Secretary Clinton Reaffirms Strong US-Israel Ties and Support

Secretary Hillary Clinton recently spoke at the Annual Gala Dinner of the American Jewish Committee. Her remarks firmly restated the United States' close association with Israel, and the Obama Administration's unwavering support of Israel and peace in the Middle East.

This organization for more than a century has been a voice for the aspirations of the Jewish people for a secure and democratic homeland. We saw the pictures flashing before us on the screen – the faces of those who have made Israel their home and those who have made America our home. You have fought for the core values that make this country great –equality and religious freedom, civil rights and women’s rights, a freer, fairer nation in which every child has the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential.

So let me first thank you, thank all of you, for everything you do on behalf of the United States of America and our ideals and values. Because at the core, our relationship with Israel is premised on those values. (Applause.)

There are so many ways that the American Jewish Committee has advanced and spoken to the enduring bond between the United States and Israel. AJC recognizes that we are two nations woven together with our stories, our stories of struggle and triumph, of hope and disappointment. We are beacons for pilgrims and people yearning to be free. We are lands built by immigrants and exiles, given life by democratic principles, and sustained by the service and sacrifice of generations of patriots. We have seen our cities and our citizens targeted by terrorists. And Americans and Israelis alike have met these threats with unyielding resolve.

For all of our similarities, though, we know that Israel faces unique challenges. A nation forced to defend itself at every turn, living under existential threat for decades. We Americans may never fully understand the implications of this history on the daily lives of Israelis – the worry that a mother feels watching a child board a school bus or a child watching a parent go off to work. But we know deep in our souls that we have an unshakable bond and we will always stand not just with the Government of Israel but with the people of Israel.