grief and full of anger.  Well that's us -- we feel absolutely the same way. (Applause.)

              But you know, terrorism just didn't happen.  Young men and women decided to become homicide bombers because they were incited, and because they were encouraged and because they were funded by those who know better and should be doing better.   (Applause.  Cheers.)

              Who is responsible?  Arafat looks the other way when there are textbooks teaching children to hate, allowing there to be hate radio, and through speeches and demonstrations.  But while Arafat is doing that, there are other Arab nations in the Middle East who institutionalize, legitimatize (sic) and fund homicide bombings.  And we must say no -- have them say no to what they are doing.  (Applause. Cheers.)

              I wish Secretary Powell well.  I am glad that President Bush is actively engaged.  It is late, but it is not too late.  And we say to Secretary Powell, as you move around the Middle East, looking for a cease-fire, looking for a way to begin the negotiations, you must insist to the Arab nations that they stop the financial reward and the legitimizing of homicide bombing.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              I was on the other side of this Capitol on September 11th.  We concluded that day with the members of Congress singing "God Bless America."  Today I stand on this other side of the Capital with you, in saying God bless -- God give us peace, God give us security -- God, make sure that Israel retains itself as a only viable democracy in the Middle East.  God bless you.  God bless America!  Thanks for being here!

            MS. CARDIN:  Please welcome Michael Bohnen, chairman of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, the umbrella organization of 118 Jewish community relations councils, and 17 national agencies.  JCPA, led by its Washington office, played a critical role in making this gathering possible.

            MR. BOHNEN:  Thank you.  And thank you all for being here. When I landed in Israel last Tuesday, just as I stepped off the plane the two-minute siren began in commemoration of Yom Ha Shoah.  I was reminded that one major difference 60 years after the Shoah that today, Thank God, Israel has an army to defend itself.  (Applause. Cheers.)

              In 1986, the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to our next speaker, a man who wrote about the Shoah with passion and intensity. Elie Wiesel is a symbol of decency and compassion, a symbol of   glorious triumph of unspeakable adversity.  But he is much more than that:  he is a man who renews the Jewish tradition of speaking truth to power; who takes his campaign for human freedom and dignity to places near and far where those values are threatened.  No one speaks with greater authority of evil and of violence, and no one speaks of greater passion of the human and the humane.

              Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to present to you Elie Wiesel.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              MR. WIESEL:  My dear friends, this day will be remembered in the history of American Jewry.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  In the years to come, y our children and grandchildren will hear you tell the story of this gathering, and simply you will then say, "I was there." (Applause.  Cheers.)  And I am saying to you, my friends, today, this place is our place.  From near and far, by plane and by train, by bus and by foot, we have come together here today, young and old, Jew and non-Jew, not only to proclaim our solidarity with the state of Israel, its citizens and its soldiers, but also to voice our fervent support of President Bush's war on terrorism.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              This time both America and Israel know how real is the threat, and how ugly the face of the enemy.  This is a battle both nations have to confront.  The only difference is that at this moment Israel fights for her existence.  Still the terror hangs all over us.  We are here to let the Jewish state and its brave beleaguered citizens and its valiant soldiers know that they are not alone.  (Applause. Cheers.)

              When a family celebration is brought to a bloody halt by a suicide bomber in Jerusalem -- when a joyous Seder meal is turned into a massacre in Netanya, it is not one Israeli family but the entire family of Israel that makes us weep.  We weep with them and for them. And you know it is not only the Jews who mourn with them, but also the entire American people and its leadership in the White House and Congress.  We have learned only too well that whatever happens in Israel could and did happen here.  On September 11th terrorists struck just two blocks from where my son works in New York.  We all know it could happen just because as easily it happened -- it could happen anywhere -- in London, Paris.  Terrorism knows no borders.  And therefore the opposition to terrorism must know no borders. (Applause.  Cheers.)

              Nineteen suicide killers -- 19 suicide killers -- and I beg you, my friends, don't use the expression from now on "suicide bombers" -- call them "suicide killers."  (Applause.  Cheers.)  They destroyed not only 3,000 lives in America, but also the lives of people who loved them and needed them.  And in doing so the suicide hijackers -- the hijackers changed its political and moral outlook on this new century. How much more destruction and death?  How many more suicide killers will it take to make the civilized world understand the fear and the pain and the anguish in which Jews live now in their ancestral land?

              Israel has endured untold murders -- (inaudible) --  saboteurs, infiltrators and six wars.  And remember the PLO and Fatah were created before '67.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  But what Israel goes through now, the sorrow of Israel, and unprecedented -- these murderer suicide killers and their mentors claim that death is their sole weapon.  Well, that is the wrong weapon, and they will not succeed. If they want to live in peace with Israel, Israel will respond.  One thing is clear:  there is no sacred cause that justifies the killing of innocent people by suicide bombing.  (Applause.  Cheers.)

              Thousands of brave and selfless heroes gave their lives defending and rescuing the innocent victims of terrorism on September 11th and the days since.  God bless the Fire Department of New York! (Applause.  Cheers.)  God bless the New York Police!  (Applause. Cheers.)  And God bless the New York -- all those in New York of the Health Department, the Police Department, who helped the victims survive.  (Applause.  Cheers.)  And God bless seven times fold the officers and soldiers and the security services of Israel.  (Applause. Cheers.)  We owe it to them.  We owe it to those who fell and to their memories, to make sure their sacrifice was not in vain.  We owe it to them to make sure terrorism will never become acceptable as a form of legitimate political expression.  We owe it to them to finish the job. (Applause.  Cheers.)

              MS.     :  Please welcome Michael Gelman, the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, which has done such an extraordinary job in hosting this event and making this day a success. (Applause.)

              MR. GELMAN:  Thank you.  On September 12th, the day after the terrorist attack on our country, my neighbor and friend, Bill Bennett, said to me, "Now we are all Israelis."  (Applause.)  Bill understood that the war our country will be fighting against terrorism was the same war Israel has been fighting for years.  He understood that Israel and America are allies in that war and that America has to stand with Israel.

              Since that fateful day in September, Bill has been steadfast in his support, both orally and in writing.  Bill Bennett has served this country as the former chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities, the former U.S. secretary of Education and the former drug czar, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

              He is currently co-director of Empower America and the author and editor of over 15 books, including "The Book of Virtues."  His most recent book, "Why We Fight:  Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism," was released by Doubleday last week.

              It is my privilege to introduce to you a great friend of Israel, William J. Bennett.  (Applause.)

              MR. BENNETT:  Thank you, Michael.  I'm Bill Bennett and I'm from Brooklyn, New York.  (Applause.)  I'm a Christian, a Catholic, and it's an honor to be here at an Israel solidarity rally.  (Applause.)

            The truth is, this rally is long overdue.  (Applause.)  Israel rallied for us on September 11th.  Their flags were at half-mast.  By contrast, the Palestinian terrorists had their rallies that day, too. They honked their horns at American destruction.  (Chorus of boos.)

              September 11th was a moment of moral clarity.  We saw the face, we felt the hand of evil.  We were not responsible for the attack.  We did not ask for it and we did not seek a war, but the war came.

              Israel, of course, has known the hand of evil, too, ever since her miraculous founding.  And she, not seeking war either, has been fighting terrorism for 54 years.  (Applause.)

              Moral clarity means nothing less than seeing things for what they truly are.  It requires the understanding of distinctions, such as the distinction between a democracy and a dictatorship.  (Applause.)

              There is a difference, a real and substantial difference, between a democracy fighting for survival and its opponents fighting to push that democracy into the sea.  (Applause.)  And there's a distinction as well between civilization and barbarism, between decency and terror.  And when we see things for what they really are, it means the time for moral equivocation and moral equivalence should be over. (Applause.)

              We stand here today to stand with Israel.  Israel, we need to remind some of our countrymen, is not asking us to fight for it.  It is asking only for the right to be left alone to fight its own war on terrorism.  (Applause.)  And if we let Israel fight her war, we will be the beneficiaries.  (Applause.)

              Let us not forget what we owe Israel, who alone, and to the scorn of the world, girded herself and took out Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981.  (Applause.)  This made the world a less dangerous place.  It also helped us to liberate Kuwait a decade later.

              Israel stands as the singular model of democracy in the Middle East.  It has shown the way, and it has done so through untold acts of courage by Israelis, acts of courage like going to the grocery store, boarding a bus, attending synagogue.  (Applause.)

              There's a specter that has grown steadily over the past several decades.  It has not been answered, and hence it has become louder. It is the specter of anti-Semitism.  A Saudi newspaper recently published a story about Jews using Arab blood for their Purim celebration.  Images of Jews depicted as less than human pervade the Egyptian press.  We are reading reports from the Arab press that speak of "Hitler of blessed memory," closed quote.

              Here in Washington DC, a few blocks away, is the Holocaust Museum.  What we are seeing today, what Israel is feeling today, was   not supposed to happen again.  (Applause.)  When you look at Palestinian and other Arab maps of the region, there is no Israel. When you read the statements of martyrdom from terrorists, you have to realize that it is no longer just the nation Israel that is targeted; it is now also the people Israel.  And it must stop.  (Applause.)

