Firstrate diplomat and a firstclass mensch. I think it is great that were awarding him this today. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak, to use today, particularly today as many of you know, today is Holocaust Remembrance Day in israel. On this day, the jewish state remembers the most horrific. In the history of the jewish people. It is a day when we reflect on the past and recommit ourselves to making sure that the phrase never again is not merely an empty cliche. Is also time to recognize that the condition of the jewish people is fundamentally different than it was 75 years ago on the eve of the holocaust. Differention is not because there is no longer hatred towards the jewish people. You see that hatred every day. Use it in the iranian regimes o wipe israel off the map. You see it in genocidal treatment of hamas against israel. You see it in the actions of modernday nazis in kansas city. The hatred is there. It is there despite the hopes of the founder of modern zionism, theodore hurt so. Erzel. He was a man whose vision turned him pretty much into a modernday prophet. On this point, that hatred for the jewish people would and with the birth of the jewish state, he was mistaken. In fact, history has turned what he thought on its head. 100 years ago, people thought that by establishing a jewish state, you and hatred towards the jewish people. Now there are those who believe that you dismantle the jewish state you will stop hatred towards the jewish people. In the 1920s and 1930s and throughout the first half of the 20th century, with the antisemites set in europe was that jews should go to palestine. The antisemites say is jews get out of palestine. This hatred did not change with the birth of the state of israel. The birth of the state of israel enameled the jewish people to fight this hatred. In that sense, israel fundamentally transformed the condition of the jewish people. Providing the by jewish people with two things they did not have on the eve of the holocaust. Important, is the capacity to defend ourselves. The capacity to defend ourselves. Why israel reason exists today. It is often said that the human created the state of israel. That is false. The newfound army of the jewish state defended israel against attack. All the declarations of United Nations would not have helped the jewish people one iota if israel had lost that war of independence or lost any or, for that matter. What is protected to jewish state has been the capability of the jewish people to defend themselves. That has enabled us to build the remarkable country that we have. Oday after 66 years we are a global hightech power, a pioneer in medicine and science, a leader in the world in agriculture, in water. Those of you who have been to that we are a place teeming with innovation and culture and creativity. I tell people i go to israel, i say you better buckle and and get ready for the ride, because israel is the most intense place on the planet. Israelis go to manhattan to unwind. [laughter] israel is an exciting place. We built that because we have the capability to defend ourselves. Theres a reason why we have been able to navigate israel through some very choppy seas in the last few years, very choppy seas, at a time in the middle east has seen bloodshed and violence everywhere. Israel has remained an island of stability and calm. I think that is a credit to the robustness of israels military strength and also to the prudent leadership of the Prime Minister of israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. Along with this capacity for self defense, we also have Something Else we did not have 75 years ago on the eve of the holocaust. We have a voice. ,he jewish people have a voice and you hear that voice sometimes when a Prime Minister of israel speaks at the United Nations, or when an israeli ambassador like me or my counterparts at the world of the privilege of speaking in the worlds capitals. But in speaking out for israel and for the rights of the jewish people, we are not alone. Here is why i come to you, to this organization, the adl. As you heard, i was born and raised in miami beach, florida. My mother was born in prestate israel. I cant tell you, somehow, all is adl newsletters were strewn all across the house. I would turn over to the latest bulletin and the latest newsletter. Iron member reading them a lot. I learned something about the adl. Youre talking you taught me something important very early on. You taught me that in defending the rights of the jews, youre defending the rights of everybody else. Year, decade after decade, under the remarkable leadership of abe foxman and many others, we are not letting you go. That your swansong last for a few decades, not a few months. And theur leadership leadership of many people in this room, you have raised your voice loudly to defend the rights of the jews and to defend the rights of everybody who is facing discrimination and persecution. I am here today, first and foremost, to say thank you. I couldnt think of a better day to express that thanks than on Holocaust Memorial day. Thank you for giving meaning to by words never again making clear that you will never be silent again. Briefly, before i get your questions, about two challenges that israel is facing. First, the need to prevent iran from developing Nuclear Weapons, and secondly, israels unyielding pursuit of peace. Program, whichar is by far the single most important issue facing israel. I know sometimes all these issues are thrown at you. You watch the news cycle and one day something is happening in syria and