Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden at the Commencement Ceremony of the United States Military Academy

United States Military Academy
West Point, New York  

10:22 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  It’s a great honor to be here. 

Distinguished guests; soldiers and officers, friends and family of those graduating today, academy faculty and staff and, most of all, cadets on the cusp of being commissioned in the United States Army, it is an honor -- it is an honor -- to be here on this magnificent campus whose graduates for more than two centuries have played a leading role in nearly every chapter of our nation’s history.

Before there was a military academy here on the Hudson, before even the United States was the United States of America, at the height of the Revolutionary War, General George Washington considered West Point so strategically vital he called it the “key to the continent.”

Ladies and gentlemen, I would respectfully stipulate that West Point is even more important to our nation today.  The 1,032 cadets gathered here are the key -- the key -- to whatever challenges the world has in store.

The Class of 2012, four years ago you were among the most promising high school graduates on the planet; your future limited only by the reach of your imaginations, but at an age when no one would have blamed you for having no idea what you wanted to do with your lives, and in an era when the sacrifice required of our military had never been greater, you chose –- you chose -- to turn your considerable talents, your strength of purpose, but even more importantly, the strength of your intellects to serving your country and enrolling at the Academy, that, for all its merits, is no one’s idea of an easy ride.

That choice is your class motto: “For more than ourselves.”  For more than ourselves.  Just imagine what this world would be if it adopted that same notion.  You have.

And because of you, because you do dedicate yourself, while thousands of colleges and universities across America are proudly celebrating graduations today and throughout the year and any time this year, only at West Point, and the other outstanding service academies, does the entire United States of America swell with pride at the accomplishment you’re celebrating today.  (Applause.)   All of America.

No one is prouder, of course, than your families, and deservedly so.  Military service is by its very nature, as anyone who has ever worn the uniform knows, by its very nature a family endeavor.

Among you are 426 cadets with a military parent, including 80 of you with a mother or father who has graduated from this very academy.

Then there is Cadet Adam Scott, of Lorton, Virginia, who graduates today.  (Applause.)  He was preceded at West Point by two grandfathers; his father, Bruce; his sisters Katherine and Kerney and his brother Andrew.  (Applause.)   Adam, I guess Annapolis was never much of a choice for you.  (Laughter.)  

Same goes for Cadets Brian and Larry LoRusso.  (Applause.)  Two lacrosse stars from Rocky Point, New York.  Celebrating with us today is his brother Kevin, who graduated from West Point in ’09, another brother Nick, who graduated five years ago and is watching as I speak all the way from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan.  (Applause.)

Cadets, let’s give a shout-out for Nick and all the other warriors in Afghanistan!  They’re incredible.  (Applause.)

You’re about to join the finest warriors in history, and they’re out there now.  May God go with them.

Today, as each of you awaits the officer’s oath that will take you across one great threshold in American life, on behalf of President Obama, your Commander-in-Chief, your entire government, and I believe the entire nation, it is my honor to simply say congratulations.  Congratulations.  (Applause.) 

Savor the moment.  You’ve earned this.  Savor this day.  You’ll remember it the rest of your lives.

Every cadet passing through these halls; every hapless plebe rubbing General Sedgwick’s spurs for good luck; every firstie forged through this crucible called West Point; everyone who ever touched the George C. Marshall plaque in the stadium and thought, when the time comes, I’ll be ready for that mission, whatever it might be; every single generation that has preceded you at West Point has faced daunting challenges upon receiving its commissions, especially in times of war.  But your generation, the 9/11 Generation, is more than worthy of the proud legacy that you will inherit today.

Most of you were in elementary school on September 11, 2001, when your nation was attacked; old enough to remember, perhaps, but young enough that that tragic day need not have shaped your lives.  But for so many of you, it did just that.

As you and your immediate predecessors came of age, 2,800,000 of you were moved to join our military, knowing full well that you were likely to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.  As General Odierno and I have talked often on my multiple trips to Afghanistan[sic] with him, hundreds of thousands of you have laced up those combat boots and walked across those barren deserts and snow-capped mountains where 24 members of this graduating class have already served.  (Applause.)

Cadet Ben Ordiway served in Iraq during some of the darkest days of that war.  (Applause.)  When his first sergeant recommended that he apply for West Point, he spent two weeks studying for the SAT at FOB Caldwell; hopped on a roundtrip flight to Baghdad to take the exam.  I’d call that an unusual testing environment.  (Laughter.)  Very few applicants have to solve math problems and write essays while taking incoming mortar fire.  (Laughter.)

Indeed, the challenges these wars present to young warriors are perhaps the most daunting in our nation’s history because in addition to fighting for your country, your predecessors and you will be asked to do so much more.

You are asked to take on tasks once reserved only for those with years of seniority and take on responsibilities far beyond the base or the battlefield.

Young men and women steeped in military doctrine have had to master the intricacies of tribal politics, deal with issues ranging from electricity to unemployment, currency exchange to taxation.  You are a remarkable, remarkable, remarkable group.

It has been one of the singular honors of my life to be assigned by President Obama to oversee our policy in Iraq, to see firsthand the accomplishments of our warriors during my multiple trips in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq as both a U.S. senator, and as Vice President.

President Obama and I came to office determined to end the war in Iraq responsibly, and today our troops are home.  (Applause.)

Last December, after nine long years, I had the great privilege –- the great privilege of standing before our commanders and troops in Baghdad on the eve of their departure. And as I told them that day:  “In the finest American tradition, having carried out your mission, you’re leaving.  Taking nothing with you but your experiences, your achievements, and the pride associated with a hard job well done.”