              In sum, I am here as one of tens of millions of Americans who have seen, in the founding and flourishing of the Jewish state, the hand of the same beneficent God who attended our own founding and who has guided our fortunes until now.  (Applause.)

              Keeping faith with the people of Israel and their still- unfinished confrontation with evil is, to me, a species of keeping faith with ourselves; breaking faith, a species of self-negation.  It is exactly that simple and exactly that difficult and exactly that consequential.

              Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

              MS.     :  Ladies and gentlemen, Steven Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of United Jewish Communities.

              MR. HOFFMAN:  Some 15 years ago, many of us gathered in this Mall to express our abiding commitment, in the face of Premier Mikhail Gorbachev's visit, to freedom for Soviet Jewry.  Among the most electrifying moments of that gathering was when Natan Sharansky, the long-imprisoned symbol of the Jewish struggle for freedom and human rights, addressed the gathering.

              Since arriving in Israel, Mr. Sharansky has played an increasingly influential role in Israeli politics, serving several governments as a minister in the cabinet, and today as deputy prime minister.

              Join me in welcoming one of the true heroes of the Jewish people, a hero of the human spirit, Natan Sharansky.  (Applause.)

              MR. SHARANSKY:  Dear friends, I am sure many of you remember that sunny day in December of 1987 when we were here in the largest then rally in the history of Washington.  That was the rally of solidarity with Soviet Jewry, for their right to emigrate, for their right to be free people, for their right to be Jews, proud Jews.  (Applause.)

              That demonstration 15 years ago contributed a lot toward  -- (inaudible) -- more than 1 million Jews to Israel, but also to bringing down the Iron Curtain and collapse of evil empire. (Applause.)  

            The purpose that brings us here today is no less critical for Jewish survival.  We are here because Jewish people are once again in the struggle with evil.  And once again that evil, if not defeated, will threaten the continued existence of free people throughout the world.

              The United States, under the leadership of President Bush, is waging a global battle against Islamic terrorism.  We in Israel salute President Bush's determination.  (Applause.)  Israel today, facing savage Palestinian terror on its buses, in the streets, in cafes, restaurants and hotels, is on the front lines of that very same battle.

              Every compromise with Palestinian terror will encourage potential terrorists everywhere to try and achieve political goals through terror, whether by detonating explosive belts in shopping malls or by crashing hijacked airplanes into populated centers.

              Dear friends, let me tell you what life is like not after an isolated terror attack but under prolonged assault of terror.  Terror today in Israel means that when the couples say goodbye to each other in the morning, they tell each other, "Know that I love you, just in case I don't come home in the evening."

              Terror today means that when you go to celebrate bar mitzvah or the Passover seder, you go with the knowledge that it can turn into a massacre.  Terror today means that children cannot grow up normally. They are not allowed to play basketball or soccer outdoors.  Terror means that housewives are afraid to shop, that places of entertainment are empty, that smiles and laughter are a rare commodity, and that fear is the constant companion.

              But peace of mind and normalcy are unfortunately not the only victims of Palestinian terror.  The human victims directly hit by Palestinian terror against Israel are not faceless.  They are real men, women and children who have lost their lives, their limbs, their health and their families to the scourge of terror financed and directed by Arafat and his accomplices.

              Make no mistake about it:  Arafat is at the root of the terror. (Applause.)  This is not just an Israeli contention or claim open to dispute.  There is hard, undeniable evidence, documents signed by Arafat himself, that place Arafat at the center of the axis of terror that Israel is confronting.

              A few weeks ago, President Bush spoke about the axis of evil threatening the free world.  He mentioned the countries in Iran, Iraq, Syria.  Israel also faces the axis of evil:  Hamas, Hizbollah, Jihad, Tanzeen, Fattah.  And who is backing them?  The same countries:  Iran, Iraq, Syria.  And at the heart of that evil, overseeing all and directing it all, is Yasser Arafat and his accomplices.  (Applause.)

              Just two weeks ago, I was at the funeral of my colleague and friend Avi Aaron (ph) and his two murdered children, blown up by a terrorist bomb in Haifa.  The widow, the mother, was silent during all the ceremony.  But when the three coffins of her husband and her children lowered into the graves, she screamed in pain and disbelief. (Speaks phrase in Hebrew) -- "It cannot be so.  It cannot happen." But it is happening.

              And my friends, it is the duty of the government of Israel, of our defense force, it is the duty of all of us here today, to make sure that it stops happening.  (Applause.)  Never again -- never again will Jews be murdered without our response, swift, strong and effective, that targets the murderers and puts an end to bloodshed.

              On the eve of the 54th anniversary of the state of Israel, let this rally declare in no uncertain terms -- (speaks phrase in Hebrew) -- the people of Israel live, the state of Israel lives, and we will not compromise on our right to live in the secure and free Jewish state.

              There are those who ask, "But what about Jenin?  And there are also Arab civilians who have been killed in the course of the war against terror.  And isn't there the so-called violence that both sides are responsible for?"

              Dear friends, let me tell you the true story about Jenin.  When our army came to Jenin, it was the real autonomy of terror.  Dozens of terrorists went from there in the last month to kill hundreds and thousands of civilians.  And when we came to the camp, where for 10 years no soldier dared to enter, we found out that every house is a fortress and that every door and every car and even dead bodies are booby-trapped and the snipers are shooting from every window.

              And then we had the choice to use the artillery, the tanks, the airplanes, or to go from house to house, risking the lives of our soldiers but not risking the lives of civilians.  And we decided to go from house to house, and 23 of our soldiers, 23 of our young soldiers who just started to live, and veterans who came from (resolve ?) leaving their families, they fell in order to destroy tons and tons of ammunition, to arrest dozens of terrorists, but also to save the lives of hundreds and hundreds of Palestinians.

            That is the difference between those who launch the terror and those who fight the terror.  That is the difference.  (Applause.)   That is why we cannot accept moral equivalence between those who see the human lives, human bodies, as shield for the terrorists, and those for whom human rights are the highest value.

              Equating good and evil is an evil itself.  Trying to find a middle ground between good and evil was a policy that we who have gathered here rejected successfully 15 years ago.  Then we knew that in the struggle for release of Soviet Jews, there should be no compromise.  As with the evil of the communist dictatorship, the evil of terror must be defeated.  Only then, peace can be achieved. (Applause.)

              Real peace, dear friends, real peace depends on us.  If the Jewish people in Israel and the diaspora are united, if we let the leaders of the free world know that we insist on a peace that is not compromised with evil and terror, we will succeed.  We are united and we will succeed.  (Speaks phrase in Hebrew.)  (Applause.)

              MS.     :  Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Kenneth J. Bialkin, past president of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations.

              MR. BIALKIN:  Ladies and gentlemen, few public figures have captured the heart and soul of a nation as has our next speaker, Rudy Giuliani.  (Applause.)  For several years as mayor, Mr. Giuliani's toughness, which was honed in his long career fighting crime, has been forcefully turned against those who threaten both the United States and Israel.

              And when the terrible events of September 11 focused the eyes of the world on New York City, in a new way Rudy Giuliani became a tireless symbol in the struggle of his beloved city, both to cope with tragedy and to rise above it.  Our nation, New York City, supporters of Israel, all owe him abiding gratitude for his courageous leadership.

              Please join me in expressing that gratitude now as we welcome Rudy Giuliani.  (Applause.)

              MR. GIULIANI:  Thank you very much, Ken.  Thank you.  Thank you. We're here -- we're all here today for the same purpose -- to support America, to support Israel and to support all those who join us in understanding that we have to end terrorism, we have to end the threat of terrorism, and we have to make it clear that we're going to stand together to accomplish that purpose.  (Applause.)

              I commend our great president, President Bush, and our government for the determined, the patient, the courageous and the very focused effort to accomplish that goal over the last seven months.  It has truly been inspirational.

              Israel is vitally important to America and to all Americans and to all who agree, and like us, are dedicated to political freedom,   economic freedom, religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights and human life.

              Those five principles define us as Americans.  Together they constitute our beliefs, our philosophy and our principles.  And those five principles bind us inextricably with the state of Israel. (Applause.)

              Israel is an oasis of freedom in a desert of authoritarianism and worse.  It is an outpost of democracy where democracy is unique.  And in all ways, it's America's good friend.  (Applause.)

              When American lives were at risk in the Gulf War, it was Israel that stood with America -- (applause) -- while others turned their backs.  When America was attacked on September 11th in New York, here in Washington, and in Pennsylvania, attacked for our beliefs, the beliefs we share with Israel, Israel stood with us shoulder to shoulder while some others refused to condemn or even tried to shift the blame and celebrate.  We remember that.  (Applause.)

              To my good friends Prime Minister Sharon and to Prime Minister -- (applause) -- and to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who you will hear from very soon -- (applause) -- to Natan Sharansky and to my very good friend, Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem -- (applause) -- I say today that I think of you and I feel for you, for all parties in Israel.

              I remember the attack on my city and I remember your being with me to help and assist and I remember being with you and Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg in Jerusalem just a short while ago while we stood with you as you stood with us to make the same point -- we're not afraid.  We're not going to cower.  We are not going to back down. We are going to stand up for who we are and what we are.  (Applause.)  

