There is no political will among israelis nor palestinians to move forward with serious negotiations. That is incredibly disappointing. The only way, in my view, to guarantee israelis future and security, identity as a jewish and democratic state, is with a two state solution. That remains my view. It is the only way to ensure the dignity and selfdetermination that the Palestinian People deserve as well. I think it is a clear eyed political and demographic reality. I know it is hard to take a risk for peace. Because i am irish, i understand all hatreds die slowly. I mean that sincerely. I have been involved in the Northern Ireland situation as well. James joyce said, history is a nightmare from which i am trying to awake. History is a nightmare from which im constantly trying to awake. I also think, the famous quote, if you will it, it is no dream. If you will it, it is no dream. [applause] i need not tell anyone in this audience that dreams in israel have never been impossible. V. P. Biden dreams in israel have never been impossible. Were they impossible, there would be no israel because there exists within the Jewish Community and iron will. So right now, i dont have the answer but i know we have to work on renewing that will for peace. We must remind the constituencies among both the israelis and palestinians to create a fundamentally different future. The future with the grievances of the past that means that terrorist attacks must stop. The rhetoric that insights of violence against innocents, it must stop. [applause] v. P. Biden retribution and revenge must stop. There is another line from an irish poet named yeats he said, too much of suffering makes a stone of the heart. Ladies and gentlemen, terror is terror is terror and it must be condemned as such, plain and simple. It is interesting how our arab friends are now figuring out, until we all understand that, we will not succeed. Actions on either side to undermine trust only take us further away from the path of peace. Actions like at the human to undermine israel at the u. N. To undermine israel or settlement activities. To be frank, israels government has a systematic process of expanding settlement and seizing land. B. B. Thinks it can be accommodated. I dont. Trends are moving in the opposite direction. Toward a one state reality which is a reality that is dangerous. [applause] v. P. Biden folks, that is in direct conflict with the goal we share of assuring israels future as a secure jewish and democratic state. As i tell everyone, i never tell anyone their business. All i can do is say what i believe to be. Their truth as a relates to arbors as well. We stress to both parties they need to take meaningful steps to demonstrate their commitment to a two state solution that extends beyond words. Things must begin to happen now to build confidence. I know he is talking about it. I heard it being talked about on the palestinian side. There has to be a little show me. This cannot continue to erode. I know that is not a message that is particularly welcome, but nobody ever doubts i mean what i say. Sometimes i say all that i need. Sometimes i say all that i mean here it i am not pessimistic about the dynamics of the region. In the past, i have seen a remarkable consensus develop among israelis as well as its arab neighbors around three issues. That may have the ability to begin to change the dynamics on the ground. For the first time in my years working on israel, i found this agreement. I think it presents a chance to change the underlying dynamics. First, there is widespread agreement among all parties that irans destabilizing activities are a concern for the entire region, for israel and the arab states as well. By the way, that wasnt the case seven years ago. Was the case five years ago, even three years ago. We have been speaking with israel about this for decades. They have been speaking with us. Today it is also on the agenda of many of their members. Many of their neighbors. It will be a major topic of discussion when obama meets with the Gulf States Cooperation Council in saudi arabia next month. We are taking critical steps to strengthen our Security Cooperation so that they can engaged diplomatically with iran from a position of strength and everyone in the region agrees that in irans behavior continues to pose a problem and provides an opportunity though my mother would say, bad things and good things happen if you look hard enough. Finding opportunity for cooperation across the divide. The joint view of the threat posed by iran. Second, israel and their neighbors share an overwhelming concern about the threat that radicalization poses to their own security. The arab nations have begun to finally figure out that isis sees a caliphate not in israel that arab land, that isis is a threat to their existence. It was a Common Thread in my discussions not just in jerusalem but in ramallah, abu dhabi, oman. The ambition of isil has crystallized their resolve to receipt has crystallized their resolve to defeat this foe. Preventing isil, al qaeda, from metastasizing, infecting their countries, bringing them down. And, as we saw again this weekend, that concern is real. That is why so many arab states joined the counterisocoalition and many are members in more than name only. Our strength, hosting forces, contributing resources and training. It is overwhelming, the selfinterest of these nations throughout the region to share information and to Work Together to defeat isil and i could deepen cooperation. In one country, military leaders said they have no closer military ally then israel. There is no reason that the chance does not exist to broaden that cooperation. 