To reach peace with the palestinians. I am especially proud of the fact that so many young jewish leaders are gathered here in washington, and i want to congratulate you hear from jerusalem and wish you best in this very important conference. On both sides of the ocean come in israel and in the United States, sources find themselves asking questions and under attack. Liberal forces who believe in civil liberty, in peace, in coexistence, and a quality among human beings are feeling threatened and, therefore, this is the opportunity also to say we are strung together. In two months time we will be marking 50 years to the israeli victory in the 1967, six day war victory which strengthen israel considerably but has left us 50 years with an open question what do we do with our palestinian neighbor . As well as open the records of the Israeli Cabinet in 1967, the Prime Minister is asking his cabinet members not how do we annex, but what do we do with 2 million and reps . Thats how he asked that question. And the only answer after considering all of the elements is separate and we pursue the idea of a twostate solution, whereby the palestinians will have their own state living side by side with israel in peace. And, of course, based on clear understanding of israels security concerns. In 1947, the u. N. General assembly adopted a resolution calling for donations, two states, a jewish state and an arab state. It is about time after 50 years that we pursue this option aggressively, despite all the impediments, despite all the subtle but, despite terror and all, and all this is to pursue this in order to preserve israel as the nationstate of the jewish people. Israel is faced with the two major strategic threats. One from the outside, iran, a vile enemy which destabilizes the region, supports our worst enemies, fighting the sunni moderate nations who want to go with us on a regional opportunity. And on the other end, the other threat from inside is the option which has been raised recently in the white house of the possibility of a onestate solution. The idea that the will be an arab jewish state rather than preserving the vision of zionism which is the homeland of the jewish people. This is the real risk we are facing. We should object vehemently tipping option of the onestate solution. We should object to a jewisharab state. We should preserve the option of the nationstate of the jewish people israel, sidebyside with a palestinian state, and it can be done despite all options. For this we need you. For this i call upon you. Bfor this i tell you, dont give up. All moderate forces in israel and in the United States, especially in the Jewish Community, should work proactively to pursue the option of the twostate solution. Thats preserving the wellbeing and security of the state of israel forever. Thanthank you very much. Shalom to you and good luck in your deliberations. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chair of the J Street National finance committee, diana shaw clark. Good morning. My name is diana shaw clark. On a number of J Street National board and chairman of the National Finance committee. First i want to thank leader of the opposition isaac herzog for those wonderful inspiring remarks. More than a year ago the joint covecopperheads a plan of actios successfully implemented. It marked one of the greatest diplomatic achievements in a generation. Successfully blocking iran from developing a Nuclear Weapon through diplomatic, not military means. We owe it largely to the leadership of legislators like senator chris murphy who im privileged to introduce today. Senator murphy had been active in connecticut politics for decades before his election to the United States senate in 2012. The election brought him to National Attention and to a seat on the Senate Foreign relations committee. In a few years sense, hes taken the lead in promoting diplomacy first approach to managing our contacts abroad. As the Ranking Member on the u. S. Senate Foreign Relations committee, subcommittee on the near East South Asia central asia and counterterrorism, senator murphy was one of the senates most eloquent and informed advocates for the iran agreement. During his robust and spirited floor speech touting the merits of the agreement, senator murphy invoked israels negotiations with the palestinians. He quoted yitzhak rabin, peace is never easy, but history almost always judges that it is worthwhile. A year on with irans nuke the program successfully defanged and an unprecedented inspections regime in place, ravines words proved entirely apt. Senator murphy his ardent informed and persuasive support for human rights and his preference for diplomacy over belligerents has won him growing favor and a national constituency. It is my hope and one i hope that all of j street share. Is that senator murphy his approach to Foreign Policy, one that is both highly principled and pragmatic will shape the future of American Leadership in the world. With that, again, it is my privilege to introduce to you senator chris murphy. [applause] well, thank you. Thank you very much, diana. Thank you for that kind introduction. You are really in portrait today. I was backstage with some of your panelists were up next. They will do a fantastic job, so much effort largely here is to get out of the way so you can hear from some really talented. I want to thank kelson thanks to jeremy and dylan and everyone at j street for being such friends of mine during my comingofage on American Foreign policy and our role in the world and for inviting me here. J street is an important ally for those of us in the United States senate who consider ourselves friends of israel and friends of the use