            Let us remember, yes, how important it is that Jerusalem remain the undivided capital of the state of Israel.  (Applause.)  But let us also remember, as these signs demonstrate to those of us of other religions, Jerusalem is important to us, and our sites, our important institutions, our churches and mosques, have never been treated as fairly as they have since Israel has been -- (applause) -- guiding the fate of Jerusalem.  So for all of us, it is important that it stay that way.

              All of us yearn for peace, but peace must be based on realism, not romance.  (Applause.)  Peace must be based on security, not terrorism.  (Applause.)  The desire for peace must not overwhelm our common sense.  Otherwise we will fail to achieve peace.

              Let's be clear.  There is no moral equivalent between the state of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  (Applause.)  Israel and the Palestinian Authority are different.  There is a difference between a nation based on law and democracy and one that harbors terrorism.

            For the good of America and for the good of Israel, the path to peace must be based on three principles that we must re-emphasize. The Palestinian Authority must live up to its agreements, agreements that it made in exchange for territory, its agreements to assist in eliminating terrorists and terrorism.  They must do that for the good of Israel, for the good of the Palestinian Authority, for the good of America and for the good of all of us who understand the terrible risks we take in allowing people to support terrorism.

              The Palestinian Authority also must demonstrate, over a period of time, a real effort, which it has not, to establish institutions of political and economic freedom and religious toleration for all religions.  And we must, thirdly, re-analyze the territorial arrangement in order to provide one that makes more sense in leading toward a lasting peace.  (Applause.)

              All of us, as all you good people who have come here, all of us wish for peace.  We pray for it.  All of us today, despite the horrible, horrible events that we've been through in America and people have been through in Israel, we are optimistic.

              We are hopeful, because we know, not in any belligerent sense, but we know that we're right and they're wrong.  (Applause.)  We're right about political and economic freedom, about religious toleration, about the rule of law and respect for human rights and human life.

              So thank you for coming.  Thank you for demonstrating your abiding commitment to those principles.  God bless Israel, God bless America, and lead us to peace.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

              MR.     :  We want to ask you again not to push forward.  Okay, we have a lot of good people yet to come.  We know people are still arriving.  We ask, please, don't push forward, as we now have the second 100,000 of us joining to be in this massive event.  (Applause.)

              We have with us so many important friends.  I want to acknowledge the mayor of Washington, Anthony Williams, who is with us today. (Applause.)  We want to acknowledge the senators from New York who have joined us, Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Hillary Clinton, who have joined us -- (applause) -- and a great friend from the House of Representatives who has played such an important role in the Middle East Subcommittee, Congressman Ben Gilman.  (Applause.)  

            And now we're going to hear from a great leader of the Congress, and here's the introduction.

              MR.     :  I'm pleased to introduce, representing the House Republican leadership this afternoon, House Majority Leader Richard Armey, an avid proponent of the cause of religious freedom, both domestically and across the globe.  His efforts have been indispensable in the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act.  And he has been a powerful congressional voice in support of the president's war against global terrorism.

              I'm honored to be able to introduce Congressman Dick Armey. (Applause.)

              REP. ARMEY:  Thank you.  It's an honor for me to be here today with my House colleagues, Ben Gilman from New York, Dave Weldon from Florida, and Eric Cantor from Virginia.  (Applause.)  And let me say, we dare to speak with one voice.  And I'm here to say that America must stand solidly beside Israel in our common fight against terrorism.  (Applause.)

              Ladies and gentlemen, I'm from Texas.  And in Texas, we've got a reputation for straight talk.  We don't believe in ambiguity and we believe in clarity.  So let me make this as clear as possible.  A deliberate attack on innocent civilians is terrorism.  (Applause.)  It is terrorism when it happens in New York City.  It is terrorism when it happens at the Pentagon across the river.  It is terrorism when it happens in the skies over Pennsylvania.  And it is terrorism when it happens in the heart of Jerusalem.  (Applause.)

              And let me also say this.  If a person deliberately attacks innocent civilians or if he actively supports deliberate attacks on innocent civilians, then he is, by definition, a terrorist. (Applause.)  And he is a terrorist whether he's operating in Afghanistan, hiding in Pakistan, or training homicide bombers in the West Bank.  (Applause.)

              We reject any theory of moral equivalence that would compare a homicide bomber with her victim.  (Applause.)  That confuses an act of self-defense with the act of terror that provoked it and that can't distinguish between a democratically-elected government trying to protect its people and a corrupt, self-appointed regime that rules by gunpoint and stands ready to use any means to achieve its end. (Applause.)

              And let me be clear about one more thing.  Israel is a democracy. (Applause.)  In fact, it is the only democracy in the Middle East today.  (Applause.)  Israel is a good friend to the United States, one of the best friends we will ever have.  (Applause.)

              We know that if Israel were to succumb to the tactic of the homicide bomber, then that same tactic would be turned against democracies around the world.  It will again be used against us, just as it was on September the 11th.  And it is for all these reasons that the United States stands with Israel as we fight together against terrorism.

              Thank you.  (Applause.)

              MS.     :  Please welcome the immediate past chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the president of the Jewish National Fund, Ambassador Ronald Lauder.

              MR. LAUDER:  It's my great honor today to introduce a great defender of the state of Israel and a great champion of freedom, my friend, former Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. (Applause.)

              MR. NETANYAHU:  At this very hour, the entire nation of Israel is silent.  The Jewish state is commemorating the 20,000 soldiers who gave their lives to defend the state of Israel and the thousands of civilians struck down by the forces of terror in our long battle for freedom.  Just a few months ago, America too lost thousands of its citizens to terrorist savagery.  And we stand here today to honor these fallen sons and daughters of liberty.

              But I've also come here today, my dear friends, to give thanks, to thank all of you for standing up for the Jewish state when so many outside America stood silent -- (applause) -- to thank the American people and their government for remembering the difference between freedom and tyranny, between right and wrong, between good and evil, to thank President Bush for boldly declaring that terrorism, the deliberate attack on civilians, is never justified; it's always evil -- (applause) -- and for bravely charting a course that will lead the free world to victory.

              No greater friend of Israel has ever been in the White House, and no president has ever championed a cause that was more just.  Israel and the United States are today fighting the same battle, waging the same war, confronting the same evil.  Like the United States, Israel did not seek this war.  It was forced on us by a savage enemy that glorifies in a culture of death, a culture where murderers are called martyrs and where suicide is sanctified.

              My friends, an enemy that sends children to die and to kill other children is an enemy that cannot be placated.  (Applause.)  An enemy that openly preaches the destruction of our state is not a partner for peace.  (Applause.)  With such evil, there can be no negotiations and no concessions -- (applause) -- because the only way to confront -- to fight such evil is to confront it.  The only way to defeat it is to destroy it.  (Applause.)  And once terror is defeated, I believe other Palestinians will come to the fore with whom we will forge a genuine and lasting peace.

              Now, I don't want you to be fooled by the apologists of terror. They tell us that the way to end terror is to appease it, to meet or give in to the terrorists' demands -- because -- listen to their argument -- because, they tell us, the root cause of terrorism -- did you ever hear that? -- the root cause of terrorism is the deprivation of national and civic rights.

              Well, let's examine that proposition.  If that were the case, then in the thousands of conflicts and struggles for national and civil rights in modern times, we would expect to have found endless examples of terrorism.  But guess what:  We don't.

              Mahatma Gandhi did not use terrorism in fighting for the independence of India.  (Applause).)  The peoples of Eastern Europe did not resort to terrorism to bring down the Berlin Wall. (Applause.)  But one other example; one other example.  Martin Luther King did not resort to terrorism in fighting for equal rights for all Americans.  (Applause.)  In fact, speaking in this city, in this very place, four decades ago, Martin Luther King preached a creed that was the very opposite of terrorism -- not violence, non-violence; completely the opposite.  

            So now we must ask ourselves, why did all these people pursue their cause without resorting to terror?  Because they believed in the sanctity of each human life, because they were committed to the ideals of liberty, because they championed the values of democracy; simply put, because they were democrats, not terrorists.  That's why. (Applause.)

              But, you see, those who practice terrorism do not believe in these ideals.  In fact, they believe the very opposite.  They believe that the cause they espouse is so all-encompassing, so total, that it justifies anything and everything.  They believe that it allows them to break any law, to discard any moral code, to trample all human rights into the dust.  They believe that their cause permits them to indiscriminately murder and maim innocent men and women.  They believe that it lets them blow up a bus full of babies.

            My friends, there's a name for the mindset that produces this evil.  It is called totalitarianism.  Indeed, this is the root cause of terrorism.  The root cause of terrorism is the totalitarian mindset, a tyranny that systematically brainwashes the minds of its subjects, to suspend all moral constraints for the sake of a twisted cause.  And this is why, from its inception, totalitarianism has always been wedded to terrorism, from Lenin to Stalin to Hitler to the ayatollahs to Saddam Hussein to Osama bin Laden to Yasser Arafat. (Applause.)

              My friends, I want you to listen to me carefully, because I want to say something else.  It is not merely that the goals of terrorists do not justify the means they use.  It is that the means that they choose tell you what their real goals are, because those who target the innocent will never protect freedom and human rights.

              And how can we see that?  We can see that clearly every time terrorists come to power.  Those who fight as terrorists rule as terrorists, setting up dark dictatorships, whether in Iraq or in Iran or in Afghanistan or in Arafatistan.  (Applause.)