That’s what America does.  (Applause.)

In Afghanistan, President Obama laid out a clear strategy.  Our commanders refocused and redoubled their efforts on disrupting, dismantling and ultimately destroying -- defeating al Qaeda, reversing the Taliban’s momentum and training the Afghan Security Forces to prevent extremists from gaining ground.  Since then, we’ve taken out -- you have taken out more than half of al Qaeda’s senior leadership.

And in a mission that will go down in the annals of intelligence and special operations, some of America’s most gifted security professionals tracked down Osama bin Laden -- after the trail had gone cold.  And in one of the most incredibly daring raids, they delivered justice to the architect of a harmful ideology -- a hateful ideology with no place in the modern world and the man responsible for the deaths of almost 3,000 innocents on our soil.  They got him.  (Applause. 

And in the process, those warriors sent a message to the world that if you harm America, we will follow you to the end of the Earth.  (Applause.)

And now, as you saw at NATO -- the NATO Conference in Chicago earlier this week, the President has formed a consensus among the 50 nations at our side on how best to responsibly end this war and bring our young men and women home.

The entire surge announced by President Obama in his speech right here on this campus in Eisenhower Hall will return this summer.  And our drawdown will continue thereafter, even as we continue to build up Afghanistani forces so they can assume full responsibility for their country.

The cost of these wars, the longest in our nation’s history, have been extraordinary -- 4,422 service members, 4,422 Fallen Angels, have paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan [sic]; 1,868 in Afghanistan; and more than 30,000 have been injured, some of whom will require medical care for the rest of their lives.

And here at this citadel of American virtue, 87 Fallen Angels in the West Point family, including Second Lieutenant David Rylander, whom some of you knew, and who was killed earlier this month in an IED attack in Afghanistan.

Our hearts go out to his family.  The President and I,  indeed all Americans, stand in awe of -- in awe of his and all that went before him’s commitment and to their sacrifice.

Our country owes these heroes and their families a debt of gratitude we will never be able to fully repay, but one that we will never forget because institutions like this continue to stand -- one that we honor today.  And here at this academy and every other academy and every place where military personnel gather, we’ll never forget.  We remember every day.

Winding down these long wars is enabling us to replace and rebalance our foreign policy, to take on the full range of challenges that will shape the 21st century, challenges different than those of the 20th century.

When President Obama and I came to office, we were convinced that our nation had reached a strategic turning point, requiring us to rebalance our foreign policy.  While we will maintain a substantial, vigilant presence in the Middle East -- and partners with the Afghanis -- that will outlast our combat mission, we are now able to begin to focus our attention and resources on other regions and other challenges that will be incredibly critical to our nation’s future in the 21st century.

We are revitalizing America’s alliances, and particularly NATO, the greatest military alliance the world has ever known because -- because, as the President has rightly said, Europe is the cornerstone of our engagement with the world.

We learned during the Libya campaign, which saved thousands of innocents and helped topple a murderous dictator, that there is almost nothing -- nothing we cannot accomplish when NATO and our partners act decisively, and when we actually share the burden of the responsibility.

And at this week’s Summit in NATO -- excuse me, in Chicago, NATO strengthened its defense capabilities for the years ahead, including adding equipment it had not had, only we had, by acquiring a fleet of unmanned aircraft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Rebalancing our foreign policy also means refocusing on the most dynamic region of the world’s economy, the global economy, Asia.  The United States has long been and will remain a Pacific power and a critical provider of peace, prosperity and security of this vital region.

The most critical relationship to get right is that between the United States and China.  Every day, the affairs of our nations and the livelihoods of our citizens grow more connected.

How we manage this relationship between the world’s two largest economy, although we’re still almost three times as large as theirs, how we do this will help shape the 21st century.

This obviously doesn’t mean we’ll always see eye-to-eye, including on issues like human rights.  Nor does it mean we will not compete with each other economically.  As I said when I was in China, we Americans welcome this competition, which drives us to do better, and to be better because there’s no doubt that America can compete, and America will win whenever, and wherever, the playing field is level.  (Applause.)

Ultimately, that is what America is focused on in the Asia Pacific, empowering cooperative relationships, clear rules of the road so that that region can continue its peaceful development, and that our people can prosper.

We’ve also forged stronger relationships with emerging powers like India, Russia, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa; and all of these efforts are helping advance American interests at home and around the world. 

Add to that, that we dealt with potentially the gravest threat to mankind.  We’ve reduced our reliance on nuclear weapons and the size of our arsenal, and in the New START Treaty we got the Russians to reduce theirs as well.

We brought the world together to secure nuclear materials and prevent those materials from getting into the hands of terrorists, and we isolated countries like Iran and North Korea whose nuclear programs threaten not only us, but world peace and stability. 

At the same time we demonstrated that we don’t have to choose between protecting our country and living the values we preach.  We shut down secret prisons overseas and we banned torture.  It was the right thing to do.  It enhanced our power of our persuasion around the world, and the security of our soldiers around the world.

President Obama also knew we needed to ensure our military was postured to meet these new objectives and new challenges.  And just as General George C. Marshall wanted a West Point graduate for that pivotal mission, when World War II hung in the balance, President Obama determined that we needed a new defense strategy to meet the needs of this country, and he turned, as Marshall called for -- turned to graduates of this great institution and other service academies.

He turned to men like Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, West Point Class of ’76; and General Ray Odierno, Chief of Staff of the Army, Class of ’74.  The defense strategy they crafted provided a more agile, flexible force prepared for future challenges, better able to confront aggressors and project power, with strong partnerships to share the burden and smart investments in cutting-edge capabilities. 

