bobbyw24
10-20-2009, 06:56 AM
Address by Mitt Romney at AIPAC National Summit
By Mitt Romney
Thank you, Ron. I appreciate your kind introduction. Ron was a great supporter of mine during my presidential campaign. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge my old friend Ed Levy, who was also most generous to support my campaign. And Ed's attorney in Detroit is a partner with my brother Scott-the law firm is Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohen. Scott is the token Mormon.
It is a pleasure to participate in this national summit. The work you do has always been important- working to make Israel more secure, ensuring that American support remains strong, and confirming that Israel and America stand shoulder-to-shoulder in an increasingly dangerous world. I believe that your work is about to become far more important. It is for that reason that I flew here today to speak with you.
I have been to Israel twice - mostly recently in 2007. I came away encouraged by what I saw.
On that last trip, I traveled (with some of the people in this room) by helicopter to Al-Fay Menasha. It was to tour a strategic span in the security fence, standing between the center of Israel and the West Bank. It is at that point that one can see just how narrow the waist of Israel actually is.
I was struck during that tour by the IDF officer that was briefing us. He bent over backwards to explain how low and how unobtrusive the fence was-how much effort had been expended to keep it from being too imposing. At one point, I respectfully interrupted him to explain that he didn't need to apologize...at least not to this American. Because if America lived in a neighborhood like Israel's,
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/10/20/address_by_mitt_romney_at_aipac_national_summit_98 789.html
By Mitt Romney
Thank you, Ron. I appreciate your kind introduction. Ron was a great supporter of mine during my presidential campaign. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge my old friend Ed Levy, who was also most generous to support my campaign. And Ed's attorney in Detroit is a partner with my brother Scott-the law firm is Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohen. Scott is the token Mormon.
It is a pleasure to participate in this national summit. The work you do has always been important- working to make Israel more secure, ensuring that American support remains strong, and confirming that Israel and America stand shoulder-to-shoulder in an increasingly dangerous world. I believe that your work is about to become far more important. It is for that reason that I flew here today to speak with you.
I have been to Israel twice - mostly recently in 2007. I came away encouraged by what I saw.
On that last trip, I traveled (with some of the people in this room) by helicopter to Al-Fay Menasha. It was to tour a strategic span in the security fence, standing between the center of Israel and the West Bank. It is at that point that one can see just how narrow the waist of Israel actually is.
I was struck during that tour by the IDF officer that was briefing us. He bent over backwards to explain how low and how unobtrusive the fence was-how much effort had been expended to keep it from being too imposing. At one point, I respectfully interrupted him to explain that he didn't need to apologize...at least not to this American. Because if America lived in a neighborhood like Israel's,
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/10/20/address_by_mitt_romney_at_aipac_national_summit_98 789.html