applause good morning great to see everyone, thank you for being here with us this morning. Today we have the honor of hearing from a leader who understands the true importance of the relationship between the United States and israel, the importance to both great nations and to the rest of the world. Secretary of state blinken has helped shaped u. S. Foreign policy for more than 30 years. Prior to his service as secretary of state, he served as Deputy National security advisor and deputy secretary of state in the administration of president obama. And as the democratic staff leader, director, excuse me, for the Senate ForeignRelations Committee under its then chairman joe biden. Throughout his years, secretary blinken has been a staunch supporter of unwavering commitment to israels security and his presence here today is an indication of the United States steadfast dedication to this most important friendship. Over the past several weeks as we witnessed israel being attacked from three of its borders and facing terrorist attacks on its citizens, the secretarys leadership was critical and constant. Secretary blinken stood by israel defending the jewish states rights to defend itself and its citizens. Were also grateful for the secretarys rbust efforts to strengthen the Abraham Accords and we deeply appreciate his commitment and that of President Biden to prevent iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon. [applause] please join me in a warm welcome for our dear friend, the secretary of state of the United States, antony blinken. [applause] thank you. Thank you. Good morning. Please, take a seat. Wonderful to be with all of you today. Michael, my friend, thank you for that introduction, im grateful to you and to my long time friend howard for inviting me back to aipac. Now, i have to admit as i was talking with michael and howard and the other leadership of aipac a few minutes ago, my life long ambition has been fulfilled. A few of you may have been there, i got to appear on a dallas football stadium on jumbotron. Never thought that would happen, thanks to you. [applause] so, i am honored to be here with hundreds of fellow friends of israel from across our country. Its great to be with colleagues on the hill. I know its during the course of the day and maybe this morning, senator menendez, and congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and others, for the bipartisan support for the u. S. Israel relationship. Last month we marked 75 years since the founding of the state of israel. [applause] today, today we celebrate 75 years of the u. S. Israeli partnership. [applause] now, you all know this very well. That partnership touches on every aspect of our lives, from security, to business, from energy to public health. Our ties have not only delivered for one another, but for countries around the world, making deserts bloom, developing the Clean Energy Technologies of the future, producing vaccines, charting the future of Space Exploration and so much more. And the depth and breadth of that partnership between our governments is matched only by the strength of the ties between our peoples. This partnership between the United States and israel is indispensable, but it was not inevitable. As israel prepared to declare its independence, many members of president trumans cabinet including the secretary of state, counseled against recognizing israel, convinced that an independent jewish state could not survive, that it wasnt economically viable, to serve as the jewish homeland that it couldnt bear an influx of the immigrants, but faced too many security threats. Not everyone thought that way. My grandfather, maurice blinken, who founded the American Palestine Institute after the second world war, that jewish state was possible, it would be in fact be easier to support two million jews than the present 600,000. And that met with skeptics, including within the United States government. And they found the courage to speak out against the prevailing wisdom. Public service like Clark Clifford who argued that israel could be the first democratic government in the middle east. And Eddie Jacobson convinced them to meet with whitesman and president truman himself. President truman never wavered his decision to extend recognition to the new jewish state. He said, quote, i had faith in israel even before it was established. I knew it was based on the love of freedom, which is the guiding star to the jewish people since the days of moses. I believe that it had glorious future before it, not just as a nation, but the embodiment of the ideals of our nation. Today, our partnership remains rooted in shared ideals and that shared history. But its success depends on our commitment not just attending it, but renewing that bond and recommitting to the Democratic Values that are at its heart and to do that each and every day. So today what id like to do is talk to you a little about what our administration is doing to strengthen the relationship between our country. At what is a historic moment for both of our countries, and the world. And its easy to throw about words like historic and unprecedented, but as President Biden says, were genuinely living through an inflection point, that comes around every six or seven generations where the changes are so profound around the world that we have to find ways to navigate those changes together and do it effectively. Now, we have to start from this. The u. S. Israel relationship is underwritten by the United States commitment to israels security. That commitment is nonnegotiable, it is ironclad. [applause] we are providing 3. 