And we proposed a budget to fund that strategy, a budget that not only funds the strategy but first and foremost keeps faith with our wounded warriors, our veterans and their families because in America we all know our government has only one truly sacred obligation:  Prepare those we send to war and care for their families and them when they come home.  (Applause.)

No one knows better than this audience that America’s unique role in the world requires that we maintain the world’s finest fighting force.  That’s a non-negotiable issue. And that’s exactly what this strategy does.

West Point has prepared you to lead us to face these new challenges, some of which we have yet to even contemplate, let alone encounter.  Because as I said at the start, you are not only strong and committed, you are also some of our nation’s sharpest minds, with the training to take today’s missions -- counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, training foreign armies -- and the minds to adapt to tomorrow’s horizons, from cyberspace to outer space.

There is such a proud history here.  Such a proud tradition.  And I have no doubt that many of you in this class are not only going to make extraordinary contributions to the military but also to civilian life because West Point is in the business of producing -- not only great officers –- it produces great leaders and great Americans.

As President Theodore Roosevelt said, upon West Point’s Centennial, 110 years ago next month, he said:  “Your duty here at West Point has been to fit men to do well in war.  But it is a noteworthy fact that you also have fitted them to do singularly well in peace.  The highest positions in the land have been held, not exceptionally, but again and again by West Pointers.”  West Pointers who have risen to the first rank in all occupations of civilian life.

Were he here today he’d only alter that quote slightly – young men and women are prepared to do that.  (Applause.)

The Class of 2012, this is your destiny, to lead your country; for you are the leaders of your generation, that 9/11 Generation, which I predict will go down in history as the finest generation this nation has produced.  (Applause.)

I’ve had many honors as Vice President of the United States, but none greater than being able to salute you today.  May God Bless you and protect you and may God protect and bless all those who wear the uniform of the United States of America.

Congratulations.  (Applause.)

Remarks of Dr. Jill Biden at Southwestern Community College Commencement

Southwestern Community College Commencement
Creston, Iowa
May 11, 2012

As Prepared for Delivery

Good evening, everyone! 

It’s wonderful to be here in Iowa to celebrate such an important day with all of you. 

Thank you, Dr. Crittenden, for that very kind introduction. 

Erica, thank you for your wonderful remarks – we’re so glad you’re recovering from the injuries caused by the tornado. 

I know you’ve all had a tough month since the storm. 

I also know that the community support in the aftermath has been incredible … hundreds of volunteers showing up to help in the clean-up so that everyone could get back to class.  What an inspiring community!

Some of you know my story.  I’ve been a teacher for more than 30 years, and I continue to teach full-time at a community college in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC. 

In fact, just last week I finished my semester.  And while I’m happy to be done, I know I will miss my students.  I imagine many of your professors feel the same way. 

And I can imagine how you students feel.  Proud.  Relieved.  And, yes – excited about the next challenge. 

When I’m not in the classroom teaching, I’m often on the road visiting community colleges.  Earlier this year, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and I toured five states to see some of the incredible industry partnerships that are helping students, employers, and communities all over the country.

What I’ve seen at every community college I have visited over the last four years is the story of hope.

Hope for workers, who have gone as far as they can go in their jobs … and are getting the skills they need to go on to the next level.

Hope for moms, juggling kids and a job, learning new skills for a new career.

Hope for recent high school graduates, taking that critical step toward a four-year degree.

Hope for people in their forties, fifties and even sixties – who have been out of work so long that they’ve nearly given up – getting the second chance they deserve. 

Some of these descriptions may sound familiar to you.

College is a place that changes lives, for the better.  I’ve seen it firsthand. 

From my perspective as a teacher, it’s easy for me to see how my students change.  But one thing I’ve realized is that the students don’t always see it in themselves. 

Every day, you’re working hard.  Every day, you’re learning something new.  Every day, you’re investing in yourselves.

So as you’re finishing all those papers and finals and projects, you might not realize the dramatic progress that you’ve achieved.

What you’ve done these past few years – putting in all those hours – has given you the tools to build a career and pursue the life you’ve dreamed of.

As you embark on that journey, there are three lessons I’ve learned that I’d like to share with you.  Three lessons that really stand out to me.  Three lessons that can apply wherever you are in life – inside or outside a classroom.

They are pretty simple.

The first is: lift up others.

That’s something Eric Mahoney’s been doing for years.

Eric’s no stranger to service.  A 12-year U.S Army veteran, Eric served in Bosnia and in Iraq for three tours of duty before his honorable discharge in 2008.

When he got home, Eric knew he wanted to keep helping others so he went to work in a hospital.  Then in 2010 he lost his job – but he never lost his spirit. 

Later that year, he enrolled at Southwestern where he’s kept on helping others.  Through the TRiO Student Support Services program, Eric has tutored his fellow students in math courses – from algebra to trigonometry.

Eric, a dad of three “wonderful” kids, is graduating today with his associate of arts degree.  He will begin classes at Iowa State this summer toward his bachelor’s in electrical engineering. 

Eric’s not the only graduate in the family.  His wife, Stephanie, is also graduating.  She wants to go on to get her bachelor’s and eventually become a social worker.

Eric and Stephanie, thank you for your service to our country, and congratulations.

The second lesson is: go to your strength.

This is about following your heart, and trusting yourself to do whatever it is that you know you do best.

Keenan Joiner originally came to Southwestern to pursue basketball.  But during his time here, he has succeeded not only on the basketball court, but also in the classroom. 

