Even
in the most placid times, the annual is
spectacular in every sense of the world. It’s huge (some 7,000 participants), fantastically presented (I’m pretty
sure they have two or three times the RAC’s annual budget on A/V for their plenary
sessions alone!), and features the biggest speakers in the business (this year:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
are the headliners).
When
it comes to U.S./Israel relations, these are, of course, far from placid
times. This year’s AIPAC conference,
which began on Sunday and ended today, comes just a week after some of the
most serious, and public, disagreements between the American and Israeli
governments in recent memory. The Policy
Conference is always great political theatre; this year it is, more
specifically, great drama.
Much
of that drama centered on Secretary Clinton’s appearance. What would she say? Would she be critical of Israeli settlement
policy? How would she be received?
Secretary
Clinton spoke yesterday morning, entering and exiting to standing ovations. The AIPAC
website has the full text of her speech, excerpts from the speech, as well as
video highlights and as video of the full speech (did I mention that AIPAC is
good at this stuff?). (JTA’s coverage of
the speech is here,
Politico’s is here, and the
New York Times’ is here.)
My
take? I thought was a remarkable speech
– powerful, honest, eloquent, and in turns reassuring and challenging to her
audience.
A
few excerpts follow.
First,
reassurance, in stirring language:
And let
me assure you, as I have assured you on previous occasions with large groups
like this and small intimate settings, for President Obama and for me, and for
this entire Administration, our commitment to Israel’s security and Israel’s
future is rock solid, unwavering, enduring, and forever.”
And this:
Our countries and our peoples are bound together by our
shared values of freedom, equality, democracy, the right to live free from
fear, and our common aspirations for a future of peace, security and
prosperity, where we can see our children and our children’s children … those generations come of age in peace, with
the opportunity to fulfill their own God-given potentials.
And, critically, this, on Iran, the
self-described “#1 issue” at the conference:
In addition to threatening Israel, a nuclear-armed Iran
would embolden its terrorist clientele and would spark an arms race that could
destabilize the region. This is unacceptable. It is unacceptable to the United
States. It is unacceptable to Israel. It is unacceptable to the region and the
international community. So let me be very clear: The United States is
determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Then more challenging words, at
least for this audience:
… We cannot ignore the long-term population trends that
result from the Israeli occupation. As Defense Minister Barak and others have
observed, the inexorable mathematics of democracy – of demography are hastening
the hour at which Israelis may have to choose between preserving their
democracy and staying true to the dream of a Jewish homeland. Given this
reality, a two-state solution is the only viable path for Israel to remain both
a democracy and a Jewish state.
It was on the question of
settlements, and, specifically, the construction approved last week, during
Vice President Biden’s visit to Israel, in Ramat
Shlomo that Secretary Clinton most directly spoke to the current tensions:
New construction in East Jerusalem or the West Bank
undermines that mutual trust and endangers the proximity talks that are the
first step toward the full negotiations that both sides say want and need. And
it exposes daylight between Israel and the United States that others in the
region hope to exploit. It undermines America’s unique ability to play a role –
an essential role – in the peace process. Our credibility in this process
depends in part on our willingness to praise both sides when they are
courageous, and when we don’t agree, to say so, and say so unequivocally.
Secretary Clinton ended with a
moving passage, evoking the upcoming Passover holiday, and pledging American
support for Israel:
We are entering the season of
Passover. The story of Moses resonates for people of all faiths, and it teaches
us many lessons, including that we must take risks, even a leap of faith, to
reach the promised land. When Moses urged the Jews to follow him out of Egypt,
many objected. They said it was too dangerous, too hard, too risky. And later,
in the desert, some thought it would be better to return to Egypt. It was too
dangerous, too hard, too risky. In fact, I think they formed a back-to-Egypt
committee and tried to stir up support for that. And when they came to the very
edge of the promised land, there were still some who refused to enter because
it was too dangerous, too hard, and too risky.But Israel’s history is the story of brave men and women who took risks. They
did the hard thing because they believed and knew it was right. We know that
this dream was championed by Herzl and others that many said was impossible.
And then the pioneers – can you imagine the conversation, telling your mother
and father I’m going to go to the desert and make it bloom. And people
thinking, how could that ever happen? But it did. Warriors who were so gallant
in battle, but then offered their adversaries a hand of peace because they
thought it would make their beloved Israel stronger. Israel and the generations
that have come have understood that the strongest among us is often the one who
turns an enemy into a friend. Israel has shed more than its share of bitter
tears. But for that dream to survive, for the state to flourish, this
generation of Israelis must also take up the tradition and do what seems too
dangerous, too hard, and too risky. And of this they can be absolutely sure:
the United States and the American people will stand with you. We will share
the risks and we will shoulder the burdens, as we face the future together.