              And indeed, Yasser Arafat is the quintessential terrorist.  Both his means and his goals are illegitimate.  Arafat pursues a goal of policide, the destruction of a state, by employing the means of suicide, suicide and mass terror.  Arafat does not want a Palestinian state next to Israel.  He wants a Palestinian state instead of Israel. (Applause.)

              But my friends, any time that Israel was confronted with an Arab leader who was genuinely interested in peace and delivered a message of peace to his own people in Arabic, every time we were confronted with such a leader, we made peace.

              Menachem Begin made peace with Egypt's Anwar Sadat, and Yitzhak Rabin made peace with Jordan's King Hussein.  (Applause.)  But five Israeli prime ministers have been unable to make peace with Arafat. Do you know why?  For a simple reason:  Because Arafat does not want peace.  (Applause.)

              Now, let me show you the difference between one leader and another.  Until the day I die, I will not forget the day that King Hussein came with me to visit the bereaved families of seven young Israeli school girls, 12 years old, gunned down by a deranged Jordanian soldier.  He knelt before the families, before the mothers and fathers.  He was weeping.  There were tears streaming down his eyes and he said, "Please, please forgive me.  Please forgive me."

              Now, contrast that to Yasser Arafat.  Do you know what he does? He glorifies these mass killers.  He calls public squares after them. He names buildings, streets in their honor.  He has suicide kindergarten camps.  He has suicide universities.  He has suicide museums.  For God's sake, this is the man who pays the checks.  He signs the checks for the explosives of the suicides.  He is a terrorist, if there ever was one.

              Now, you may remember that many right here, right here in this town, and many in Israel, many in Washington and many in Jerusalem, had hoped, at the beginning of the Oslo accords, that Arafat would prove to be a statesman, a Palestinian King Hussein.  Instead he's proved to be a Palestinian Saddam Hussein.  (Applause.)

              And I ask you, what do you do with Saddam Hussein?  Do you negotiate with him?  Do you make concessions to him?  Do you appease him?  No, exactly.  You do the same thing to him that the U.S. just did to the Taliban.  You defeat him. 

              America rightly defeated the Taliban.  And today, in an historic mission that deserves the support of civilized peoples and nations everywhere, President Bush is courageously leading the free world to dismantle Saddam's regime before it acquires nuclear weapons. (Applause.)

              Well, if we're to end terror and begin peace in our own part of the world, Israel must too now dismantle Arafat's regime, a mission also worthy of support from all foes of terror and all friends of liberty.

            I think that garnering this support is much easier now than it was a year ago.  I think that the face of Palestinian terror has finally been unmasked.  The people of this great nation are not fooled by Yasser Arafat and the con artists he employs on American television.  Americans know that Yasser Arafat is nothing more than Osama bin Laden with good PR.  (Applause.)  Americans know that if it looks like a duck, it walks like a duck, it talks like a duck, it's a terrorist.  (Applause.)

              Today, gathered in the capital of liberty, we send a powerful message to the entire world.  To those in Europe who 60 years ago did nothing to prevent the slaughters of millions of Jews and who today side with the mass killers who seek to destroy the Jewish state, we send this message:  History's shame will once again fall on you. (Applause.)

              To the anti-Semites of the world, we send a message of defiance. The Jewish people are not afraid.  We will roll back the savage assaults, those assaults that you direct against us.  We will courageously stand up to you and to all other enemies.  And to the terrorists and terror regimes that support them, we send a warning: The free world, led by President Bush, has awoken to your evil. Terror will be given no quarter, no peace, until it is wiped out from our world.  (Applause.)

              My friends, I want to congratulate all of you on the largest rally in support of Israel in Israel's history.  (Applause.)  I want to assure you that standing tall, standing proud, we will win this war.  We will secure our states and we'll preserve our liberty.  And in defending the Jewish state, all of you here today in Washington, Jews and non-Jews alike, are defending the cause of liberty, a cause that has once again made America, Israel and the defenders of freedom the last, best hope on earth.  We shall win.

              Thank you very much, all of you, and God bless you.  (Applause.) Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

              MR.     :  Ladies and gentlemen, I just want to tell you that people are still arriving.  (Applause.)  And we ask you again, please do not push to the front.  For those who need first aid, it is on the far right.  I know some people from the heat -- please make sure you drink water.  

            And please give a special welcome to our next speakers, who have patiently waited here in the hot sun as well, because they are with us.  It isn't a matter of time.  It's a matter of commitment.  And they have demonstrated their true friendship by waiting to speak to you.  And you're going to hear from some more of our most outstanding friends.

              MS.     :  Please welcome Larry Zicklin, president of UJ Federation of New York, and Ezra Levin, president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.  (Applause.)

              MR. ZICKLIN:  New York Governor George Pataki has never hesitated to stand with the people of Israel.  How many of us, for example, will ever forget the powerful 13-hour visit he led with Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg in December of last year, exactly when it was most needed?  

            MR. LEVIN:  Today Governor Pataki is with us representing the governors of America.  All too often across the nation, state and local officials are at the front lines of the battle against terrorism, as Governor Pataki was over these past months when his dedication and determination was an inspiration to us all.  And like Governor Pataki, many of these officials have expressed their commitment to the goals of this rally, with the Oklahoma State Senate having passed a formal resolution in support of this gathering.

              MR. ZICKLIN:  My friends, we are honored to introduce our friend and a friend of Israel and supporter of a request for peace with security, New York's governor, George Pataki.  (Applause.)

              GOV. PATAKI:  Thank you.  Thank you.  And let me say, it's an honor to be here.  When I was asked, "Could you be here for this rally in support of Israel?" my response was very simple:  How could I not be here at this rally in support of the state of Israel?  How could anyone who loves freedom, how could anyone who rejects terror, not be here?  And certainly, how could anyone who represents New York, where we've seen the face of terror and the face of evil, not be here in support of the people and the state of Israel?

              I came here this afternoon.  This morning I was in Watertown, New York at Fort Drum, and I was part of a ceremony where we welcomed back to New York State members of the 10th Mountain Division, who had just come back from Afghanistan, where they are risking their lives in defense of our freedom.

              It was an emotional moment.  And we are proud of those heroes and we are proud of our president, who is committed to rooting out terror that threatens America anywhere in the globe, whether it's Afghanistan or the Middle East.

              But let me say that just as everyone here understands that the United States has the right to defend itself against terror, wherever that terror may come from, so too the people of Israel have the right to defend themselves against terror wherever that terrorism, wherever that threat may come from.  (Applause.)

              And to me it's very clear.  When you look at what Israeli soldiers have uncovered over the course of the past few weeks and days, the Palestinian Liberation Organization is not an organization looking to achieve peace.  The documents have been found with Arafat's signature supporting terror.  The PLO is an organization that harbors terrorists, supports terrorists, helps terrorists engage in their horrible activities.  The PLO is a terrorist organization and must be stopped from continuing.  (Applause.)

              And there are those who would say that there's some sort of a moral equivalency between the actions of Israel and the actions of the Palestinian terrorists.  There is no moral equivalency between those who would kill using children, innocent civilians, children and adults, in their homes and in their places of worship, to that of a   government that is seeking those terrorists before they can engage in that awful activity.

              The moral equation strongly tells everyone who understands freedom, who understands morality, that Israel is engaging in a just war in defense of its people and its freedom.  (Applause.)

              You know, April 9th is a solemn day.  It is Holocaust Remembrance Day.  And I was honored to be at a ceremony at Temple Emmanuel in New York where we remembered the 6 million martyrs.  It's incredible that less than 60 years later, not just terrorism but anti-Semitic terrorism exists, not just in the Middle East.  It exists in France. It exists in Europe.  We saw it in Kiev yesterday.  We must denounce anti-Semitism.  We must denounce terrorism, not just in the Middle East but wherever that terrorism rears its ugly head.  (Applause.)

              You know, the real reason, the true reason Israel is under this barbaric attack is because Israel is our friend.  Israel is an ally of the United States.  Israel is a country that respects freedom -- freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of worship.

              Today I could go to Jerusalem as a Roman Catholic and celebrate my religion in the cathedrals in Jerusalem.  Today a Muslim could go to Jerusalem and express their religious beliefs in a Muslim mosque. Today Jews can go to synagogues across Israel and respect and reflect their religious beliefs.

              That was not the case before Israel controlled Jerusalem. Jerusalem is protecting the religious freedoms of the great religious. The Israeli people are doing that, and that is why Jerusalem must remain the eternal, undivided capital of Israel and of the Jewish people.  (Applause.)

              So let me just say that I'm proud there is such an enormous crowd of those in support of Israel today.  I'm proud there are so many New Yorkers in this crowd who not just stand with Israel but stand with those of us who believe in freedom.  And I'm confident that as this world goes forward and our message gets heard, that we will defeat terrorism, whether it's al Qaeda or in the Middle East, and that Israel will have a bright, long and secure future.

              (Speaks phrase in Hebrew.)  Long live Israel.  God bless us.  God bless the United States of America.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

              MS.     :  Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Stuart Applebaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale & Department Store union and president of the Jewish Labor Committee.  (Applause.)