israel relationship. You are a critical part of for those of us who still believe in the transformative power of diplomacy you are a vital contributor to the debate over the future of the middle east, and im really here just to applaud you for all of the work that you have done and continue to do, and really Remarkable Growth that using over a very short period of time. You know, these days a lot of us in the senate have talked about the Supreme Court politics. Ive been thinking both in the context of that debate and in preparation for today about maybe my most favorite jurist as a young Law School Student i love reading Oliver Wendell holmes, and i thought about him as u was thinking about what to say here this morning. During his senior year in college, he voluntarily enlisted in massachusetts militia in order to join the union army during the civil war. And, frankly, few soldiers saw more action than holmes did. He fought in the wilderness camping. He was at chancellorsville. He was at antietam. He nearly died and he saw hundreds of his friends and fellow soldiers faulty vicious injuries. He returns to boston scarred deeply i what he saw. And his experience of the civil war did deeply affect his view of the law. As a professor and then later as a jurist. In an era where the revolutionary era natural law theory still abounded, holmes said quote may make their own laws. These laws do not flow from some mysterious omnipresence in the sky. With his own ideas seem to the horror of the civil war, what each side would not capitulate. Because they believed in financial basis for their cause. Holmes found a new legal school of whats called legal realism, the understanding that law was based in power and in politics. And i think about homes a lot when im told that all policy that flows from the bosom of a just cause must be in and of itself just as well. I think about holmes when im told that if one thing is black or white, and Everything Else that flows from it must also be black or white. Americas support for israel is absolute. It is a black and white issue. My belief in the righteousness of a permanent jewish state in the middle east, its unbreakable. I suspect if youre in this hall today, you believe the same. But the man who will likely be the next ambassador to israel, called my work on behalf of israel antisomatic, simply because i dont agree with his particular position on the future of israel. And i wasnt alone in being on the receiving end of this scorn. He called the president s actions at the somatic as well, and i to tell you what he called all of you. Now, mr. Friedman gave a remarkable performance before the Foreign Relations committee upon which i sit. He effectively recanted almost every strong statement that he has made cascadin casting thoseo support israel, without perfectly. The position of the statement of the current Israeli Government. And though it seems more than a little bit coincidental that this epiphany about the artfulness of his words happen to record the exact moment of his confirmation, i hope he is telling the truth. I truly hope that he regrets these words. Because while our nations support for israel cannot be questioned, we do not ask some questions about what it means to say that you support israel. His legal writings, holmes begged us to consider all opinions, not to be so close minded as to shut debate, refusing to see all sides. He knew that the civil war was a just cause, but the inability to see the other sites perspective due to the war to last too long, taking countless unnecessary lies. J street demand the space to expand the scope of what it means to be proisrael, to be passionately, vigorously proisrael, to understand if youre for israel you dont have to be blind to the cause of the palestinians, understand if youre for israel you dont have to reject the genius of diplomacy. [applause] i dont support settlement construction inside the generally accepted boundaries [applause] i dont support settlement construction inside the generally accepted boundaries of a future palestinian state because i support israel. [applause] a two state future is a center for israels longterm survival as explained if you put in one of all the living former heads of and Israel Defense forces, more than 90 of them would say its simpler to protect israel from a border that assures our security interests next to a palestinian state and to protect a greater israel with millions of palestinians living under its control. [applause] putting up more and more settlements makes a future viable sustainable palestinian state less likely. I was what i do for senators to announce my support for the Iran Nuclear Agreement because i support israel. [applause] a nuclear iran would be a disaster for israel. In the first year of this agreement there is no doubt that it is working and israel is safer because of it. More than twothirds of irans centrifuges have been removed. 