Speech
Israel's Independence Day Festival
Alan KeyesApril 21, 2002
Los Angeles, California
I am often asked why it is that I am such a strong supporter of Israel. And I have to confess that when folks ask me that, it takes me aback a little bit, because it is not how I think of myself. Or, at least, it's not how I think of what I do. What I have been trying to do over the course of a couple of decades- -I have a little more opportunity to do it right now on my television show- -is as best I can simply to speak the truth as I understand it.
And I think that I try to do so, as I try to do everything in my public life, in a way that will reflect the deep sense of allegiance that I feel to this country, America, and to the principles that we are supposed to stand for in the world. That has been especially important to me, as it has to many Americans, I think, since September 11th. And I think that if we understand the real meaning of what happened on September 11th, then we ought to understand that whatever was the case before, whatever were the reasons, strategically, politically, economically; whatever were the reasons, emotionally and morally and spiritually, that led the United States to stand together with the state of Israel before September 11th, after September 11th it becomes not just a question of policy and philosophy. After September 11th, it becomes an absolute principle of survival, to take a stand against those who represent a willingness- -cold-bloodedly, ruthlessly, and with malice aforethought- -to bring war against the innocent in pursuit of naked and brutal ambition.
I'm not trying to tell you that I, or anybody else, could wave a magic wand tomorrow, and banish conflict and war from the Middle East. But I think what we must all realize, as human beings who hope for the progress of this planet, is that if someday we are to banish war, then certainly today we must absolutely banish those who would make war without principle, without rules, without decency, without conscience, without respect for the intrinsic worth of every innocent human life.
And this means I must, here and now, part company with those who believe that when suicide bombers bring down the Twin Towers, and kill thousands of Americans, we are right to stand before the world and declare that there is no neutrality with terrorism, there is no negotiating with terrorism- -and then demand neutrality and negotiation with those terrorists targeting Israel. I will stand against those who see terrorism when Americans die, but who see suicide bombers who kill Israelis, and believe that that is just part of the negotiating process.
If bin Laden is a terrorist; if his mind is that of a terrorist; if he has facilitated terrorists when he directs and provisions those who kill the innocent in the World Trade Center, then Yasser Arafat and his cohorts are terrorists when they direct and provision young Palestinians to kill the innocent in Israel.
Throughout my career, I have stood for peace in the region, as solidly and firmly anybody could. Long before the Bush Administration thought to do it, I declared that there was, in fact, a need to satisfy the national aspirations of the Palestinian people. There is no doubt about this.
But mark my words: it does no good for the Palestinian people to keep themselves in the clutches of a blood-thirsty leadership that is willing to inculcate such hatred that they sacrifice their own children for the sake of destruction. It is not just for Israel that we stand together today. And it is not just for America. It is for every decent-minded human being who hopes someday that all of us will be able live together in peace. It is for every decent-minded human being who hopes someday that we will banish mindless hatred from the hearts of our children.
Step number one is to reject, absolutely, all those leaders everywhere in the world who would turn their children into suicide bombers, who would cynically exploit their own young people's trust and innocence for the sake of death, in evil advancement of the raw and ruthless political power they seek.
And I believe that as we come together here today in order to commemorate the Independence of Israel, we must stand together, each and every one of us, solidly on the grounds of our common opposition to that terrorist menace which threatens the independence, the morality, and the decent conscience not just of Israel, but of every human being anywhere on this globe.
The President was right: in the war against terror, there can be no neutrality. Every state that facilitates and encourages that menace must stand accountable before the civilized world. And as an accounting of those terror states must include Iran, and Iraq, and North Korea, so it must include Saudi Arabia, and all of those who are willing, as they hide behind the label of phony "moderation" to sponsor terrorism and death!
I have had to come a long way today, for the sake of sharing these few thoughts with you. But I'll tell you something. The reason I thought it was worth it is very simple. Some people think that what is at stake in the Middle East is the survival of Israel. I deeply believe that in present circumstances, the survival of Israel is at stake. But if we learned anything on September 11th, then we should have learned that what is finally at stake in this confrontation is the survival of us all.
Already we are seeing that confusion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, confusion and a false moral equivalency in understanding that conflict, is undermining the clarity of America's policy on terrorism. Don't think that that is not a serious problem. It indicates the connection that we must all understand. We must be CLEAR in dealing with the challenge of this region, for it is the challenge to every human heart to stand against those who would deny the right and better destiny not just of Israelis, but of all decent human beings.
There is a solution, but it is not going to come in a negotiating process that embraces a terrorist mentality, that rewards terrorist violence. It will come when all of us are willing, without exception, to make it clear that every leader, and every regime, and every movement, and every organization that steps across the line to terrorism, must be banished from the discourse of civilized human life. They have made it clear, as inhuman terrorists enacting inhuman violence against the innocent, that they are not a part of our common human destiny. In their embrace of terror, they are denizens and practitioners of a barbarous culture of death. And we must be steadfast in our determination of their pariah status among the nations of the civilized world.
When we are willing to stand firm and unequivocal in that judgment, we will not only make the world safer for a discussion of peace in the Middle East. We will make it safer for the survival of the Jewish State of Israel. We will make it safer for a true fulfillment of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for responsible self-government. We will make it safer for the continued progress of our own people here in the United States. We will make the world safer by standing united and unyielding- -standing on principle, no exceptions, no excuses- -against terrorism.