              MR. APPLEBAUM:  Friends, Jewish immigrants were among the founders of the American labor movement, and labor leaders in Israel were central to the birth of the state of Israel.  Perhaps this is why the AFL-CIO is one of Israel's best friends in America, nurturing deep ties with Israel's labor through the Histadrut, repeatedly standing by   our side over the past 54 years in war and in peace, good times and bad.

              We are therefore deeply grateful that our next speaker, John Sweeney, the leader of the American labor movement, stands with us again in this moment of grave crisis and pain.  Please welcome a champion of working men and women and a true friend of Israel and the Jewish community, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.  (Applause.)

              MR. SWEENEY:  Thank you very much, Stuart Applebaum.  I'm happy to also be joined with Morton Barr, the president of the Communication Workers of America and a vice president of the AFL-CIO.

              On behalf of the 13 million working women (and) men of the AFL- CIO, I stand with you to express our support for the people of Israel in this darkest of hours.  The AFL-CIO condemns all acts of terror directed against Israel and its citizens.  America's working families, seared by the horrors of September 11th here in our own country, can begin to imagine how terrifying the suicide bombs have made daily life in Israel.

              These assaults on innocent civilians at their places of work and rest should be named what they are -- crimes against humanity that cannot be condoned.  (Applause.)  These acts of terror will not succeed.  The AFL-CIO joins with you in calling for an end to all acts of terror.  We call on all parties to make respect for life and for the dignity and rights of all people the cornerstone of peace.

              When violence escalates, it is working families who pay the price in loved ones lost, homes destroyed and dreams crushed.  The American labor movement has a long and enduring relationship with the state of Israel, a relationship grounded in our solidarity with the Israeli Trade Union Federation, the Histadrut.  We join with you in asserting the simple reality, Israel has the right to exist in security and in peace.  (Applause.)  We will work with you toward that day.

              At the beginning of this new millennium, I led a delegation to Israel, accompanied by President Morty Bahr and Jay Mazur, then- president of UNITE.  We met with Israel's political, military and trade union leaders as well as with workers from all sectors of society.  We traveled to the West Bank and met with the Palestinian trade union leaders.  We met with workers from both sides, who expressed a real desire and commitment to work for peace.  At that time a secure and lasting peace seemed to be within reach, a peace grounded in security for Israel and hope for a prosperous future and fulfillment of the aspirations of the Palestinian  people. Tragically, the hopes of that moment have been shattered.  Now we witness violence that can only spread despair among all people, fueled by even greater poverty and unemployment.  The cycle must be broken. Conflict must give way to negotiations.  Hope must supplant despair.

              The AFL-CIO applauds the initiative now under way by Secretary Powell seeking to end the violence, to move quickly towards negotiations that might lead to a political settlement.  We hope it is not too late.  As the richest nation on Earth and the cradle of democracy, it is incumbent on the United States to take the lead in these efforts.  The United States must stay engaged, using its influence to condemn the acts of terror while moving the parties back to the negotiating table.

              The AFL-CIO stands ready, together with workers across the world, to help rebuild the peace and the region once the violence stops.  I will tell you this:  The AFL-CIO will continue to defend Israel's right to exist and the right of its people to live in peace. (Cheers.)  We will continue to denounce terrorist assaults on civilians, and we will work to support a just and lasting peace.

              Thank you. (Cheers, applause.)

              MS.      :  Ladies and gentlemen, Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

              RABBI DAVID SAPERSTEIN  (Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism):  A lot of our speakers have been standing here from the beginning of the program.  Let me introduce one of them now, a brilliant attorney, past chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, a champion of a broad range of concerns to the American Jewish community and the state of Israel.  It's my honor to introduce Senator Arlen Specter.

              SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA):  (Cheers, applause.)  I thank you and congratulate you for coming here today, on a gathering which is larger than we have in this area for the inauguration of the president of the United States.  (Cheers, applause.)  This gathering has been estimated at more than 100,000.  I suggest to you that it is much more than 100,000, certainly in spirit.  And I address you today in place of Senator Trent Lott, the Republican leader, who unavoidably is out of town.

              This gathering is a strong affirmation of Israel's right to self- defense.  (Cheers, applause.)  The terrorist -- the terrorist bombers who struck the United States on September 11th were just a little more sophisticated, hijacking planes and crashing into the trade center and heading for the White House and heading for this Capitol.  And just as the United States pursued Taliban and al Qaeda and defeated them in Afghanistan, so too Israel has a right of self-defense.  (Cheers, applause.)

              It had been my hope that the Saudi peace plan would have amounted to something, but now we see Saudi Arabia having a telethon to raise $92 million for the Palestinians.  When is Saudi Arabia going to have a telethon for the thousands of Americans who were killed by 19 terrorists, 15 of whom were Saudis?  (Cheers, applause.)

              I'm glad that President Bush sent Secretary Powell to the Mideast.  It is my hope that moderates like Mubarak of Egypt and Abdullah of Jordan and the Moroccan leader would join together for some sensible approach.

              My three minutes are up.  Thank you for coming.  God bless America.  God bless Israel.  (Cheers, applause.)

              MS.    :  Ladies and gentlemen, Hannah Rosenthal, executive vice chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

              HANNAH ROSENTHAL (executive vice chair, Jewish Council for Public Affairs):  Please welcome one of our nation's premier civil rights leader(s) and a long-time friend of the American Jewish community, a journalist, an attorney, a social policy expert who has dedicated his life to bringing social and legal equality to African-Americans and all minorities in our nation.  Hugh Price has been a consummate coalition-builder.  He is the president of the National Urban League and has recently launched a major national campaign to forge an alliance between business, civil rights groups, and public interest groups to increase opportunity for all Americans.  Please join me in welcoming Hugh Price, president of the National Urban League. (Cheers, applause.)

              HUGH PRICE (president, National Urban League):  Thank you.  I bring you greetings and welcome on behalf of the Urban League movement, which is the nation's oldest and large community-based movement empowering African-Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream.

              We stand solidly behind Israel and the American Jewish Committee -- (cheers) -- because Israel shares America's values of democracy and freedom, and America's Jewish community has been a long-distance runner with our community in the quest for freedom and justice. (Cheers, applause.)

              We steadfastly support Israel's right to exist and its right to defend itself vigorously against terrorism -- (cheers) -- because the first obligation of government is to protect innocent civilians from mortal danger.  Terrorism is the antithesis of civilization, and whether it's Israel, the U.S., or any other nation, governments that are targets of terrorism are entitled to root it out and eradicate it. (Cheers, applause.)

              But we know from bitter and frustrating experience that attacking terrorism alone and engineering temporary cease-fires does not ensure durable peace.  So, for the sake of the children who are dying on both sides every day, I implore the leadership of the Palestinian Authority and yes, the leadership of Israel to heed Secretary of State Colin Powell's urgent plea to give peace a chance.

              Now if Secretary Powell's mission comes to naught, then it's time, before the region and the world tumble into the abyss, for a potent coalition of world leaders to step up and step in, to use all of their leverage at their disposal to bring peace to the region.  And I call upon the U.S., the NATO alliance, and such Middle East allies as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey to orchestrate a political settlement that enforces zero tolerance for terrorism -- (cheers, applause); a settlement which supports and preserves Israel's sovereign right to exist forever in peace and prosperity; and yes, which helps to establish a viable Palestinian state that by word and deed respects the right of Israel to exist.  (Applause.)

              The Middle East is trapped in a maelstrom of terrorism and reprisal, hatred and mistrust, and death and devastation.  This is time for daring and visionary and resolute statesmanship, the kind of statesmanship exhibited by Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk to end decades of civil war and apartheid.  These times require world leaders to use their moral authority and their muscle to end terrorism forever, to ensure Israel's right to exist, and to give lasting peace a chance in the Middle East.

              Thank you very much.  (Cheers, applause.)

              MS.     :  Please welcome from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Karen Shapira, chair of the Israel and Overseas Committee of United Jewish Communities.  (Cheers, applause.)

              KAREN SHAPIRA, (Chair, Israel and Overseas Committee, United Jewish Communities):  (Hebra ?), it is a ("kavod" ?) to be with you here.  And to our sisters and our brothers in Israel, know that we stand with you.  Please see our faces, please hear our voices.  As our philosopher, Judah Ha-Levi has said, "Our heart is in the East."

              It is my privilege to introduce Rabbi Michael Melchior, a man and a leader whom so many of you know.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  He is the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel.  That he continues to hold the portfolio for Israel Diaspora Relations is and should be significant to all of us.  He is the chief rabbi of Norway. Friends, please welcome Rabbi Melchior.  (Cheers, applause.)

              RABBI MICHAEL MELCHIOR (Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs, Israel):  The war which we the people of Israel are fighting, this war which has been forced upon us, is different from the wars we have fought before, not just for Israel, not just for America, but for the world at large.  This is a war for our homes and our families, for the basic right to live without fear in our land, without terrorists seeking to attack our future.  It's a war about our children in pizza bars and discotheques and school buses.  It's a war about our freedom, being able to celebrate it at a Pesakh Seder.

