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But a peace, most importantly, that will last. thank you very much. >> [applause] >> thank you. martha: all right, there you have it, the much anticipated speech by president obama, the entire world, really, watching and waiting to see if he would talk about the notion of a palestinian state becoming a member at the united nations. he did not address it specifically in that way, although he talked about israel and about the palestinians, to be sure. meanwhile, while he was speaking, iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad made an appearance. watch this: >> smiles and waves. we might also mention...

>> glad to be here. martha: open question, really. what did you make of this speech, was it effective? >> i thought it was three different speeches. the first was a statement that things have gone very well in the world this past year, democracy is breaking out in the middle east, the united nations is functioning well. and i think it's a key part of the obama narrative that the rest of the world is doing sufficiently well, not perfectly, but sufficiently well, that it doesn't need a lot of our attention. so that he can concentrate on domestic issues. that's the implicit message. the second sp...

Justice that is equal and fair. that is what our people deserve. those are the elements of peace that can last. moreover the united states will continue to support those nations that transition to democracy. with greater trade and investment, so that freedom is followed by opportunity. we will pursue a deeper engagement with governments but also with civil societies. students and entrepreneurs, political parties and the press. we have banned those who abuse human rights from traveling to our country. we've sanctioned those who trample on human rights abroad. and we will always serve as a voice...

Is lived by both the palestinians and the israelis. the measure of our actions must always be whether they advance the right of israeli and palestinian children to live lives of peace and security and dignity and opportunity. and we will only succeed in that effort if we can encourage the parts to sit down -- the parties to sit down and listen to each other and to understand each other's hopes and each other's fears. that is the project to which america is committed. there are no shortcuts. and that is what the united nations should be focused on in the weeks and months to come. now, even as w...

Addressing its causes. no american did more to pursue this objective than president franklin roosevelt. he knew that a victory in war was not enough. as he said at one of the very first meetings on the founding of the united nations, we have got to make not merely peace but a peace that will last. the men and women who built this institution understood that peace is more than just the absence of war. a lasting peace for nations and for individuals depends on a sense of justice and opportunity, of dignity, and freedom. it depends on struggle and sacrifice. on compromise, and on a