Former US Vice President and current Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden on Sunday addressed via video the AIPAC 2020 Policy Conference in Washington, DC.
Biden began his remarks by apologizing that he could not attend the conference in person due to the Democratic primaries, and added, “But you know that your voice matters to me.”
“I’ve been speaking at your conference for a long time, hearing the passionate views of American Jews and friends of Israel – right, left and center. I’ve been going to Israel for a long time as well, starting with my very first foreign trip as a US Senator, when I went to Israel and met with Golda Meir and sat on the same side of the desk as an assistant of hers named Yitzhak Rabin,” recalled Biden.
“I’ve worked with every Israeli leader since that date, and over that time, whether it’s here in the United States, or in Israel, there are a few things that have not changed and will not change. I will always call out anti-Semitism – whether it comes from the left, the right, or the center. I will always stand with and for a secure, democratic, Jewish state of Israel, and I will always tell you what I believe, whether I agree or disagree. And I will never boycott you,” he stressed.
Biden commented on the rising anti-Semitism in the US and said that “it’s more important than ever to reaffirm the basic values that are essential to our nation and the democratic ideals that – at our best – unite Israel and the American people.”
The former Vice President asserted that “the two-state solution is the best way to ensure a secure and peaceful Israeli future for the Jewish and democratic state of Israel. That’s the goal we all share.”
He condemned the rocket fire from Gaza and noted that Israelis are faced with the threat of missiles from Iran and Hezbollah.
“That’s why I’ve always been adamant that Israel must be able to defend itself. It’s not just critical for Israeli security, I believe it’s critical for America’s security,” said Biden, who noted the Obama administration’s “unprecedented support for Israel’s security, including the life-saving Iron Dome system.”
At the same time, he argued that maintaining Israel’s security is impossible without achieving peace and spoke of the “legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
“You don’t have to be anti-Palestinian to be pro-Israeli,” he said. “Israeli and Palestinian children are equally deserving of safety, security and opportunity to pursue their dreams. We’re not going to achieve that future if we don’t condemn steps from both sides that take us further from peace.”
He called on Palestinian Arabs to eradicate the incitement against Israelis, stop the rocket fire from Gaza and “accept once and for all the reality and the right of a secure, democratic and Jewish state of Israel in the Middle East.”
Biden also said that Israel should “stop the threats of annexation and settlement activity, like the recent announcements to build thousands of settlements in E1”, and claimed that moves like this “are taking Israel further from its democratic values.”
“We can’t let Israel become another issue that divides Republicans and Democrats,” he stated. “I’ve seen the Israeli people create miracles with little more than hope and raw determination, because Israel – like America – is an optimistic, hopeful nation. There’s nothing we’re unable to accomplish if we put our minds to it. And nothing we cannot achieve when Israel and the United States stand together.”