3 billion in foreign financing each year and israel receives for Missile Defense. Tens of millions more for new counter drones and antitunnelling technologies, thats in keeping with the 2016 memorandum of understanding negotiated by the Obamabiden Administration and more than any point in our relationship additional 1 billion in funding to replenish supplies for the Israel Iron Dome and the Missile Defense system that we developed together and its saved countless lives. [applause] all of this, all of this has been secured in partnership with our congress with bipartisan support. Were expanding our joint military exercises that improve how our forces Work Together seamlessly. This year, we have more joint exercises scheduled than at any point in our history. Conducting joint research and development under advanced military capabilities, working on cutting edge defense systems, including israels new laser focus iron beam. This robust support continues to be critical in maintaining administrations qualitative edge buttresses to defend itself and advancing our interest. America is more secure when israel is strong. [applause]. As we support israels defense, were pushing back, as youve heard on a consistent constant efforts to delegitimize israel aimed at undermining israels rightful place on the international stage. Now, we fully, deeply respect the right of all for expression. Every single day were actively promoting that around the world. At the same time, we continue to reject the global boycott of the sanctions movement for unfairly singling out israel. applause we are vigorously pushing back against antiisrael efforts of the Human Rights Council and other forums around the world. And were combatting antisemitism which we know fuels and intersects with hatred toward israel. Its one of the oldest and worst scourges in our society, it needs to be called out and defeated everywhere in the world. [applause]. Last month, together with special envoy, the president released the first ever u. S. National strategy to counter antisemitism, to beat back the rising tide of hate that we see and in the faces in all of their forms, but there is no danger that israel faces that is more dangerous than the one posed by the iranian regime. That routinely threatens to wipe israel off the map and with hamas and rejects israels right to exist, it supports throughout and beyond the region including through forces with drones used to kill ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. And in turn, russia is providing sophisticated weaponry to iran. The pattern of hostile behavior underscores a clear imperative which you heard from michael, iran cannot and will not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. [applause]. We continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to verifybly, effectively and sustainable prevent iran from getting a nuclear weapon. In parallel, economic pressure reinforce diplomacy. If iran rejects diplomacy, President Biden made clear all efforts made to make sure that iran does not obtain a nuclear went. This threepronged approach, diplomacy, economic pressure, deterrents, but includes strengthening puts in bipartisan support and to address the Nuclear Threat just as we take on many other challenges imposed by the eye rin iranian regime. To advance our goals of regional integration and deescalation. Israels further in the region for a more secure and prosperous israel and President Biden made it a cornerstone of his middle east policy. We will create a new position for our engagement with nongovernmental organizations working toward a more peaceful and a more connected region. Weve achieved historic progress to deepen and broaden the Abraham Accords building on the work of the trump administration. Last year i joined Foreign Ministers from bahrain, United Arab Emirates and the home of david bengorian. That summit led to the creation building again on the Abraham Accords and building on existing relationships between israel and some of its neighbors. That forms a regional framework that facilitates not only between governments, but entrepreneurs, civil society, and young people on key issues that actually matter in the lives of people throughout the middle east. Food security. Water technology, clean energy, health education. And working groups convened in abu dhabi, and that was the largest since the 1991 madrid peace conference. All of this unthinkable just a few years ago. And were now working behind the scenes, leading with diplomacy to continue the momentum. Theres also been concrete progress elsewhere in the region. As you look over the past year, saudi arabia and oman unlocked the air space flights to and from israel. [applause]. Following intense mediation by the United States, israel and lebanon completed historic agreement last fall to establish their permanent maritime boundaries, something long in the works, that in turn, lowered the prospect for conflict and also created a greater path for Greater Energy security in the region. Were helping israel and jordan everything to collaborate on water and Energy Security on track for launch by this years cob28. And i 2 looking at challenges to our people, starting with food and Energy Security. That was initiated after a dinner conversation and we had the idea, got on the phone. We had the idea on a friday, by tuesday, on a Conference Call with our Indian Counterpart and this was launched and ultimately the leaders of the countries worked together to move it forward and were also supporting israel working beyond the region, including in the mediterranean and the 3. 