DWS: Obama’s Israel Trip “Inspires Hope in Israelis”

Jacob Miller — April 9, 2013 – 12:56 pm | Barack Obama | Israel Comments (0) Add a comment

Democratic National Committee Chair Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) accompanied President Barack Obama on his trip to Israel last month and reflected on the trip in an op-ed for The Sun Sentinel:

Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah” (The Hope), portrays an ancient dream for a modern land: “as long as the Jewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart… then our hope - the two-thousand year old hope - will not be lost.” This powerful pairing of history and hope marks Israel’s journey through centuries of exile to a vibrant, flourishing democracy in the Middle East.

I have recently returned from Israel where I had the great privilege to join President Obama on his trip to the Jewish State. This extraordinary journey commemorated and celebrated Israel’s history and hope, and the special relationship our two nations have always shared.

From the moment President Truman became the first leader to officially recognize Israel only minutes after independence, to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s warm welcome of President Obama, our two nations have been tied by bonds of friendship and cooperation that cannot be severed. Over decades of diplomatic, military, and economic cooperation, we have stood by Israel’s side, to ensure a strong and secure Jewish State. But we cannot forget the dark moments in history, before and during the struggle for an independent Israel.

Standing in Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial, President Obama paid tribute to the memory of the Six Million who perished in the Holocaust: “Here, on your ancient land, let it be said for all the world to hear: The State of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust. But with the survival of a strong Jewish State of Israel, such a Holocaust will never happen again.”

These atrocities are never far from our minds, as Israel’s enemies and detractors continue to attack the Jewish State. That is a major reason why the United States continues to bolster the safety and security of our major strategic ally and friend. The Obama Administration has increased that support through record-breaking joint military exercises, billions in foreign aid, and a series of increasingly-tough sanctions to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. In these measures and President Obama’s words, America’s message to Israel is clear: “Atem lo lavad… you are not alone.”...

In Jerusalem, President Obama asked Israelis to “look to the future that you want for your own children - a future in which a Jewish, democratic, vibrant state is protected and accepted for this time and for all time.” It is now incumbent upon us to take the lessons of Israel’s history, and the hope - hatikvah - required to pursue a future of security, opportunity, and peace.

Click here to read the op-ed. 

 

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