As captain of the basketball team, Keenan says he believed he should be responsible for setting the tone for his teammates in athletics – and academics.

Not only has he set the tone, he has done a lot to make the team successful.  Keenan led the team in assists – pretty rare for a forward.  But Keenan’s strength is making everyone around him better – so that’s what he does.

And that’s what he’ll do after graduation, too.  Keenan is headed to Grand View University in Des Moines where he will study sports physiology – and keep making his teammates better on the basketball court.

The final lesson is: never stop learning.

I always say my students are my heroes.  It’s true – every day I am in the classroom, I’m learning from them.  And I am inspired … by their hard work, by their dedication, and by their sacrifice.

For nearly 19 years, Donna Larkin commuted to her job in Red Oak.  During that time, she became a single parent to her daughter, Jessica.  And her life became more challenging when she was laid off after the CDS Red Oak plant closed.

After evaluating her options, Donna decided to go back to school for something she’s loved since she was a kid – automotive.  She says she used to drive her dad – a retired auto mechanic – crazy with all her questions about how everything worked.

Donna received a diploma in “collision repair and refinish” last June.  This year, she will earn her associate of applied science degree in “collision repair and refinish.” 

And because Southwestern offers an option to gain more skills with another year of training, she will return this fall to obtain the associate of applied science in automotive repair technology.  Now her dad’s going to have to start asking her the questions.

When Donna graduates, she plans to work for an auto shop in the Villisca area.  Donna has never stopped learning – and is well on her way toward her ultimate goal of owning and running her own shop.

Donna, congratulations. I’m so proud of you – and I know your daughter Jessica, and your grandchildren – Syril and Liz – have a great role model to look up to.

…Lift up others

…Always go to your strength

…And never stop learning

Three lessons to live by…

Three lessons exemplified by all the graduates in this room.  All of you.

Because no matter how hard it got…and I know there’ve been hard times…you never lost your faith in yourself and what you can do. 

Maybe you took a chance.  Maybe you learned something new.  Maybe you discovered a strength you never knew you had. 

But one thing is for certain – whatever it was that got you here today – it’s lifting up all of us.  Making us better.  As individuals.  As communities.  As a country.

I will close with a quote by Michelangelo.

Most people think of the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel when they hear the name Michelangelo.  But interestingly enough, Michelangelo resisted painting – he considered himself a sculptor.

It was as a sculptor that he shared these words: “I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

There is an angel in each of you.  You might not see it today, but it’s there.

The degree you’ve earned is your chisel, giving you the tools you need to help build the life you want to live.

You all have something that makes you come alive.  That’s your angel in the marble.  Find it – and carve and carve – until you set it free.

So today, reflect on how far you’ve come.  And give thanks for the strength and resilience of this amazing community.  And, then tonight, celebrate your hard-earned achievement with your friends and family. 
 
You have a whole world in front of you, and the determination to take you anywhere you want to go.

On behalf of President Obama, the First Lady and the Vice President, my husband Joe – we are proud of you.  We look forward to all that is to come – congratulations!

Remarks by the Vice President to the Rabbinical Assembly Leadership

Westin Perimeter North
Atlanta, Georgia

 11:12 A.M. EDT

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Rabbi, thank you for that warm introduction.

As has been observed, I’ve been doing this job in high public office for a long time.  (Laughter.)  As a matter of fact, I’ve held high public office longer than I was alive before I held high public office.  (Laughter.)  And when I kidded with you and bless my -- the reason they were laughing, Rabbi, when you said 36 years, I did what my mother would -- she’d say, oh, God bless me for that.  (Laughter.)  Well, at any rate -- (laughter) -- I’m honored to be back with you.

And look, folks, all those years you get a chance to speak to a lot of audiences.  And as diverse as the rabbi makes you out to be, and you are, it’s really a wonderful thing in my profession when you get to speak to a group of people who you admire, who you in fact agree with on every basic strategic issue.

I’m going to talk to you a little bit about Israel today.   But I want you to know I know that your good work and your concerns extends far beyond Israel.  I want you to know I’m aware of your leadership, which I’ll reference in a moment, about matters of domestic concern, of civil rights and civil liberties, about recognizing the dignity of every American.  And I really mean this sincerely when I say I’m proud.  I’m proud to be standing before you.

I think that, Rabbi, your introduction was a little too generous, but I’m delighted to accept it.  (Laughter.)  I also want to acknowledge Rabbi Julie Schonfeld.  And when the Rabbi said you may not remember I was there, I immediately remembered Julie was there.  It took me a minute to remember the Rabbi was there.  (Laughter.)  I have to admit it.  As we say in my religion, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.  (Laughter.)

Julie, you’ve served the Rabbinical Assembly with distinction as executive vice president since 2008.  And you’ve blazed an important trail as the first woman to serve as a top executive of an American rabbinical association.  (Applause.)

Folks, it’s a great honor to be invited to speak today to such a distinguished group of women and men who, to paraphrase the late Rabbi Joseph Agus, men and women who are guided by the twin lights of conscience and intelligence.  That is an important and critical component, an ingredient we so desperately need right now in both our domestic and our foreign policy.

Before I begin, I’d like to start by asking you to join me in a moment of silence to honor the passing of Benzion Netanyahu -- a historian, an activist, a steadfast defender of the state of Israel and of course the father of Bibi, a friend of mine for the last 40 years.  I have a picture I signed for Bibi years ago when I was a senator.  I said, Bibi, I don’t agree with a damn thing you say, but I love you.  (Laughter.)  And he and I have truly been close friends for a long, long time.