30, change on the ground is that driving need for nations to secure enough energy. To meet the needs of their people. That creates another enormous opportunity for israel. Chances are Natural Gas Resources are making the u. S. And north america the new epicenter of energy for the entire world. Israel is emerging as a dynamic hub in the eastern veteran in your turkey, egypt, jordan, all have a desire not to be dependent on anyone energy source. Israel has both the resources and the capacity to provide for those needs. We see the potential for deals that benefit everyone, deals that could increase the channels of could, increase the channels of cooperation. I spoke about these issues with Prime Minister netanyahu and King Abdullah during my trip and i spoke about it with Prime Minister davutoglu. We are working with our friends to bring these deals to fruition. Their decision, israels decision, but we are prepared to help. There is no guarantee that any of this will happen. Tough choices are needed. Backed by the political world of change in the full potential of this cooperation of these three changes in the region is more likely to be realized if meaningful political progress is able to begin to be made between the israelis and the palestinians. For the first of in my career, i see the potential for relations between israel and many historic antagonists beginning to fall. Whether or not 10 and a change in the middle east or relations have opened up, one thing is certain. In United States will constantly and forever have israels back. [applause] v. P. Biden just like we have since israels founding in 1948. I hate to say this because it dates me that i have worked with eight president s. As we catholic say, bless me, father, i dont know, i cant be titled and i mean this sincerely. No ministration has done more to advance the security of israel then we have peered our unprecedented cooperation makes me incredibly proud. Our commitment to israels qualitative will not change. We will make sure that israel has the best equipment available when we deliver 35 jets. They will be the only nation with fifthgeneration aircraft. [applause] v. P. Biden we will continue to make sure israel has the capacity to defend itself by itself for itself in an incredibly dangerous neighborhood. Look. During a time of tight budgets and difficult politics, Israel Security has always been a priority. 23. 5 billion in Foreign Military financing in seven years we have been in office. Additional 3 billion to help them build one of the most advanced Missile Defense systems in the world. On top of that, another 1. 9 million for munitions last year. By now, a household name. Every dollar a meaningful investment is saving the lives of innocent israelis. We are successfully testing another system in december. Both systems bringing us closer to coming in line to protect israel against even wider range of rocket attacks. Israel is stronger and more secure today because of the Obama Biden Administration period, period. Not in spite of it, as some of our critics would have you believe, but because of it. Folks, now discussions are underway regarding a new memorandum of understanding that will cover in the next decade of Security Cooperation between our nations. It will be the most generous Security Assistance package in the history of the United States. [applause] v. P. Biden i am hopeful that we can work at all the details we had some discussions when i was there even though i did not go there to negotiate that issue. As i told netanyahu, israel may not get everything it asked for and that will get everything it needs. Of course, commitment to israels security is about more than Weapons Systems and military financing. It is about making sure that israel will always exist strong and capable as the ultimate guarantor of security for jewish people around the world. That is the abiding moral obligation we have. Never, never, never again. Without israel, there is no guarantee. [applause] v. P. Biden i have been criticized for saying that if there were no israel, we would have to invent one for our own selfinterest. Look folks, after all the time i hadnt been doing this we still have you to defeat and the reason why we need israel so badly the pernicious and persistent evil of antisemitism. It is on the rise into many parts of the world. Particularly in europe are made with swastikas painted on synagogues. When jewish people are targeted in terrorist attacks. Thousands of European Jews immigrate to israel out of fear when a seemingly organized effort to discredit, delegitimize, and isolate israel persists on the International Stage, it is dangerous. It is wrong. Every time we encounter it, we have an obligation to speak out against it. [applause] v. P. Biden some will remember in the 1990s when i was Ranking Member and chairman of the Foreign Relations committee. I insisted on Holding Hearings on antisemitism in europe and russia. In the press, i was criticized for doing it. People questioned if it was necessary only if we were going to legislate european values. I made no apologies. I make none now. It was necessary then and it is necessary now. [applause] v. P. Biden because quite frankly, silence to quickly becomes complicity. We must speak out where we find it. Im going to continue to speak out. Here today for the rest of my life. We have to stand up against the attempts to delegitimize israel. No nation including israel is immune to legitimate criticism but it should not be unfairly singled out. We will continue to stand against biased resolutions and attends to delegitimize israel at the united nations. [applause] v. P. Biden we will continue to ensure that israel is represented on committees like other nations and we will continue to push back against the call in the u. S. For people to boycott, disinvest, or sanction israel. [applause] v. P. Biden it is wrong. It is wrong. I know it is not popular to say but it is wrong. Because as a people know better than any other people, any actions that marginalize one ethnic group imperils us all. It is incumbent upon us, all of us to stand up against those who traffic in pernicious