wendy is egypt and now it is a pact between hamas and the palestinian authority. In israel we have her eyes very focused on the ball. The single greatest challenge israel faces is irans pursuit of Nuclear Weapons. Let me state for a clearly what israels policy is. Our policy is simple. Only a Peaceful Nuclear program and nothing more. That is israels policy. The truth is, we all know that iran does not need a Peaceful Nuclear program. Iran is awash in oil and gas. If irans regime would stop rudely repressing its own people, stop helping assad slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians, stop perpetrating terror attacks across the globe, stop leaving mass chance of , stop calling,a as it does over and over for the annihilation of israel. Stop arming terror groups to fire thousands of rockets ethnicities. In short, if iran stops being a rogue, terrorist regime, then they can take advantage of all their wonderful Natural Resources to their hearts delight. Ll, if the policy demands if diplomacy demands that iran have a Peaceful Nuclear program, then so be it. There are 17 countries around the world that have Peaceful Nuclear energy. They dont enrich uranium on their soil. They dont stockpile enriched uranium, they dont have underground enrichment bunkers. They dont have heavywater facilities. Iran needs none of these things, none of them. Yet it insists on having them. You know why . Because iran is not interested in Peaceful Nuclear energy. Iran wants Nuclear Weapons. In the p5 plus one, the leading powers and international keepnity must not let iran its Nuclear Weapons infrastructure. Its capability to produce Nuclear Weapons. Deal it should be acceptable to the International Community is one which fully dismantles irans Nuclear Weapons capability. One more thing that has to be dismantled. A lot of people are not talking about. Iran is developing icbms. The missiles iran has can artie read 12 yard israel. Already reach israel. The only reason anyone needs an icbm is to carry a nuclear warhead. Cartoons to put tnt on an icbm. In the real world, icbms carry nuclear payloads. If iran wants what it says it wants, a Peaceful Nuclear program, and it has no need for icbms, no need for them at all. Them,n insists on keeping then the jig is up. Irans icbms are not a smoking gun, theyre the smoking missile. They tell you everything you want to know and need to know. About is very concerned the current discussions with the wrong, because all signs point to the p5 plus one accepting a withthat would leave iran a Nuclear Weapons making capability essentially intact, and not even address irans Ballistic Missile program. The deal that is now being considered would leave iran with thousands of centrifuges, thousands of kilos of enriched facilityand heavywater and an advanced missile program. Such a deal would effectively leave iran as a Threshold Nuclear Power. At best, a few months away from having the fissile material necessary to build a Nuclear Weapon. Such a deal would be a much worse situation than we have today. Because iran is not to three months away from having a material, they are under tremendous pressure because of the sanctions. After a deal, they would be only marginally further away from getting that fissile material, but the pressures on them would be drastically reduced. To interim deal was supposed have iran take a tiny step back in exchange for what was hoped would be a small reduction of the sanctions. And israel appreciates the fact that the Obama Administration is doing everything it can to try to make sure that the sanctions do not unravel. Theyre working very hard to prevent this from happening and we appreciated. An agreement with the p5 plus one itself would willingly unravel the sanctions regime against iran in return for iran parking a short distance away from having the fissile material necessary for Nuclear Weapons would be a terrible mistake. The aseave iran at a Threshold Nuclear Power and leave the world on the threshold of an abyss. It might prevent iran from having a Nuclear Weapon today, but it would virtually ensure that iran has a Nuclear Weapon tomorrow. That must not be allowed to happen. Irans Nuclear Weapons capability and longrange missile capability must be fully dismantled. That is israels position and it will not change. The Prime Minister yesterday spoke. He was as clear as he can be. I encourage you all to read exactly what he said. This Nuclear Weapons capability must be fully dismantled. Address in a couple minutes israels impasse the palestinians. Palestinians, and explain israels position regarding the recent pact the president abbas signed with him us. Hamas is unreformed terror organization. Unreformed terror organization. For israely calling to show action. It is committed to israels distraction. It is far thousands of rockets at israel cities, it has sent scores of suicide bombers to our pizza shops, restaurants, our discotheques, our buses. Ands denies the holocaust its charter calls for the murder of jews worldwide. I dont know if you know this. It calls for the murder of jews worldwide. Three years ago, hamas condemn the United States for killing osama bin laden. Two weeks ago, some of you may have read this, hamas praised of borrow mizrahi. Hes gunned down in his car while traveling with his pregnant wife to a seder. It is said that you make peace with them with enemies. As a completely facile statement. You make peace with enemies who want peace. Hamas is an enemy that does not want peace. Hamas has not changed. It is not recognized israels right to exist. It has not renounced or