              But it also more than that; it is a war for civilization.  What is civilization?  Civilization is the recognition that certain values -- human life, truth, tolerance, love of parents for children -- are sacrosanct; that no goal or political objective can justify violating them.  Today we face an enemy that has declared civilization its enemy, and there is no value, however sacred, that the scores of fundamental terrorism has not trampled underfoot.  Ambulances, which should be protecting the sick, become vehicles for terrorists and bombs.  Mosques and churches, places of worship and contemplation become fortresses for terrorist killers who shoot from their shelter. The U.N. conference in Durbin, intended to combat racism and slavery, not only does nothing to help the oppressed but hosts the most anti- Semitic diatribes since the Second World War.

              The dark forces of national and religious fundamentalism which have been unleashed are not limited to our region.  This is a vital struggle -- not just for Israel, but for free countries across the world.  If this evil triumphs in our region, it will know no borders. Palestinian terrorism already claims the copyrights on other heinous acts that have spread throughout the areas of conflict, including hijackings and the placing of children in the line of fire.  There's no doubt that if this fundamentalist, suicidal terrorism is not defeated, and decisively, we will see it threatening free societies around the world.

              We did not choose to fight this dreadful war; to the contrary. The last Israeli government made far-reaching peace proposals recognizing that without secure borders for the Palestinians, there can be no secure borders for Israel.  Without dignity for the Palestinian people, there can be no true dignity for Israelis.  And without peace for the Palestinians, there can be none for Israel.

              And these truths hold still today.  We are not fighting the Palestinian people; we continue to respect their aspirations to independence.  And still today, if the Palestinian leadership is ready to choose peace and progress, they will find that no people want peace or is prepared to sacrifice more for it than Israel.

              But that is not the leadership we have seen.  We have seen a leadership which, at the peak of the peace process, not only rejected Israel's proposals but responded with a wave of brutal violence that has continued and escalated to this day.  We have seen a leader who funds acts of terror and talks of throwing the Jews into the sea, while his wife just this week has declared her ambition for a child to grow up to become a suicide terrorist.

              So why do we still hope for peace?  We are fighting a war that has given us no choice.  It is crucial that we win this war, but it's just as crucial how we win.  In ancient times the children of Israel will carry the hold ark containing the Ten Commandments in front of them into battle, as a reminder that however bloody the fighting, there were rules and values that still must be respected.  Today, in a battle in which our enemy is prepared to stoop to any level, we have to respect our values while still fighting for them.

              This is the hardest challenge:  to maintain a semblance of humanity in the midst of a conflict.  Never has it been so hard to find the balance between protecting the lives of innocent Israelis   threatened by terrorism and violence and the Palestinian civilians living in those areas from where acts of terror are emanating.  Never has it been so hard to find a way of ensuring security while recognizing the humanity of the Palestinians living under our control, to weigh the risk that striking at terror today could increase their motivation for a terrorist act tomorrow.  These are the questions with which Israel, its army and its civilians grapple every day.

              And so we should, just as we should feel the anguish at the terrible loss of civilian life also amongst the Palestinians, which is also a "chillul ha-shem," a desecration of God's name, notwithstanding the justice of our fight.  And even if our answers to these questions are not always right -- and indeed, in many cases, there are no right answers -- we are asking the right questions.  While our opponents ask how to kill as many civilians as possible, we ask how we can limit the loss to civilian life. While they ask how to inflame the passions of the Arab world, we ask how we might get back to the negotiation table.

              And ultimately, this is the reason that there can be no moral equivalence between our efforts to defend our civilians and the heinous attempts of Palestinian terrorists to destroy them.  Can it be that so much of the world which sees this moral equivalence is wrong and that we are right?  Indeed, it can.  In recent weeks in the Arab world there's reported yet again age-old blood libels against Jews and in the millions reprinted the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion.  These lies across the generations have led to countless pogroms and to the greatest crime the world has ever known.  But they also served us as a reminder to every Jew and decent person that the world could be wrong.  It could accuse Jews of inconceivable atrocities, and yet we would know within ourselves where the truth lies.

              Today we see anti-Semitism spreading once again like a plague, with attacks throughout Europe raising the painful specters of the last century, in Antwerp, in Paris, in Lyon, in Tunis, in Strasbourg, in Kiev, as well as in Los Angeles and Toronto just over the last week.  It falls to us to bear witness that tolerating such incidents will not make them go away.  Governments that deny anti-Semitic attacks or fail to address them are only inviting anti-Semites to turn up the volume.  Anti-Semitism, like terrorism, breeds in those places where there is no courage to confront it.

              Today, when across the world we see a coalition of hatred which knows no borders, it becomes more important than ever to harness a coalition of civilizations which almost must know no borders.  This coalition must include Palestinians and Israelis, Christians, Muslims and Jews, indeed every believer in the future of democracy and decency.  There is no alternative.  Otherwise, everything turns back to darkness and chaos.  The United States, with its moral force, must lead this coalition for democracy and peace and against terror and hatred.  (Applause.)

              This is a coalition in which there is no neutrality.  As President Bush has taught us, there are only the defenders of freedom,   those who are helping, either actively or passively, to undermine it. This is a vital cause and a holy one.  The (Torah ?) portion of -- (phrase in Hebrew)  describes the Biblical laws of kedooshab (ph), holiness.  The climax of these laws, the peak of holiness is remarkable.  It is the simple commandment -- (phrase in Hebrew) -- "Love your neighbor because he is as yourself."  (Cheers, applause.) This is Jew holiness.  We will never accept those who pervert this holiness, who subscribe to a doctrine of "Kill your neighbor with yourself."  Let us never forget, it is always the victim, never the murderers, never the "shaheeds" who are the holy ones.  This fight seems overwhelming.  A raging sea of violence ready to engulf us, and many of us have moments of despair.  But our people from its earliest days have found ways of crossing such seas.  I pray and truly believe that if we keep sight of the values for which we are fighting, we will cross this sea as well and reach the land of which we have so long dreamed, the land of peace.

              Thank you very much.  And -- (phrase in Hebrew.)  (Cheers, applause.)

              MR.      :  Thank you, Rabbi Melchior, whose leadership we appreciate and whose patience even more we extol.  That is a true leader who puts his own interests second, recognizing the unique historic importance of this occasion.

            We have other leaders here -- Congressman Eliot Engel of New York -- and we welcome again all of the Israeli diplomats, led by Ambassador Ivry, who are here with us; the rabbis and religious leaders of all faiths who have joined us.

              And now we want to call up and -- to take this opportunity to thank the truly remarkable people who helped make this possible in the record time, never done before:  the U.S. Capitol Police, the D.C. Metropolitan Police -- (cheers, applause) -- the Park Police, the Metro transit system, the D.C. Emergency Management team, the Washington, D.C., Fire and Rescue.  Hatzollah (sp).  (Cheers, applause.)

              And we ask all of those who can help at the end of the program to help pitch in to clean up, to put their area back the way it was, and to all of you to help clean up this area.

              We now have some of the most important parts of our program. Please listen and welcome.

              The two themes we had for this event were support for Israel and support for the war against terrorism.   Our next speaker is the living embodiment of the nexus of these two urgent and vital efforts. Mark Sokolow was on the 31st -- 38th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center on September 11th when the plane struck.  His life was spared.  And then, together with his wife and two of his three daughters, he traveled to Israel in January of this year to celebrate his daughter Jamie's bat mitzvah.  Once again the specter of terrorism   touched his life, when all four of his family members suffered injuries in the bombing on Jaffa Road.  

            Less than a year ago, on May 8th, 2001, two eighth-grade boys were killed outside Gush Etzion community of Tekoa, Yakov Mandel and Yossi Ishran.  Kobi Mandel was the oldest son of Rabbi Seth Mandel and his wife, Cherie (sp), a family well-known in this community, where they lived before making aliyah.  Kobi Mandel's memory will forever be a blessing for all of us, as will the memories of all of those who perished al tudesh hashem (sh).  And we will welcome as well as Rabbi Seth Mandel, Kobi's father.

            And the third victim family:  In February 2000, a bus driven by a Palestinian terrorist rammed into a group of soldiers and civilians at the Azor Junction, which so many of us have driven by.  Eight died and 21 were injured, three of them critically.  One of those three was a talented young dancer, 19-year-old Monique Wasserman.  She was severely injured.  She is the embodiment of all of the innocent people who have been the victims of the hatred and terrorism wrought against Israel, and we welcome her mother, Sharon Evans (sp), who made aliyah from South Africa -- (cheers) -- to create a better life for her family and who made the journey here to express the human toll that terrorism takes.

              In moments of tragedy, Jews increase their learning, increase their stakah (sp), and increase their prayer.  (Cheers.)  We have with us, to lead us in prayer, the executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Rabbi Paul Menitoff, who will read from Tehilim (sp) 1:22.  And we welcome Rabbi Hershel Billet, the rabbi of the Young Israel of Woodmere and president of the Rabbinical Council of America, who will lead the Tabila (sp) for Madid Y'Israel (sp), and Rabbi Perry Rank of the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, New York, the vice president of the International Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Jewish movement, who will offer the prayer for the state of Israel.

