On Israel's Birthday, Still The Only Freedom And Democracy In The Middle East

JStone · May 1, 2012

John F. Kennedy

When the first Zionist conference met in 1897, Palestine was a neglected wasteland

I first saw Palestine in 1939. There the neglect and ruin left by centuries of Ottoman [Muslim] misrule were slowly being transformed by miracles of [Jewish] labor and sacrifice. But Palestine was still a land of promise in 1939, rather than a land of fulfillment. I returned in 1951 to see the grandeur of Israel

I left with the conviction that the United Nations may have conferred on Israel the credentials of nationhood; but its own idealism and courage, its own sacrifice and generosity, had earned the credentials of immortality.

Israel was not created in order to disappear - Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom; and no area of the world has ever had an overabundance of democracy and freedom.

It is worth remembering, too, that Israel is a cause that stands beyond the ordinary changes and chances of American public life. In our pluralistic society, it has not been a Jewish cause - any more than Irish independence was solely the concern of Americans of Irish descent. The ideals of Zionism have, in the last half century, been repeatedly endorsed by Presidents and Members of Congress from both parties. Friendship for Israel is not a partisan matter. It is a national commitment.

The original Zionist philosophy has always maintained that the people of Israel would use their national genius not for selfish purposes but for the enrichment and glory of the entire Middle East. The earliest leaders of the Zionist movement spoke of a Jewish state which would have no military power and which would be content with victories of the spirit

The technical skills and genius of Israel have already brought their blessings to Burma and to Ethiopia. Still other nations in Asia and in Africa are eager to benefit from the special skills available in that bustling land
John F. Kennedy: Speech by Senator John F. Kennedy, Zionists of America Convention, Statler Hilton Hotel, New York, NY
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Martin Luther King, Jr

I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy.

Israel's right to exist as a state in security is uncontestable. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality.

I solemnly pledge to do my utmost to uphold the fair name of the Jews -- because bigotry in any form is an affront to us all.
"I have a dream" for peace in the Middle East / King's special bond with Israel
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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvr2Cxuh2Wk]Martin Luther King Jr: "Israel... is one of the great outpost of democracy in the world" - YouTube[/ame]

US President Barack Obama

The bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable. It encompasses our national security interests, our strategic interests, but most importantly, the bond of two democracies who share a common set of values."
Remarks by President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
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United States Senator Daniel Inouye, President Pro Tempore of the US Senate, Awarded Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star

If one looks at most of this world, especially the Middle East, one country stands out as a foundation of stability and as a pillar of democracy. And at a time like this, when you have revolution in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan, thank God we have Israel.
Top senator: An attack on Israel is an a... JPost - International
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