1、Remarks by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to the 2005 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference希拉里 AIPAC 演讲 英文“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Lonny. Welcome to Washington for this extraordinary AIPAC conference. Im told that the attendance f
2、ar surpasses any other conference, and its always been one of the biggest gatherings that Washington hosts every year. So I congratulate you for being here in these numbers with this energy and enthusiasm. I also thank my friend Bernice, who has served so well on behalf of AIPAC, and congratulate Ho
3、ward Friedman, the incoming president. I thank Howard Kohr, your executive director; Amy Friedkin; and everyone who works so hard for AIPAC not just when there is a great gathering, like this conference, but every single day, working with us in the Congress working here in Washington. I want to take
4、 just a few minutes to discuss some of the significant challenges facing the United States, Israel and our world today. As you know better than most, events in the Middle East are absolutely critical to our hope for a safer, more secure world, a world in which every nation is free from the threat of
5、 global terrorism. And a strong, lasting relationship between the United States and Israel is essential to our efforts to build that world of peace and security. As all of us know, our future here in this country is intertwined with the future of Israel and the Middle East. Now there is a lot that w
6、e could talk about, and obviously much has been discussed. But in the short period that I have been given the honor of addressing you, I want to start by focusing on our deep and lasting bond between the United States and Israel. Now, these are bonds that are more than shared interests. These are bo
7、nds forged in a common struggle for human rights, for democracy, for freedom. These are bonds that predate the creation of the state of Israel, that really predate the creation of the United States because they are rooted in fundamental beliefs and values about the dignity and rights of men and wome
8、n to live in freedom, free from fear, free from oppression. And there is no doubt that these incredibly strong bonds and values will remain as the lodestar of our relationship with our democratic friend and ally, Israel. Now, Israel is not only, however, a friend and ally for us, it is a beacon of w
9、hat democracy can and should mean. It is, after all, a pluralistic democracy. It is, as many of us know from personal experiences, a very dynamic democracy with many points of view, and those are expressed with great frequency and vigor. So if people in the Middle East are not sure what democracy me
10、ans, let them look to Israel, which has been and remains a true, faithful democracy. But we know that the goal, the important, essential goal of a democratizing Middle East is complex, and it is not without risks. A few months ago, I went for the second time to Iraq and Kuwait and Afghanistan and Pa
11、kistan, and I returned home with hopefulness about what I had seen and learned, but also with a sense of caution about how we should proceed. In Iraq I saw firsthand the daily challenges confronting the Iraqi people. I met with a number of our troops, the brave young men and women who are on freedom
12、s frontlines in Iraq. I met with our civilian representatives in the embassy and other agencies who are also risking their lives to help the Iraqi people. And I met with representatives of the former interim Iraqi government and the newly elected Iraqi government, as well as private Iraqi citizens.
13、Now I came away with several overwhelming impressions. First, no matter what one thinks about events that have unfolded in Iraq, there is no doubt that the American military has performed admirably, with professionalism, and that every young man and woman who wears the uniform of our country deserve
14、s our support, whether they be active duty, guard, or reserve troop. You know, it is on trips like that - despite the often dangerous circumstances, I wish I could bring every one of my constituents - all 19 million of them and any others who could come - to see firsthand. I flew from Baghdad to Fal
15、lujah in a Blackhawk helicopter; met with the Marines who had liberated Fallujah from the insurgents and terrorists. I met with many others of our Marines and soldiers who are committed to their mission to try to bring freedom to the people of Iraq. They, as well as the troops I saw in Kuwait and in
16、 Afghanistan, are committed to this fundamental belief that people deserve the right to be free, deserve the right to select their own government, deserve the right to plot and plan for a better future for themselves and their children. I hope that each of you, as you travel through your states and
17、communities, will make it a point to thank these young people, because theyre paying a very high price: 1,600-plus lost their lives; thousands and thousands have returned home grievously injured. Because of the advances in battlefield medicine and the new body armor that our troops wear, many are su
18、rviving injuries that would have left previous generations of young men and women dead. So there is no doubt that America has started down a path, with blood and treasure, to try to create the condition for democracy and freedom in the Middle East - which has consequences for the entire region, for
19、our security, and certainly for Israels. At this critical time in this complicated situation we find ourselves in, I think its important to recognize the extraordinary stand that Prime Minister Sharon and the democratically elected government of Israel have taken as they face the risks and challenge
20、s of disengagement and as they try to deal with the newly elected Palestinian leadership. The prime minister - whom I am pleased to note will follow me to this stage - and the state of Israel that he has devoted his entire life to serving are taking a tremendous risk. I believe it is our obligation
21、as friends and supporters and allies of Israel to support Israels efforts for peace, stability and security. Now, this means doing more than providing Israel with economic aid so that it can remain strong in the face of ongoing threats. We must also demand that President Abbas dismantle the structur
22、es of terror that the Palestinian leadership has employed for so long. You know, in a democracy, even a fledgling democracy, leaders must be held accountable. And President Abbas must be held accountable for the actions taking place under his leadership. I know that you are asking your senators and
23、representatives to sign on to a letter to President Bush about this, and Im proud to support these efforts because there can be no doubt that as Israel and its democratic government take these steps and we support them, there has to be reciprocity on the other side as well. And making progress toward peace and security also requires the end of