1 grouping of israel, greece. The republic of cyprus and focusing on economic growth, climate change, emergency preparedness, counterterrorism. And were working to accelerate all of this progress. The United States has a real National Security interest in promoting normalization between israel and saudi arabia. [applause]. We believe that we can and indeed, we must play an integral role in advancing it. Now, we have no illusions that this can be done quickly or easily, but we remain committed to working on that outcome and including on the trip ill go to take for jetta and riyadh for saudi and gulf counterparts. More integrated, prosperous, stable reason that serves the interests of israel and our partners and serves the United States. But integration and normalization efforts are not a substitute for progress between israelis and palestinians nor at their defense. They should advance the wellbeing of the Palestinian People and the prospect for a twostate solution. The president said on the recent trip to israel on the west bank last summer, a twostate solution based on the 1967 lines mutually agreed swaps, remains the best way to achieve our goal leaving side by side in peace with equal measures of freedom, justice, opportunity, and dignity. Israel was founded, our partnership was built on Democratic Values. Which include equal access by all people to their rights and the two state solution is vital to preserving the identity to the jewish and democratic state. Now, its no secret that today, the prospects of the twostate solution can feel remote, but we are committed to working with partners and with the parties to at least maintain a horizon of hope. In the immediate term that means deescalation, refraining from unilateral measures that increase tensions, that strengthen security cooperations, counter violence and improve daily life for the Palestinian People. Thats what our diplomacy has been about in meetings, and with the help and support of israels longstanding partners, jordan and egypt. This requires both to uphold commitments that theyve made, including at these recent meetings. These talks represent critical talks to stem the violence ap hopefully rebuild trade ties and begin the diplomatic work necessary to resolve this conflict. And preserving hope means we have to continue to reject unequivocally any actions by any party that undermine the twostate solution, that includes acts of terrorism. Violence against civilians, incitement to violence. The past several years, weve seen a rising tide of horrific violence that tragically and senselessly resulted in loss of life of scores of civilians on both sides. That violence must end. The perpetrators must face equal justice under the law. The recent acts of terrorism, including nearly 1,000 rocket attacks launched towards israel over three days, some of them targeting jerusalem, demonstrate the daily threat. The failure at the border with egypt that resulted in the deaths of israelis soldiers is a tragic reminders of the dangers. Settlement expansion is an obstacle to the horizon of hope that we see. And like wide any act at the west bank, the status quo at the holy sites, demolitions of homes and evictions of families that lived in those homes for generations, damage prospects of the two states. They also undermine the basic daily dignity to which all people are entitled. And discourage sides taking back the prospects of two states and see the people what working towards the future actually looks like. And thats why since day one, we have focused on reengaging the Palestinian People and Building Trust and building understanding between two sides at the grass roots level to help build piece from the bottom up and including from the low and middle east partner for peace act and working with the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority for political and Economic Security forms that can lay the foundation for a staple, the palestinian site alongside the state of israel with recognized border, ultimately twostate solution can only be achieved through direct negotiation between the parties. Preserving a horizon of hope, looking at the friendship between the United States and israel across countless administrations in both of our countries. Well continue to work with the Israeli Government to advance our shared values. Well continue to express our support for core democratic principles, including a separation of powers, checks and balances and the equal administration of justice for all citizens of israel. We will speak honestly and respectfully with our israeli friends as partners while we should and as we always do. As israeli leaders, they debate the issues and we welcome consensus on reforms and thats the best way to make sure that their embrace and that they endure. At the end of his presidency, harry truman set out his vision for israel and he said and i quote, i hope that we shall soon see the day when israel and our neighbors will sit down at the peace table and reach a full settlement of all of their differences so our friends in the near east, arabs and israelis alike have a partnership for their mutual advantage and the advantage of all people. Today, our commitment to that future endures. Its reinforced every day by men and women who believe in it, who are willing to do the hard work to make it a reality. Who look at the future that others believe is impossible and instead, see something that they believe is inevitable. Im grateful to aipac to each and every one of you who are working to make real this Better Future and im grateful as always, for the opportunity to speak to you today. Thank you very much. [applause]. Thank you. Thank you. Cspans campaign 2024 c