And when I called to speak to him about his dad’s passing, typical Bibi he started recounting his encounters with my dad and talked about my dad.  And so, I’d like to ask you for a moment of silence on behalf of his father.

(A moment of silence is observed.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I don't think -- I think there are few families who can match the service that the Netanyahu family has made to protect and defend their beloved Israel.  Some of you in this room have stood with Israel side by side since back in 1948.  None of you women are old enough, but a lot of you men were there.  (Laughter.)

And although I was not raised in the Jewish tradition, at an early age I was educated about oppression and genocide that have been visited on the Jewish people for 5,000 years and the historic ties between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.  I learned all this at my father’s dinner table.  My father was a gentle man.  My father was a decent, honorable man.  And our dinner table was a place where you sat down to have discussions and incidentally eat.

And I remember my father -- literally, my father when I was a young kid in the ‘50s, still in grade school, talking to my mother and sort of raving about how could there be anybody in the Jewish community who could oppose the establishment of the State of Israel.  How could that be?  My father educating me, as much as he admired Roosevelt, why did we not bomb the railroad tracks?  My father -- the first time I ever heard the phrase “never again” was from my father.

Our Jewish friends in Delaware referred to my dad as a righteous Christian, and he was.  And he taught me, and taught our whole family without vigilance, without the safe haven of the State of Israel, the horrors of history have the ability to repeat themselves.

And, ladies and gentlemen, it was no surprise to my friends when I entered the Senate as a 29-year-old kid, even though I was from a state that had less than a percent of the population that was Jewish, I got immediately deeply involved right away in the policy toward Israel.  I had great mentors.  I had guys like Abe Ribicoff and Jack Javits and Frank Church and people who -- Hubert Humphrey, people who literally were my mentors.  That is literal.  That is not a metaphor.  It’s literal.  They were my mentors, because I was the young kid.  I was like the only woman or the only African American.  I was the young kid, the youngest by 10 years, put on the Foreign Relations Committee -- the youngest by probably 35 years.

And they literally took me with them on trips and they filled out my resume.  They filled out my education.  And, folks, I have to acknowledge that my commitment was driven by an overwhelming sense that not only did the United States and all the West as a matter of historical obligation, of a moral obligation to the State of Israel, the decision that Harry Truman made and America made, in my view, carried with it immense obligations.

But beyond that, I have believed from the outset that as my tenure as the United States senator, what I told an audience in Tel Aviv about a year and a half ago, that American support for Israel’s security is not just an act of friendship and a moral obligation.  It’s in the fundamental national interest of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

No one has ever doubted I mean what I say.  The problem is I sometimes say all that I mean.  (Laughter and applause.)  But I have said repeatedly, and on occasion gotten heat from it, were there no Israel, we’d have to invent one.  Were there no Israel on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, we would have to invent one -- a democracy -- a democracy for all its failings, all its shortcomings just as ours, a democracy, a democracy.  (Applause.)

It is the flagship -- it is the flagship of democracy in that part of the world.  And in the world of changing threats, challenges we’ve never seen before, it has never been more important and also I believe more difficult than it is today to meet our obligations.  Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve watched Israel struggle through for their very physical survival throughout the last 40 years of my professional life.

I made my first visit to Israel in 1973.  And one of the high points of my career was within the first year I was there.  I had the great, good fortune of sitting in front of Golda Meir at her desk with her executive assistant, the guy named Rabin, for almost two hours on the eve of the Yom Kippur War.  I remember saying to the Prime Minister that I thought Israel was still threatened, because I was the first one they allowed to go from Cairo to the Suez, which had just been opened.

And as I was riding that distance, you’d see these great clouds of dust and people would say it was sandstorms.  But there was no cloud of dust on the left; there were no sandstorms.  And it turned out in retrospect to be the Egyptian army maneuvering, getting ready for war.  I remember saying that to her and she said -- what the former minister of interior said, you are a young man, Senator.  (Laughter.)

And I had just gone through sitting with her as she flipped the maps up and down, as she went through everything about -- some of you remember, she had that map case behind her, and she was a chain smoker.  And she’d turn and she’d flip the maps up and down.  And she was telling me about going through the Six Day War and all -- and reading me letters from young men and women who were in battle that got home without being followed by them. 

Well, Israel has faced grave security challenges, which I’ll say more about in a minute.  But quite frankly, I am more worried today about Israel than I have been at any time in my career because it’s a different struggle.  The same old struggle exists, and we have to be vigilant, which I’ll speak to in a moment.  But what’s underway today, at least my memory and my knowledge of history, the first full-blown assault attempting to delegitimize -- to delegitimize -- the State of Israel:  the most significant assault since the inception of the State of Israel to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish state.

And to put it bluntly, there is only one nation -- only one nation in the world that has unequivocally confronted this effort which is conscious as well as subconscious.  At every point in our administration, at every juncture, we’ve stood up on behalf of the legitimacy of the State of Israel.  That's one of the reasons I’m so proud -- I’m so proud to serve with President Barack Obama.  I mean it.  (Applause.)

As a consequence of the long and active members of the American Jewish community, my support for Israel has never been questioned.  In the beginning of our campaign I remember being down in South Florida and telling people I would never, ever join an administration that did not share -- a President that did not share my view on Israel, which begins in your gut, works through your heart and then gets to your head.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the President has been the bulwark against those insidious efforts every step of the way.  It began with a well-publicized speech in Cairo, which got a lot of heat because he was going to speak to the Muslim world and the Arab world from Cairo.  But in that speech, he made it clear to the Arab world and all the world, he stated that although we wanted better relations to the Arab and Muslim worlds, Israel’s legitimacy is not a matter of debate.  And our support for Israel is not a matter of debate.  (Applause.)

