it seems to me to the extent we can be clear eyed and focused together on a mutual set of bread lines, and it is absolutely clear that the u.s. will act with the world coalition using military force, that is the best defense of israel and the best way to change the policy in iran. what i want to do now is try to cross to jerusalem. we have talked about some of the threats on the borders. we are pleased this morning to go live to the diplomatic correspondent. as an israeli, what are the threat that most concern new? you? >> everybody is talking about iran. we are well that the auckland in

a job regime is inching toward nuclear-weapons. we're keeping our eye on the situation. it is basically split. they launch a pre-emptive strike. it goes away the glorious position. israel established said it will not tolerate a hostile neighbor. there are reports that that the consequences would be so dangerous that it shall be thought about twice. authorities have said that 20,000 missiles are being launched at israel that could be fired at any given time.

the defense minister spoke about caw possibly 500 casualties. we are aware of that. it would be a mistake to think that israelis are panicking. the same is true for internal heroism. israelis feel pretty safe. a quick word on syria. that is the topic that dominates the headlines. people are outraged when they see the images on the news. everybody is wearing out what will happen the day after. finally a word on egypt. we're very worried about what is happening in egypt. the peace treaty is very important to israel, in

particularly israelis remember when the embassy was attacked. the new ambassador gave the credentials to the leader of the addiction military. hands were shaped. they told the ambassador that it was very important to maintain the peace that was signed in 1979. >> thank you. i'll see you back in the office on wednesday. there is the fact that for 30 years they have been able to plan the security strategy with the southern border in mind. israel has had to rethink the baseline. looking at egypt, do you think

the new government will seek to uphold the peace treaty? >> i do believe the position that they would like to preserve the peace treaty every statement that i have collected indicates that they do not want to bury the treaty. there is talk about some amendment. the amendments they are thinking have to be -- have to do with the restrictions on the military employment. and here is the point. israel has an interest in allowing and intercepting a different appointment of the egyptian army. it is closer to israel. it is for the same reason that the peninsula is three times bigger than the state of israel and has become the black hole in

the triangle between israel and egypt. it is full of hezbollah malicious. -- militias. they write poems and songs. it is a different situation there. it is a pity. in most parts of egypt, it has become an absentee emblem. there is a possibly to work out a new arrangement. we have an understanding going for over a decade. it there are the mechanisms through the nfl.

it allows to change the deployment of each of them along the border with mutual concerns. we will probably have a better chance of a flare-up. >> i want to end a discussion by asking each of you to give us one prediction about the middle east and what will be talking about at next year's policy conference. you have about 30 seconds. >> i think there are a lot of debate about policy and which way we ought to go, particularly with respect to iran. it is important that you remember the facts. there is no president who has done more to undermine the state of israel in recent history them president obama.

i have a quick prediction. it is important to remember that president obama equated the holocaust with the situation under which the palestinians live today. do not forget that when you hear additional different words from the president. i predict will meet here that it will be here to restore american relationships under a new american relationship. >> i'm good as you for your predictions. >> i said to turn it.

my prediction is that the world community will stick together and that by the end of this year, this is a game changer. we must pay attention to pakistan. let's not forget that that is a country next door to iran with 100 actual nuclear weapons. this matters to israel into the united states of america. >> next year's prediction? >> by next year we will see more countries in which they are

transporting it for the first time in history from subjects to citizens. i think that next time this year we would be able to judge better weather is coming to the arab world or some sense of anarchy. it is a possibility. the iranians will be there. >> thank you so much for your attention this morning. thank you for your insights. we look for to continuing this discussion for the next two days. thank you very much. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captioning performed by

national captioning institute] >> tamara, our live coverage from the republic affairs committee begins at 9 katia -- 9:15 a.m. eastern. then live at 9 >> 30 p.m., mitch mcconnell, nancy pelosi and israeli prime minister benjamin not in yahoo! are scheduled to speak. live tomorrow at c-span. next, a campaign event in oklahoma. then the conversation with newt gingrich. after that, remarks by the commander of the u.s. central command. today's the for the super tuesday elections, rick santorum of a couple of campaign events

in oklahoma. one was here in oklahoma city. presidentialng gop primaries or caucuses on tuesday. this is about 40 minutes. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you. we love you back, thank you so much. it is great to be here in oklahoma. we will have a big win on tuesday. it is great to be back here. this is our second trip through oklahoma. we have some audience participation going on, ok.

great. i want to thank you all for coming out here again. thank you. >> [chanting "we pick rick!"] >> thank you so much. ladies and gentlemen -- ladies and gentlemen, people are allowed to protest.

