Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Pompeo at AIPAC: Israel is central to the Middle East’s future

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke on Monday at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, DC.
 
In his remarks, Pompeo noted that “it never gets old to be here with so many great friends of the relationship between America and Israel” and then added, “You should know that there is no president and no administration that loves Israel more than President Trump and our team.”
 
The Secretary of State pointed out the Trump administration’s achievements over the past year.
 
“We declared the common-sense truth that the Israeli West Bank settlements aren’t per se inconsistent with international law. We released a groundbreaking Vision for Peace. And President Trump took out one of the world’s worst anti-Semites, the terrorist Qassem Soleimani,” he said.
 
“The previous administration had a phrase they used to say. They used to say that Osama bin Ladin is dead and General Motors is alive. So that was good. I think we can do one better: Qasem Soleimani is dead; and Israel and the United States are alive,” continued Pompeo.
 
He noted that “nations of the Middle East and the world are recognizing just how enduring Israel is. They’re coming to recognize that the more the Middle East embraces Israel, the brighter their future will be. And that’s what I want to focus on this evening.”
“Under President Trump, Israel is not a pariah, but a partner, and rightly so,” he stressed. “Our special nations – our special nations share so much: a pioneering spirit; basic rights and freedoms, including religious freedom and pluralism; rough-and-tumble politics. Indeed, Israel loves democracy so much, today they are holding their third election. They cannot get enough of them.”
 
Israel, said Pompeo, is “an example of pluralism and free speech. Israel brings a robust, free-market, innovative economy where entrepreneurship is rewarded. And it is a place, it is a unique place in that region, a place where all can worship freely without fear or favor.” READ MORE