 As recently as this year, the only country to vote on the Human Rights Council this spring against the establishment of a fact-finding mission on settlements -- 35 countries, the only one to vote no was the United States of America.  (Applause.)

 How many times has the President instructed our ambassador to veto resolutions that were detrimental to Israel?  We opposed the unilateral efforts of Palestinians to circumvent negotiation by pushing statehood in multilateral organizations like UNESCO.  That's why we stood up so strongly for Israel’s right to defend itself in the Goldstone Report in 2009, when the Gaza War -- when that Goldstone Report was issued, we came out straightforward and said, it’s unbalanced, one-sided, basically unacceptable.  And the rest of the world, including some of our good friends, were prepared to embrace it.

That's why when Israel was isolated in the aftermath of the flotilla incident, of which I spent hour and hours and hours on the phone because I was in Africa talking with Bibi and with Ehud about how to deal -- how we were going to deal with it jointly -- we supported straightforwardly from the beginning Israel’s right to defend its national security.  (Applause.)

That's why -- that's why we refused to attend events such as the 10th anniversary of the flawed 2001 World Conference Against Racism that shamefully equated Zionism with racism.

It’s often pointed out by my critics that I said years ago that I’m a Zionist.  Were I -- I said precisely, I said, were I a Jew, I’d be a Zionist.  And I want you all to realize, you need not be a Jew to be a Zionist.  (Applause.)

 Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a difficult choice.  That's why we’re working literally around the clock and around the world to try to prevent steps from being taken to further isolate Israel in the United Nations or in U.N. agencies because the President said this is no shortcut for peace, and it is not a negotiating venue.

 Israel’s own leaders clearly understand the imperative of peace.  Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, President Peres, they have all called for a two-state solution, a secure Israel that lives side by side with an independent Palestinian state, but with absolutely security.

We are under no illusions about how difficult this will be to achieve.  And you need a partner to achieve it.  You need two people.  You need both sides.  It’s in all our interests:  Israel’s, the Palestinians,’ the Americans’.  We all have a profound interest in peace.  So we remain deeply engaged with both sides, and as President Obama said recently: While there are those who question whether this goal will ever be reached, we make no apologies for continuing to pursue that goal, to pursue a better future.  (Applause.)  

And to state the obvious, these actions have not been taken without cost.  And quite frankly, ladies and gentlemen, what frustrates me is that some who have asserted, particularly some of my friends in the Jewish community, strong supporters of mine, have asserted that we’re not fully committed to the preservation and security of the State of Israel.  At every turn our administration provided Israel with the support it needs.  Let me give you a couple of examples.

Despite the tough fiscal times, President Obama has requested $3.1 billion in military assistance for 2013, the most ever.  Beyond the record levels of security assistance we’ve already provided Israel, our administration secured an additional $205 million to help produce a short-range, rocket defense system called Iron Dome. 

Some of you who are Israelis, well, just talk to your friends who in Southern Israel.  Relatives in Southern Israel can tell you that it took down about 85 percent of all the rockets recently coming through.  And all those folks who are in the homes and schools and synagogues, how many lives are saved?  I don’t know, but it worked.  Ladies and gentlemen, just a few weeks ago, the Department of Defense announced its intention to provide additional assistance to this critical system. 

We also continue to work with the Israelis on what they call the Arrow weapons system to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles; David's Sling for shorter-range ballistic missiles.  U.S. technology, U.S. money and U.S. cooperation.

And we’re collaborating on a powerful new radar system linked to U.S. early warning satellite that could buy Israel valuable time in the event that a -- if a God-awful missile strike occurred.

That’s why I found the criticism of the other team talking about how this new missile defense system in Israel -- I mean, in Europe hurts Israel -- they don’t get it.  It’s the exact opposite, exact opposite.  It provides early warning.  It’s not just about materiel and technology; it’s also about relationships.  We have launched the most comprehensive, meaningful strategic and operational consultations, across all levels of our governments, in the history of the relationship.

I can’t tell your rank, so I’m going to make you a general, General.  (Laughter.)  

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Lieutenant Colonel.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Lieutenant Colonel.  Where I come from, that makes you a colonel.  (Laughter and applause.) 

Colonel, in 2011, as you’re probably aware, there have been 200 senior -- nearly 200 senior-level defense officials who visited Israel, and senior-level Israeli officials who visited their counterparts in the United States, more than ever has occurred in the history of the relationship.  Later this year, our nation’s armed forces will conduct the largest ever joint military exercise with Israel.  Austere Challenge, it’s called.

I’m proud of our record.  I believe that no President since Harry Truman has done more for Israel’s physical security than Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

But I’ll forgive you if you think I’m just obviously prejudiced about the guy I work with.  But you don’t have to take my word for this.  Bibi Netanyahu has rightly said that our security cooperation with Israel, as he refers to it, is “unprecedented.”  And as importantly, these efforts have not gone unnoticed by our Israeli opponents.

Which brings me to Iran.  We know that Israel’s leadership, justifiably in my view, views Iran as an existential threat to Israel.  And make no mistake: An Iran with nuclear weapons would also pose a grave threat to U.S. security, as well.  That’s why our policy is not one of containment.  Let me say it again.  The United States policy under President Barack Obama is not one of containment.  Not one of containment.  (Applause.)  It is straightforward.  We will prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon by whatever means we need.  Period, period.  (Applause.) 