stereotypes, who seek to divide us for political gain. The future belongs to the Bridge Builders not the wall others. Wall builders. [applause] v. P. Biden that is why we are here. Why this exists. Exists to build bridges to extended unbroken chain of generations binding israelis and u. S. Citizens together. That is why we need all 4000 of you students. We need every single one of you. It is your obligation, your obligation to do what you are doing. Some wondered why i took my sons children to israel with me. They said they are young. They are. But they did the same thing for my beau when he was a kid. I took his brother and sister my other grandchildren. Almost all of them to israel. They do not have to be 25 to understand it they can feel it. They can taste it. They can see it. They know it. Vp biden it must be part of who they are. As my father ensured it was part of me, they need to know, as you young people need to remind your generation, they need to know what happened, why israel is so essential. Israel is a place that creeps into your soul, and habits it inhabits it. Let me close with two last thoughts. First, i want to thank many of you here tonight, like barbara and larry weinberg, norm brownstein, lonnie kaplan, michael adler. So many of you, i had the privilege of learning from all of you. As well as serving with great men. All of you, and i mean this sincerely, thank you. For mentoring me. Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for standing with me. I truly, truly, truly appreciate it. Second, i want to apologize for telling many of you the story i am sure you have heard me say before. This is mainly directed at the 4000 students who are here. I got elected to the senate when i was 29. I was raised by a father who was absolutely committed to the establishment of israel. A man who was high school educated, well read. Our dinner table was a place we sat down to have conversations and incidentally eat. I not joking. He was really proud at age 30 barely 30 sworn in as a senator and went to israel. I got to meet golda meir. I met with every Prime Minister since then. I will never forget sitting in her office i say this to you students it was after the sixday war and she kept flipping those maps she had. She had a bank of maps and there were like eight, flipping up and down, pointing to every encounter and chainsmoking while she was doing it. And she had a guy sitting next to me that i met for the first time an assistant. And after about 45 minutes, and i was increasingly depressed as she talked about what was a rate against the israelis and how they had to candidate if i didnt all of a sudden she looked at me and this is the gods truth, she said, would you like a photograph . I thought, well, yes. We opened the double doors into that section that is like a foyer in there were a bank of photographers. We walked outside and we were standing next to one another looking at the cameras. There were no statements being made. And looking straight ahead she said to me, dont look so sad, senator. We have a secret weapon in our battle against the arabs. I thought she was going to tell me something that was classified. [laughter] v. P. Biden i swear to god. I thought she was the only one i unwittingly i was supposed to be looking straight ahead turned and said, madam Prime Minister . She said, senator, we have no place else to go. [applause] v. P. Biden i tell that story and i say to you students i tell it over and over again because it was a piercing moment for me. A formative event that has shaped my life for decades. It remains as relevant today as when she said it 40 years agito. We have nowhere else to go. It still captures the fire and the steel, the optimism, determination of the israeli people. It still brings to vivid light the plight of the jewish people everywhere. It ignites the passion that supporters of the israeli feel in the marrow of their bones. Ladies and gentlemen, i have been honored for 30 years to be part of aipac events from the first time i was elected. I still support the work in mission of this organization. And to make sure that there will always be an israel, to make sure there will always be a place to go, that is why we are here. God bless you all and thank you for having me. [applause] [captions Copyright National [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2016] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] announcer ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our program. Thank you and good night. Announcer ben ginsberg. Looking at the possibility of a contested convention. Explain what this means. Ben it is when none of the candidates arrive at the commission with the majority of delegates. By definition, they have to contest to reach a majority. There will be balloting when the delegates get there and to see if and then balloting your candidate can win enough delegates to get over the majority. A lot of attention on the rules committee. Here is the question. What is the committee and how much authority does the committee have over the convention structure . Ben there will be two rules committee. One is the National Committee which will meet the week before the convention, come up with what amounts to a working draft. That draft will be approved by the full committee, historically on the wednesday before the convention. That document will go to a temporary convention was committee which is made up of delegates as opposed to the republican National Committee members. Those delegates will work through the draft. And do whatever they choose is their authority to make the rules for the convention. So that draft rule will then be sent to the full convention on monday. That committee will meet again as a permanent committee, approved the rules, then it goes to full convention for passage. The answer is, the republican National Committee rules committee is essentially doing a working draf