              Today we were joined by tens of thousands of students.  To represent them -- (cheers, applause) -- to represent them, we have Ruven Brand --(cheers, applause) -- a senior at Yeshiva University, whose president is with us, who this past January participated in the Operation Torah Shield mission to Israel, sponsored by the OU, the Israel government tourist office, and the Conference of Presidents, and he will read from Psalm 130; and Mira Cogan.  (Cheers, applause.)  "The old shall dream dreams, and the youth shall see visions," our sacred text says, reminding us that the voice of youth is the voice of our future.  Please welcome Mira Cogan, a sophomore in the joint program at Columbia University and JTS -- (cheers, applause) -- who serves as the Israel action coordinator at Hillel at Columbia University and Barnard College.

              And I want to call up the world-renowned figure who opened our program and will lead us again in song.  As we conclude this program, we ask that you all stay and give the proper respect to this wonderful   array of people who have waited all of this time.  And we apologize to them, but they know the cause.  (Cheers.)  They know the reason.  They have made the sacrifices for it.  And I want to thank all of my colleagues who joined the Conference of Presidents and UJC in making this possible -- those who worked day and night for six days, except for Shabbat, who worked around the clock in making a miracle happen that everybody said was impossible -- "You can't do it."  (Cheers.) Almost 200,000 people proved them wrong.  (Cheers.)  And we will come back over and over and over, with our Christian friends -- Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Muslims -- all of us -- to proclaim Israel now and forever.  (Cheers.)

              I want to call upon Rabbi Menitoff.

              RABBI PAUL MENITOFF:  (inaudible) -- verses from psalms 126 and 122. (Speaks in Hebrew.)  "When God brought back to those that returned to Zion, we were like unto them that dreamed, when our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing.  Then said they among the nations, 'God has done great things.  God has done great things with us.  We are rejoiced.'

              Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  May they prosper that love you. Peace be within its walls and prosperity within its palaces.  For my companions' sake, I will now say, peace be within you.  For the sake of the house of our God, I will seek your good. "

              DUDU FISHER:  Ladies and gentlemen, my brothers, it's Yom Ha- Zikkaron today in Israel.  And it's -- (inaudible) -- so we can not have an orchestra today.  But I'd like you to be my orchestra and sing together with me.  And I'd like your song to bounce to the White House, to Europe, to Israel, and let the Israelis, let us know that you are with us.  (Cheers.)

              (Sings.)

              Thank you!  (Cheers.)

              Mr. Sokolow.

              MR. SOKOLOW:  I am no stranger to Arab terror.  With gratitude to Hashem, I am one of the luckier victims.  But I have seen firsthand the evil of Arab terror and its hatred for Israel and Americans.  I first saw the hand of Arab terror in my office in the World Trade Center on September 11th.  On that beautiful Tuesday morning, I was sitting in my office on the 38th floor of the south tower, when I heard a loud noise.  At that time, I had no idea what happened.  But as we all now know, Arab terrorists crashed a jetliner filled with innocent people and jet fuel into the north tower. Thankfully, someone from my office who saw the north tower ablaze came running down the hall, urging us to evacuate the building.  I walked down the 38 flights, and as I reached the lobby, I felt something I will never forget:  a violent shaking of the building.  At that time, I had no idea what happened.  But as we all now know, Arab terrorists crashed a second jetliner filled with innocent people and jet fuel into the south tower.

              As a result of the horrific terrorist act of September 11th, thousands of innocent Americans were murdered.  As my family and I sat around our TV in the days following 9/11, with tears streaming down our faces, we were so proud of our president when he said, "In the war against terror, you are either with us or against us."  And when he said that any nations that harbors or supports terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.  Mr. President, the Jewish community is solidly behind you in this fight against terror. (Cheers.)

              Following the events of 9/11 -- (cheers) -- following the events of 9/11, my wife and I decided to take our two younger daughters with us to Israel to visit our older daughter, who is studying in a Torah seminary there for the year.

              On January 27th, on what was supposed to be the last day of our trip, we walked to town to a popular shoe store on Jaffa Road in the holy city of "Yerushalayim", the eternal capital of Israel. (Cheers, applause.)  We bought shoes -- we bought shoes, and seconds after we left the store, an Arab terrorist, a homicide bomber, who was smuggled into Jerusalem in a Palestinian ambulance, walked into the same store, looked around, walked outside and blew herself up right near where we were standing.

              We were all rushed to different hospitals, and for several agonizing hours I didn't know whether the rest of my family was alive. Thank God we all survived with what the press called "minor injuries." My wife has a severely fractured leg on which she still can't walk. My daughter and I just had surgery to reconstruct our ear drums, and my youngest daughter has lost some vision in one eye.  And we all have significant shrapnel injuries and scars, not to mention the mental trauma we have all suffered.

              My friends, I can say from my first-hand experience that Israel's enemies are America's enemies, and that Israel's war on terror is America's war on terror!  (Cheers, applause.)  Any attempt to weaken Israel, to undermine its efforts to eradicate Arab terror will backfire on Israel and the United States and result in more murder of innocent Jews, more death and more suffering.

              There can be no double standard in the war against terror. (Cheers.)   If the United States is allowed to fight terror across the world, then surely Israel must be allowed to fight terror across the street!  (Cheers, applause.)  If the United States can fight its battles from the air with massive bombs, then how dare anyone criticize Israel's house-to-house battle to root terrorism from its midst?  (Cheers, applause.)

              When will the Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, stop subsidizing families of suicide bombers?

              We ask President Bush to hold true to his words that there is no such thing as a good terrorist; that every country has a right to defend ourselves.  We ask Prime Minister Sharon to remain strong and steadfast and do all that he can to preserve every precious Jewish soul -- (cheers, applause) -- because a single Jewish life is worth more than a hundred glowing editorials, a single Jewish life is worth more than a thousand flowery eulogies, and a single Jewish life is worth more than a million Nobel Peace Prizes.  (Cheers.)

              So the war on terror must be fought and must be won.  You can't make peace with those who hate life even more than they hate Jews.   There are thousands of victims of Arab terror who are not as fortunate as my family and me; they are victims of an evil, failed, foolhardy peace process.  They are victims only because they were Jews living in the land of Israel who wanted to get a slice of pizza, ride a bus, have a "Pesakh Seder" with their family, or shop for food for "Shabat."

              Today our message goes out to the president, to the prime minister and to the world:  Arab terror endangers all of mankind.  Let us stand together and fight together.  Let us never falter or fail, and together we will conquer evil.  Together we will strengthen Israel, and together we will realize the ancient dreams of the prophets of Israel for peace, unity and the Kingdom of God!

              Thank you.  (Cheers, applause.)

              MR.     :  And while we invite Rabbi Perry Rank to lead us in a prayer for the United States, I want to welcome many New York officials who are here, many state officials here, including the president of the Association of Jewish State Legislators, State Senator Seymour Lachman (sp), Assemblymen Dov Ikin (sp) and Jeb Dinowitz (sp); Councilmen David Webber (sp) and Albert Kopel (sp), Jim Cinaro (s) and many others who have joined us to be with us.  And we thank all of the state and local legislators who came from across the country -- Jews, non-Jews of every ethnicity.  We are grateful for your support and we count on it in the future.  

            Rabbi Rank.

              RABBI RANK:  "Havi rye" (ph), my friends.  A prayer for our government and for these wonderful United States of America.

              "(Begins in Hebrew) -- our God, and God of our ancestors.  We ask your blessings for our country, for its government, for its leader and advisers, and for all who exercise just and rightful authority.  Teach them insights of your Torah that they may administer all affairs of state fairly; that happiness and prosperity, that justice and freedom, that peace and security may forever abide in our midsts.

              Creator of all flesh, bless all the inhabitants of our country with your spirit.  May citizens of all races and creeds forge a common bond in true harmony to banish all hatred and bigotry and to safeguard the ideals and the free institutions which are the pride and glory of our country.  May this land under, your providence, be an influence for good throughout the world, uniting all people in "shalom" -- peace -- and freedom, and helping them to fulfill the vision of your prophet:  (Speaks in Hebrew.)  "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they experience war anymore."

              And let us all say "amen."

              MR.      :  Sharon Evans -- (cheers) -- and her fan club!

              SHARON EVANS:  On February the 14th of last year, my whole life was turned upside down.  A Palestinian bus driver deliberately ran down a group of soldiers waiting at a bus stop.  Eight young people were killed that day, many injured, many wounded -- eight of them were killed, 23 injured.

              The most severely injured was a 19-year-old young woman who dreamed of becoming a dancer.  She was more dead than alive upon her arrival at Tel Ashmei (ph) Hospital.  She was unconscious, barely breathing, her pelvis was crushed, her legs were broken, her intestine perforated, and the main artery to her left leg was severed, which had caused her massive blood loss.  Her face was smashed in and her four front teeth knocked out.

              The doctors gave her a less than a 1 percent chance of surviving. Her name is Monique (sp), and Monique (sp) is my daughter.  After 14 hours of surgery and receiving more than 30 units of blood, Monique (sp) was wheeled into intensive care and hooked up to a respirator. On that day, I made a pact with God; if Monique (sp) lived, I would make sure the world would know what had happened to her and her friends on that terrible day.  I vowed that these victims would not be forgotten.  And I vowed to be the voice of those victims who can no longer speak.  I promised to let the world know -- (interrupted by cheers, applause).  I promised to let the world know of the suffering pain and despair of the families left behind.  