One of the great benefits of my long relationship with Israeli leaders is some have become my close, personal friends in and out of office.  One who’s in office now is Ehud Barak, the defense minister.  When Ehud last came to see me, he brought his delegation of experts and military personnel, and I had my national security team.  We looked at each other and we said, let them talk.  You and I, let’s go off privately. 

And he and I sat in my office for well over an hour.  And he talked from the heart about his concerns about Iran.  The full delegation and our experts, they sat out in the lobby and they had a good conversation, a meaningful one.  But we knew we had to talk to one another, look each other in the eye, take a measure of the man, whether or not he was speaking for Bibi or whether or not I was speaking for Barack Obama. 

He reiterated his concern with Iran’s quest for a nuclear weapon, and re-emphasized that Iran posed an existential threat to Israel.  And I made it clear to him and I want to make it clear to all of you unambiguously.  I told him then and he would repeat it: that were I an Israeli, were I Jew, I would not contract out my security to anybody, even a loyal, loyal, loyal friend like the United States.

I made it clear for the President and me, for our administration that if Israel reached the conclusion based on the facts as they could best determine them, that Iran was on the verge of eliminating their ability to respond physically, to set that program back two to five years, I understood.  I understood.  We were not telling him or Israel what they could or could not do, because again I told him I would not contract out my nation’s security.  And clearly, clearly no Jewish state should ever assume that history has changed so fundamentally that they would do that. 

We also discussed that our experts on both sides, their national security people, ours, their intelligence community, their military community -- we’re on the exact same page, the exact same page; the same assessment that Iran does not have that capacity, and that it is some distance away, and that we need to be exceedingly vigilant in monitoring their program and shared information.  And we share everything, even those things that could be taken, if they decided to, out of context.  As a matter of fact, the Israelis, in some of the information we’ve shared, have calmed us down about what it really means.

The bottom line is Ehud and I agreed that there remains space for diplomacy.  The window has not closed in terms of the ability of the Israelis, if they choose on their own, to act militarily.  But diplomacy backed by serious, serious sanctions and pressure –- to succeed, though, as the President has clearly stated, on that score the window is closing in the near term.  This cannot go on forever.

When we took office -- I want to remind everybody because my deceased wife used to say the greatest gift God gave mankind was the ability to forget -- (Laughter.)   And my mother would quickly add, were that not true, women would only have one child.  (Laughter.)  But when we took office, let me remind you, there was virtually no international pressure on Iran.  We were the problem.  We were diplomatically isolated in the world, in the region, in Europe.

The international pressure on Iran was stuck in neutral.  As a matter of fact, Iran’s influence in the previous six years was growing in the region -- not diminishing, growing in the region.  The relationship with Syria was obvious; the use of a staging point for Hezbollah and Hamas was clear.  The rest of the region was basically stiff-arming the United States and saying, you need to be engaged more in missile defense.  You need to be engaged more in.

And we were being criticized in European capitals for being unilateral.  And Tehran’s allies -- and Tehran had allies, they were intimidating their neighbors.  And America’s leadership was in doubt.  We were neither fully respected by our friends nor feared by our opponents.  Today, it is starkly, starkly different.  (Applause.)

Iran has one and only one ally in the region, Syria, which is under siege, greatly diminished, weakened as a sure and certain sponsor and a jump-off point for Hamas and Hezbollah.  And suffice it to say, we continue to provide support for those in the region who feel threatened and now are willing to step up because they are certain about our -- our intention, our commitment allowing resources to be prepositioned, allowing us to help them in their defense budgets.

There’s an increasingly united concern in the region about Iran and a greater willingness to work together to deal with the threat that it poses.  And I would argue that it’s not just because of a legitimate threat, but because of the President’s efforts, Iran is now isolated, and the United States is not isolated.  (Applause.)

And by the way, does that mean this will all work and we can go away and say, obviously, they're going to capitulate?  No.  None of us know that for certain.  We are not naïve.  But because President Obama understood that by seeking in good faith to engage the Iranians in the first instance, we’re going to be able to engage the rest of the world in joining us in imposing the clearest, most significant, most damaging sanctions in this century and I would argue the latter half of the last.

By going the extra diplomatic mile, presenting Iran with a clear choice, we demonstrated to the region and to the world that Iran is the problem, not the United States.  That's why China, that's why Russia, that's why Europe, that's why the rest of the world has joined us in these sanctions.  (Applause.)  And the President deserves the credit.   (Applause.)

I hope by now no one doubts that the President is willing to use power.  But the President is smart.  Physical power teamed up with tough diplomacy has turned the tables on Iran and secured the strongest unilateral, international sanction in the history with all the powers, as I said including Russia and China, participating.  Now Iran is more isolated, and the international community more united in an effort to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon than ever before.

Tehran has deep difficulties with their economy, deep difficulty with acquiring basic equipment needed for the technology to produce nuclear weapon and missile programs.  And they are having difficulty just doing normal international transactions.  They're increasingly cut off from the international financial system, unable to do the most basic business transactions; in a struggle to buy refined petroleum and goods that it needs to modernize its oil sector and its gas sector.  World-leading companies are deciding to stop doing business with Iran.  Already close to $60 billion in Iranian energy-related projects have been put on hold or shut down.  And as a result of this unprecedented pressure, Iran is back to the negotiating table.  They're having trouble figuring how to insure their ships.

That's why they're back at the negotiating table; because it’s biting.  It’s biting badly.  And by the way, anyone who thinks Iran is a monolith is making a gigantic, historic mistake.  The dissention between Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader is palpable.  They will not both be around two years from now.  And my bet is Ahmadinejad is gone.  (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, beyond that, the dissention internally is real.  We so mistake this notion that there’s this one political monolith.

