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.