So let us today reaffirm our commitment to respect the sacredness of innocent life. Upholding that moral principle, we will, in fact, win the war against terror, and prevail in our determination to secure for all people the better destiny of freedom and self-government that is the birthright of our humanity.
And I think that I try to do so, as I try to do everything in my public life, in a way that will reflect the deep sense of allegiance that I feel to this country, America, and to the principles that we are supposed to stand for in the world. That has been especially important to me, as it has to many Americans, I think, since September 11th. And I think that if we understand the real meaning of what happened on September 11th, then we ought to understand that whatever was the case before, whatever were the reasons, strategically, politically, economically; whatever were the reasons, emotionally and morally and spiritually, that led the United States to stand together with the state of Israel before September 11th, after September 11th it becomes not just a question of policy and philosophy. After September 11th, it becomes an absolute principle of survival, to take a stand against those who represent a willingness
I'm not trying to tell you that I, or anybody else, could wave a magic wand tomorrow, and banish conflict and war from the Middle East. But I think what we must all realize, as human beings who hope for the progress of this planet, is that if someday we are to banish war, then certainly today we must absolutely banish those who would make war without principle, without rules, without decency, without conscience, without respect for the intrinsic worth of every innocent human life.
And this means I must, here and now, part company with those who believe that when suicide bombers bring down the Twin Towers, and kill thousands of Americans, we are right to stand before the world and declare that there is no neutrality with terrorism, there is no negotiating with terrorism
If bin Laden is a terrorist; if his mind is that of a terrorist; if he has facilitated terrorists when he directs and provisions those who kill the innocent in the World Trade Center, then Yasser Arafat and his cohorts are terrorists when they direct and provision young Palestinians to kill the innocent in Israel.
Throughout my career, I have stood for peace in the region, as solidly and firmly anybody could. Long before the Bush Administration thought to do it, I declared that there was, in fact, a need to satisfy the national aspirations of the Palestinian people. There is no doubt about this.
But mark my words: it does no good for the Palestinian people to keep themselves in the clutches of a blood-thirsty leadership that is willing to inculcate such hatred that they sacrifice their own children for the sake of destruction. It is not just for Israel that we stand together today. And it is not just for America. It is for every decent-minded human being who hopes someday that all of us will be able live together in peace. It is for every decent-minded human being who hopes someday that we will banish mindless hatred from the hearts of our children.
Step number one is to reject, absolutely, all those leaders everywhere in the world who would turn their children into suicide bombers, who would cynically exploit their own young people's trust and innocence for the sake of death, in evil advancement of the raw and ruthless political power they seek.
And I believe that as we come together here today in order to commemorate the Independence of Israel, we must stand together, each and every one of us, solidly on the grounds of our common opposition to that terrorist menace which threatens the independence, the morality, and the decent conscience not just of Israel, but of every human being anywhere on this globe.
The President was right: in the war against terror, there can be no neutrality. Every state that facilitates and encourages that menace must stand accountable before the civilized world. And as an accounting of those terror states must include Iran, and Iraq, and North Korea, so it must include Saudi Arabia, and all of those who are willing, as they hide behind the label of phony "moderation" to sponsor terrorism and death!
I have had to come a long way today, for the sake of sharing these few thoughts with you. But I'll tell you something. The reason I thought it was worth it is very simple. Some people think that what is at stake in the Middle East is the survival of Israel. I deeply believe that in present circumstances, the survival of Israel is at stake. But if we learned anything on September 11th, then we should have learned that what is finally at stake in this confrontation is the survival of us all.
Already we are seeing that confusion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, confusion and a false moral equivalency in understanding that conflict, is undermining the clarity of America's policy on terrorism. Don't think that that is not a serious problem. It indicates the connection that we must all understand. We must be CLEAR in dealing with the challenge of this region, for it is the challenge to every human heart to stand against those who would deny the right and better destiny not just of Israelis, but of all decent human beings.
There is a solution, but it is not going to come in a negotiating process that embraces a terrorist mentality, that rewards terrorist violence. It will come when all of us are willing, without exception, to make it clear that every leader, and every regime, and every movement, and every organization that steps across the line to terrorism, must be banished from the discourse of civilized human life. They have made it clear, as inhuman terrorists enacting inhuman violence against the innocent, that they are not a part of our common human destiny. In their embrace of terror, they are denizens and practitioners of a barbarous culture of death. And we must be steadfast in our determination of their pariah status among the nations of the civilized world.
When we are willing to stand firm and unequivocal in that judgment, we will not only make the world safer for a discussion of peace in the Middle East. We will make it safer for the survival of the Jewish State of Israel. We will make it safer for a true fulfillment of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for responsible self-government. We will make it safer for the continued progress of our own people here in the United States. We will make the world safer by standing united and unyielding
So let us today reaffirm our commitment to respect the sacredness of innocent life. Upholding that moral principle, we will, in fact, win the war against terror, and prevail in our determination to secure for all people the better destiny of freedom and self-government that is the birthright of our humanity.