Look, neither the President nor I are naïve.  That's why all these talks are being undertaken and the international community is working with us and is on the same exact page, we’re not releasing -- we’re not doing anything but tightening the screws.

As of July -- as of July, the most significant sanctions on oil will go into effect with the European Union having voted for severe sanctions on the importation of Iranian oil.

Just last month, the President signed a new executive order targeting companies that allow Iran and the only friend in the region, Syria, to use information technology to root out and eliminate voices of dissent.  And, by the way, unless Iran changes course, the pressure will keep increasing.

By the way, this embargo is due to go into effect in July.  Remember I said it here, and it will be well before the election so you can judge me, it will have a devastating impact on the Iranian economy and force them to think even harder.  The purpose of this -- the purpose of this pressure is not punishment.  It’s to convince Iran that the price -- there’s an overwhelming price to be paid for pursuing nuclear weapons capability, that the price is too high.  And the time is now for Tehran to make good on its commitment to the international community.

And, as the President has made clear, we take no option off the table as part of our determination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.  So, ladies and gentlemen, before I leave this stage, I’d be remiss both as an American and as Vice President if I didn’t thank you for how much you’ve done for this country on issues that range well beyond Israel and foreign relations, issues that are near and dear to my heart, one of the reasons why I ran for office in the first place.

The contributions on these issues could fill an entire additional speech.  But just let me mention a few that mean a lot to me personally what you’ve done.  You’ve fought to expand health care coverage through the poor and the elderly -- (applause) -- including standing by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.  You’ve zealously defended our nation’s cherished civil liberties, and from your early support of the Voting Rights Act, the civil rights legislation when I was a young kid in the Senate, to recognizing the dignity of all human beings.  (Applause.)

And as much as any enlightened organization in the United States, you’ve advocated for the most vulnerable among us -- the elderly, the poor, those genuinely in need of help.  And your outspoken opposition for dealing with the fiscal problems by placing the burden on the backs of the poor and the economically disadvantaged has been a clarion call.  It’s one of the things that’s united you and a lot of my Catholic friends in attacking and taking issue with the Ryan budget, which either way is contrary to the social doctrine that you teach and the social doctrine that my church teaches.  (Applause.)

So let me end where I began -- let me end where I began, by thanking you for your friendship and your steadfast support of Israel.  You and I know -- you and I know this is always going to be a battle.  You know that it requires people speaking up loudly in every single generation, as long as we are a country and as long as the state of Israel exists.  Your certain knowledge that the preservation of Israel as an independent Jewish state is in the interest of every Jew in the world, is something you must continue to remind as you do your children, your grandchildren, all who you touch.

 And let me end with a story that touched me greatly.  I referenced the point, the fact that when I was a young senator, I had the great honor of spending time alone with Rabin and Golda Meir.  And after about two hours of scaring the living bedevil out of me -- (laughter) -- with how Israel was clinging to its existence on the shores of the Mediterranean, she all of a sudden changed her expression on her face.  She said, Senator, would you like to have a photo opportunity?  (Laughter.) 

And I said, well, yes, I’d love that.  Many of you have been to the Prime Minister’s office, those double doors that open.  And you walk out and there’s like -- not a hallway, but -- it is a hallway, but it’s more of an entrance way.  And we walked outside, and I was standing next to her -- and no comments to the press, just photos.

And there were about a dozen press people with cameras, television cameras and the flashes were flashing.  And without turning her head to speak to me, she looked straight and said something to me -- I thought I was the only one in the world she ever said it to.  She looked straight ahead.  She said, Senator -- now, I’m standing next to her here.  She said, Senator, don’t look so worried, we Jews have a secret weapon in our fight for survival here in this region.  And I thought she was about to fill me in on something really consequential.  (Laughter.)

And I’m standing here and I turn -- and there’s pictures of -- I turned and went like, what?  And without her looking at me, still looking straight ahead -- I’ll never forget it, it was a memorable occasion -- she said, our secret weapon is we have no place else to go.  Remember it.

This is the only audience I probably don’t have to say remember it.  But remember it.  (Applause.)  Ultimately, there’s no place to go.  Thank you for reminding the world, thank you for reminding our country, and thank you for all you do for America.  I love you.  Thank you very, very much.

* * * * *

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, very much.  I’ve got to tell you a story.  This magnificent tzedakah box.  I’ve had the great privilege over the years of being presented with little blue boxes -- (laughter) -- as well as a couple lovely tzedakah boxes. 

And I want to tell you a very good friend of mine from childhood who went into the priesthood, a monsignor was over at our house.  And I have them arrayed on my library shelf.  (Laughter.)   And he looked -- he knows me well.  We grew up.  He looked and he said, Joe, I don't see any of what we Catholics -- in your church, when you go in church, you get a box of envelops, which you put in your weekly offering.  He said, Joe, I see one -- I forget how many -- two, three, four, five, six, seven tzedakah boxes.  I don't see one box of envelopes.  (Laughter and applause.)

Thank you so very much.  Thank you all very much.

                                            END                               11:56 A.M. EDT

Readout of the Vice President's Meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussein Shahristani

Vice President Biden met this afternoon with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussein Shahristani. The Vice President thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for his participation in this week’s U.S.-Iraqi Joint Coordinating Committee on Energy meeting.  The Vice President reaffirmed our commitment to work with Iraqi leaders from across the spectrum to support the continued development of Iraq’s energy sector. The two leaders discussed a range of regional issues and developments in Iraq.