Thank you and good evening. The Honorable Secretary of State Colin Powell, honorable members of Congress and the administration, friends, fellow members of the diplomatic community, ladies and gentlemen:

Welcome to Jerusalem, that is, the Jerusalem Hall at the Omni Shoreham hotel here in Washington, D.C. It gives my wife Anne and I a great pleasure to greet you all here. All good personal friends, friends of the embassy, and most importantly, friends of the State of Israel.

Israel has no better friend and ally than the United States of America and its people. It was as true 56 years ago when we regained our independence in our homeland as it is true today. We have always cherished America's enduring and universal values of freedom, equality, civil liberties, and the rule of law. We have always admired the courageous leadership of the United States in defending these values through the years, through the generations, through centuries- in the face of tyranny, terror, and incitement. We are very much grateful and appreciate its leadership in raising its voice against hatred, incitement, anti-Semitism, and all sorts of bigotry in our time. The United States' votes and statements in international forums serve as a moral compass and as a beacon of hope for all decent people around the world, befitting the greatest democracy ever.

Israel, unlike the United States, is a small country, no bigger than the size of the state of New Jersey. But we are also a great democracy and we are very much proud of it. Like the United States, we will defend our country, we will defend our lives, and we will defend our values. Unfortunately, there are still great threats against our country, but despite them, we will keep the quest for peace undeterred. We will leave no stone unturned. We are very much waiting for the day when we can sign a genuine, durable, lasting peace, with security, with a trustworthy partner. We know it will come and until then, we keep our hope. We know it will come because America is with us and we are with America.

Speaking of America, I can think of no better person that epitomizes the greatness of the United States than Secretary of State Colin Powell whose illustrious career spans more than 45 years of great service to his country and indeed to the entire global community. He was a general's general, he is a diplomat's diplomat, and he is a leader's leader. We are so proud that he is our friend and that we are his. We are very thankful that he could stop here en route to the airport on his way to Berlin to the conference on Anti-Semitism that is taking place tonight and tomorrow. The Secretary will lead the conference together with Nobel laureate Eli Wiesel, who is also here tonight, and other world leaders including the President of Israel, Moshe Katzav.

Without further delay, it is my great pleasure and distinct honor to welcome Secretary of State Colin Powell to address us.