Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in his speech welcoming US President George W. Bush to the Knesset that "the deep friendship between Israel and the US is not taken for granted... We share the difference between a way of life worth protecting and one which suppresses freedom and democracy."

Olmert underscored the long-lasting strength of the relationship, noting that the US was the first nation to recognize the State of Israel upon its creation, "and the first to lend it a helping hand."