            Against all odds, Monique (sp), my miracle child, opened her eyes, recognized me and squeezed my hand.  (Cheers; applause.)

              Monique spent six weeks in intensive care, underwent seven operations and spent nine months in hospital.  And today, 14 months later, Monique's left leg has nerve damage and she needs crutches to get around.

              There are hundreds and hundreds of victims like Monique today that have been disfigured and permanently disabled.  There are also many families who have suffered the loss of a child, and many children that have been left orphaned.  These families needs your support. They need lots of support, emotional and financial.  They need to know they are not forgotten and they are not alone.  These terror victims have paid that ultimate price for being Jews living in the state of Israel.  We have a collective responsibility to help these families rebuild their lives.  Each and every community throughout America can help, must help.  Each and every synagogue and school can adopt a family and assist these families with their emotional and financial needs.  The Israel Emergency Solidarity Fund -- One Family was created to meet the needs of these families.  And they will help to arrange adopt a family.

              Eight young people lost their lives on that day that Monique was injured: Juli (sp); Alexander; Corji (ph); David; Rajeli (ph); Orpheal (ph); Yasmin and Simja (ph).  Monique and I made a promise that day: We will not let the world forget you.  Please help us keep that promise.  (Cheers; applause.)

              MR.     :  And now one of the people who from the very first minute this decision was made started to mobilize synagogues in his community as did many rabbis throughout this country, Rabbi Hershel Billet.

              (Cheers; applause.)

              RABBI   BILLET  :  (Remarks in Hebrew; not translated.)

              MR.     :   Rabbi Mandel.

              (Cheers; applause.)

              RABBI SETH MANDEL:  My son, Coby Mandel, and his friend, Joseph Ishran (ph), were in the 8th grade when Palestinian terrorists murdered them in cold blood.  My son, Coby Mandel, and his friend, Joseph Ishran (ph), were in the 8th grade when Palestinian murderers beat them to death with boulders the size of bowling balls.  My son, Coby Mandel, and his friend, Joseph Ishran (ph), were in the 8th grade when Palestinian terrorists beat them so badly that they had to have dental records to identify them.  

            These men mutilated my son and his friend after they looked them in the eyes, standing closer to them than you are to anybody but the person you're touching.  They looked them in the eyes, and they knew what they were.  They were 13-year-old boys out on a hike 200 yards from their house.

              Coby was a boy who grew up 10 miles from here, Silver Spring, Maryland.  He had two things on his wall four years later.  He had a picture of Cal Ripkin and he had a picture of Michael Jordan.  There's only three things he really liked to do in life.  He liked to study the Torah and the Talmud, but more than that, he liked to play baseball and he liked to play basketball.  

            The Talmud says that if you destroy one life, you destroy the entire world.  I know because my world was destroyed when they killed my son.  I know because my family's world was destroyed when they   killed my son.  And I know because my community was destroyed when they killed my son.  This is true not only for me and my family, this is true for every one of the families of the 460 people who have been killed in the last year and a half.  My son Coby was about number 65. It goes on and on.

              The worst moment that I experience is on Friday night.  On Friday night I walk into Shul and I see my son's friends.  They shake hands with each other and they laugh and they give each other "high fives," and I watch them.  And then I look at the seat next to me.  That's Coby's seat.  And Coby's not there.  And at that moment, I know more than any other that he's not going to be there, and I know that I'll never see him again and never watch him give another "high five" to a friend in Shul.

              With all the pain and the heartache, my wife Sherri and I, through her writing, and through our founding of the Coby Mandel Foundation, are trying to turn the darkness of Coby's death into light.  With all the pain and the heartache, by standing in front of you symbolizing the thousands of survivors of terror, I'm trying to turn the darkness of Coby's death into light.  And with all the pain and the heartache, we're staying in Israel.  We're not leaving.  We're living in Israel and we're loving in Israel. (Cheers, applause.)

              Through it all, we're trying to turn the darkness into light.  In the Sbarro Pizza bombing, there was a family of Dutch people, five of whom were killed.  There was a four-year-old boy named Abraham Yitzhak (sp).  As he was laying on the ground bleeding, burning and dying, he said to his father, he said, "Aba (sp), help me, Aba (sp), save me." And his father reached over to him and he said, "Say the Schma."  He said together they held hands and they said, "Schma Israel, Adenoi elohenu, Adenoi echad (ph)."

              Coby died alone.  I didn't have a chance to say the "Schma" with him, and I want you to help me.  I want you to help me and I want you to say the "Schma" with me in the honor of the 460 people killed in the last year and a half; I want you to say the "Schma" with me in the merit of Avraham Yitzhak ben Mordechai, the boy in the Sbarro pizza place; and I want you to say the "Shama" with me now in the merit of my son, Coby Mandel Yakov Natan ben Shragafivo (ph).

              (Speaks in Hebrew.)

              Thank you.  (Applause.)

              MR.     :  Thank you.

              And now, to conclude the program, we call Mira Cogen, and then, as is customary, we will end with a "spe law" (ph), led by Mr. Brand.

              MIRA COGEN:  "Shalom."  I am Mira Cogen and I am a student at Colombia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary.  I   am proud to stand here today to represent Jewish students across the continent, including thousands of Hillel students who have come to this rally from more than 100 campuses across North America.  (Cheers, applause.)

              When the media cries that our generation is apathetic, when statistics show that most college students are not involved in their Jewish communities, how is it that we all came down here by the bus loads and by the thousands?  What about this struggle makes us care? For some it is the family and friends whom we have in Israel, those whom we have lost, and those who have survived; those family and friends who are now serving on the front lines as we speak.  And for some it is our own dedication to preserve the Jewish homeland as a place for all of us.

              But as college students, we all realize that the most freshly dug graves belong to people our own age in Israel, for when we college students see the faces of soldiers who are protecting the land of Israel, the people of Israel, and Jews worldwide, we see our own faces.  At a time when young people are attacked in nightclubs, supermarkets and coffee houses by homicide bombers; when young Israeli soldiers, people our own age, are risking their life for their country, Hillel students are taking action.  We are refuting the lie that anti-Israel activists are spouting on our campuses.  We are sponsoring rallies, teach-ins and vigils.  We are working with organizations like APAC so that we can carry the pro-Israel message to all students.  We are bringing Caravan for Democracy to our campuses, celebrating Israel and America's shared democratic values.  We are raising money for the united Jewish community special campaign, and we are purchasing an ambulance from Agen Davida Dom (ph).  We are writing articles in our campus newspapers, and we are talking to the press. In six weeks, over 250 students will participate in a special solidarity mission to Israel.

              We will not be silenced.  Rather, with our most powerful voices, we will rally behind Israel.  (Cheers.)  You hear one voice of a college student here today, but college students speak with many voices.  We come from the New York metropolitan area, New England, the Midwest, the South, the West and across North America.  Many of us participated in Birthright Israel, and many more are waiting to take advantage of that gift from our Jewish community.  We are liberal and conservative.  We are Ashkenazi and Sephardi.  We hope for success in many forms.  We hope to be doctors, lawyers, scholars, members of Congress, teachers, actors, musicians, business people, rabbis. Regardless of our thousands of different hopes, we all hope for a time when Israel can live in peace with its neighbors as a Jewish state within safe and recognized borders.  (Cheers.)  And regardless of where we live, regardless of what we believe, wherever we stand, wherever we stand, we stand with Israel.  (Cheers.)

              REUVEN BRAND:  I have the last word, and I have the bottom line. And that is, at the end of the day, while we are so far away, we have the opportunity to help our brothers and sisters in Israel by   increasing our dedication and our commitment to learning Torah, to doing acts of chesed and to davening, to praying to God -- (speaks in Hebrew) -- for the safety of Am Israel and Eretz Israel.  (Applause.) I ask everyone to join me, please, and we'll read together Tehilim Perek Koflamid (ph).  (Sings in Hebrew, with the crowd joining in.)

              Before you leave today, make a commitment, a commitment to chesed, stakah (sp), to Torah.  Make a commitment to action.  Make a commitment that each and every one of us will write every day a letter to our public officials; that each of us every day will let European leaders know that we will not tolerate the resurgence of anti-Semitism -- (cheers) -- that we will let the United Nations know that we will not tolerate the invective and attacks on Israel; to let our officials know that we support them when they stand with Israel, as they did today; to let our elected officials know how we feel.  They can't guess it.  They know now from your being here, but they have to know tomorrow and the day after.

              Buy Israeli products.  Go to stores, look for them.  Help the economy at this difficult time.  And most of all, all of us have a responsibility to show the people of Israel that they are not alone, not by our presence here only but by our presence in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, in Haifa, every day.  (Cheers; applause.)  Call your friends in Israel.  Tell them what happened today, and tell them that we will not be silent.  We will carry the message from here forth in the days and months to come.  We showed today it can be done.  Now it's up to you to show them in the future that it will be done.

              Thank you all for coming.  Thank you for being here.  Thank you for making Jewish history.  (Cheers; applause.)  And let us hope we can be here in the future to celebrate the victories, to celebrate in joy, to celebrate overcoming the obstacles that have arisen, because indeed, Israel now and forever!  

            Thank you all for being here.

              (Cheers; applause.)