98 of enriched uranium has been shipped out of country. The iraq reactor has been removed and filled with cement. The most intrusive inspection regime given iaea access is happening now. Iran is complying with the deal. I thought it was a horrible dangerous idea for Prime Minister netanyahu to speak against agreement in congress because i support israel. [applause] in order to influence a domestic political debate only served to heighten the growing politicization of this issue, the issue of israel and congress that it made it look falsely like republicans stood with israel and democrats didnt his speech didnt affect the outcome of the debate. It just so to help republicans who wanted to turn support for israel into an Election Year wedge issue. And finally, i opposed President Trumps muslim ban because i support israel. [applause] last week i stood at the new haven Area Jewish Community center talking about the fear that a sweeping across communities in kinetic and across the nation because of this vicious increase in hate speech against jews, but how can we effectively push back against his hate speech . When our governor is proposing to pass hateful discriminatory policies against another religious group . We [applause] we need to urgently come together to oppose the antisemitism that has come roaring back into public view. Just this past weekend, a dozen more swastikas and racial sores were drawn on cars and buildings in buffalo, new york. We need to come together to republicans and democrats, liberals and conservatives to condemn it, to stop it now, and our Company Needs to morally consistent in discrimination and violence against all religious groups. [applause] and so im thrilled to be here with you today as a member of the Foreign Relations committee at the center of what is a very perilous a moment for the world. As the pirates avenue is continue to burn, im watching the influence of the United States shrank in real time as shrink as the Trump Administration frankly fumbles its way through its initial forays into International Relations is the only thing that consistent about this administration Foreign Policy so far is that every day it changes. Thats bad news for israel, frankly, at our other allies the world who rely on the constituency consistency of american influence. But was also bad for israel is a debate in the United States where some people try to say that theres only one set of policies that is considered to be proisrael. As always has been the case has to be room for debate within the proisrael community about what u. S. Policy best serves the long term secured interest of a a jewish state in the middle east. Thats what j street stands for, creating that room for debate and making sure that theres a place in that debate for progressives proisrael voices. Now [applause] i know that this seems like a more difficult endeavor today than it has been in the past, and it is, frankly. Your work is going to be more difficult over the next four years than it has been before. But you here because you know this. It is also going to be more important that you invest in this debate over the next four years than it ever has been before. And so im just going to leave you with some closing words from justice holmes. If you have a chance, read a brief speech he gave i think in 1884 during memorial day. After speaking about all of the factors that are outside of ones control when trying to take on a just a difficult cause, he reminded his audience that quote, the one and only success, which it is his to command, is to bring to his work a mighty, mighty heart. Having worked with j street since its beginnings, having seen your power, your influence, your command here grow, knowing the urgency of the cause to which you all subscribe, i know that when it comes to a mighty heart, j street as this in spades, and im so pleased to be an ally of yours in this fight. Thank you very much for having me here this morning. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our moderator and panel, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, ambassador marty indyk, bob malley and michele flournoy. [applause] good morning. Great to be here at the conference of president s of major nonrightwing jewish organization. [applause] the actual heart and soul of the american Jewish Community. [applause] my name is Thomas Friedman or as we say at the New York Times, no relation to david friedman, okay . [laughter] we have a great panel this morning. Bob malley, former Senior Advisor to president obama and the middle east. Michele flournoy, former undersecretary of defense, and martin indyk, former everything important on the middle east, okay, for several administrations. I want to begin by posing a question to all of you. What strikes me about this moment, moments like this review followed this region and this conflict most of my adult life, is havent been here before. Havent been to a time and place where israel was more free to be whatever it wanted to be. I cant imagine a time when the country country surrounding it were weaker. When europe was more distracted, and when we had an administration in washington that either didnt care or wouldnt care about whatever israel does. Martin, start with you and it will go down the panel. What do you think this means . What do you expect to come out of this unique situation for the Israeli Government right now . Not much. [laughter] thank you. Michele . [laughter] go ahead. First of all, i just want to say hi, everybody. Its great to see you here in such large numbers. Ive had the honor of addressing j street conferences i think almost from your inception, and its great to see how much you have grown over the last few years. [applause] i could add a few other points to your leadin to the question. I mean, in terms of the strength of israels economy, the strength of its military, the strength of its relationships with major powers, china, india, europe, even though those are often under strained but they are wellestablished, and, of course, with United States. Israel has never been stronger and more capable of taking risks for peace. And given the imperative of resolving its conflict with the palestinians for the sake of its own future, as senator coons murphy, senator murphy spoke so clearly. What better time when you have president of United States basically think whatever you decide, ill support. And certainly congress will, too. So if not now, when . [applause] unfortunately, and i say th