abandoned terrorism. If hamas does recognize israels right to exist, if it does renounced terrorism, then it would be an entirely different story and hamas would no longer be hamas. Palestinian unity is against peace. Israel will not negotiate peace with the Palestinian Government backed by hamas. It does not matter to israel if the government that is established after this agreement is a technocratic government that will serve as a front that says all the right things. Office, is in the back israel is not going to be at the negotiating table. [applause] we have said for a long time that the problem with the Palestinian Leadership is it it is that half is committed to israels distraction and the other half is not willing to confront that have. Extensivelyt is prepared to live in peace with israel. Israel or a pack with hamas. He chose hamas, so israel chose to suspend the talks. If president abbas chooses peace, we can go back to the negotiating table. Israel wants peace. We are committed to it. We want a solution of two states for two peoples heritage the Prime Ministers for committed to it. He is made sacrifices in order to achieve it and will continue to make the tough decisions necessary to advance peace, but we need a partner who is committed to peace and not who is making a pact with hamas. Israel faces enormous challenges. I know there is much concern in this room and rooms elsewhere throughout america and throughout the world. How israel navigate the very rough seas ahead . On this day, on Holocaust Memorial day, lets keep things in respect to. The parents and grandparents and great grandparents of virtually haveone in this room would done anything to trade their problems with ours. Today, the jewish people are no longer a powerless people. Today, we have a jewish state. Today we have an army that can defend that state, and israel is not alone. We have the support of so many friends around the world, especially in this great country, the United States. Friends who know that israels cause is just. The jewish people have weathered the worst that history can throw at us, and we will weather this storm as well. So on this holocaust day, as we past, asthis horrific we commit ourselves as you will in this conference to the fight against antisemitism, racism, discrimination, all forms of prosecution, we should all stand for tolerance very proud, because we are uniquely blessed generation. Lets have the United States of america, the country that has been the greatest force for good in history, we are blessed to have United States as a preeminent power of the world, and we are blessed to witness the rebirth of jewish sovereignty in modern times, and for it a renewed hope secure and peaceful jewish future. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you. [applause] thank you, mr. Ambassador. We have a few questions from the audience, as time permits. Ae first question is, what is likelihood of numerous other countries obtaining Nuclear Weapons if iran gains Nuclear Capability . How does that play into the strategy for both the United States and israel . Think it is a huge concern. It is not something that i mentioned here today, but certainly it would basically turn all the nuclear inliferation efforts attempting to stop one country from getting Nuclear Weapons, by leaving iran as a Threshold Nuclear Power, youre going to open up what the Prime Minister of israel called a pandoras box of proliferation. I will explain why. If you just allow a country that violated six resolutions on his programs to actually have, to be a Threshold Nuclear Power, to have the right to enrich uranium on its soil, how are you going to possibly go to any country around the world and tell them you cant enrich uranium on your il . Every country will demand that right. The idea was to prevent countries from domestically enriching uranium. There are two paths to building a Nuclear Weapon. Theres a plutonium and uranium path. Have a heavynot water facility, does not have a plutonium path to a bomb. Theres also a uranium path. Or you can be sure that iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon is to not allow it to the ability to enrich uranium on its soil. Cede that to iran, the right to enrich uranium, i know abouteople of iran talk life, liberty and the right to enrich uranium. If you leave the iranian people with the ability to enrich uranium, you will see many many countries throughout the world, certainly in the middle east, that will demand that right. How are you going to prevent them meet from having that . What he meant to say to them . Ft the foremost opponent youll see at least three of for the middle east and youll see if you countries beyond. That is why we are very concerned. I will say one of the about it. Nuclear proliferation is not the most important concern we have. We have a regime in iran that is openly calling for our destruction. When people put the threat of Nuclear Proliferation is a number one concern, im a little puzzled. Im a little concerned that theyre not fully determined to prevent this, because when my neighbor across the street says he is going to kill me, my big concern when that ak47s being shipped in the mail to him, is not that my other neighbors are going to get ak47s as well. It is that this guy is going to get a Nuclear Weapon. Our concern with iran is unique because iran calls for our destruction. The nature of the regime matters. Remember this as well. If all of what you have in north korea would move 50 miles to the south, no one would lose any sleep over it. All Nuclear Proliferation is bad, but it makes