we respect their opinion. we just happen to believe that folks who are at public rallies should let both sides be heard. [applause] they are welcome to their opinion. there are welcome to their own demonstration. let me ask you, do we want to stand up for civility in politics? do we want to stand up for respect and decency for everybody in america? we hear the word tolerance all the time from the left. the intolerance, the intolerance of people who do not want to hear from the other side. they would rather try to have their opinions be shouted out

over others. we are here to talk to you about what is important to our country. what is important to our country is to try to get this economy back on the right track. trying to stand up to the radical forces and who have been in charge in washington for the last 3.5 years. [applause] we need to make sure we have leaders who can stand up to bullies, not just here in this country, but around the world. we need a president who does not apologize to anybody anywhere in this world for the united states. ladies and gentlemen, we are at a critical time in history. you see how this country has

been divided by a president who simply wants to pit one side against the other. trying to rally forces of folks who do not believe in the founding principles of our country. who do not believe that this country is a great country. it was built on a foundation in the declaration of independence. we hold these truths to be self- evident. all men are created equal. it is interesting. when you hear folks call for equality, they call for equality. let me ask, do you see equality in the islamic world for women? the answer is no. where you see real tolerance is in a place that is founded in the judeo-christian principles as this country was founded upon.

[applause] where do you think the notion of equality comes from? it comes from the idea that we are created equal. right? if you have a humanistic point of view, not one that is based on a country that has god-given rights, what you have is the reality that he is not equal to her and she is not equal to him. no two people in america are equal objectively. we are equal, not because we have the same strength, the same intellect, we are equal because we are seen equal in the eyes of god. [applause]

when god gives us rights, as recognized in our declaration, he also gives us responsibility. right? we hold these truths to be self-evident. the idea that our country was founded on this principle of limited government to protect the rights of individuals, to form families and communities, to build a great society from the bottom up. [applause] america was built as a great country not from a bunch of

folks trying to impose their values. imposing on people of faith, imposing on people with their economic freedom. no. we are a country that believes

in the greatness of america. it is not on an oppressive government. the greatness of america. it comes from a free people and free-market and free enterprise. [applause] >> [chanting "we pick rick!"] >> thank you. we need a leader that will go out and make the big changes. this is what this race is all about. this is why oklahoma is so important. to send a clear message as to who the strong conservative is. to go up against barack obama. [applause] that strong conservative has to have a vision for america. has to have a positive, uniting vision. it takes on folks like wall street, right? who stood up and said, when things got tough, and when folks said the climate is changing, and everybody was saying, man- made global warming. different sectors of our economy to make sure we do not have too much co2. co2, according to this administration, is a toxin. go tell that to a plant. [applause] when all of the winds were

changing and everybody was running and sitting on couches and passing carbon caps in massachusetts, i did not go with the climate change. it is not climate science, it was political science. i said no. [applause] when the greatest threats of all hit this country a couple of years ago, when this administration and shoved down the throats of the american people obamacare, i was out there saying no. i have been out there for 20 years. 20 years standing up for free market health care. anybody ever hear of health savings accounts?

i was the first member of congress to introduce a health savings accounts 20 years ago. i believed, even at that time, in free markets. i believed in 300 million consumers being able to lower health-care costs, efficiently allocate resources, be able to get the best quality of care. not from having the government run health care systems. doing as the country has for over two centuries. trust in the american people with freedom. giving them the responsibility to take care of their own health instead of this president, he does not believe you are capable. he believes that he has to tell you what insurance policy you will have, how much you will pay for it, which doctors and

hospitals you can see. folks, we need a president, but we need a candidate first for president who can go up against president obama with a clear contract on the biggest issues of the day. on the issue of health care. why, on the most important issue, the issue of freedom. margaret thatcher said she was never able to change england like reagan changed america. she said it was the british public's addiction to the british national health care system, that dependency that comes with having government provide everybody their health, and the tribute you have to pay to the government as a result. that is the most important issue facing this country. it will crush the very spirit of america. we have to have someone who can

say, your policies are wrong. not because they're on the federal level. governor romney advocated to president obama the federal government adopt massachusetts romney-care. that is bad enough. he has gone out during the time obamacare was being proposed, and he encouraged president obama to adopt an individual mandate, to adopt romney-care for the model on the federal level. throughout the course of this campaign, he has maintained that he did not do that. there is one thing to make a mistake. there is another thing to go out and deliberately misrepresent to the people of this country what your position is.

i can tell you, we need someone who the american public can trust. i will go out there and tell you what i believe all the time. [applause] we need a president who understands what is going to get this economy going and put forth a bold economic plan.

the "wall street journal" compared our economic plan with mitt romney's. they called it supply-side economics for the working man. we take the existing tax code and we throw the existing tax code out. we take the tax rate and we reduce it to 28%. we get rid of the tax code and replace it with five simple deductions. children, charities, pensions, health care, and housing. to help people, to raise a family with basic support from the federal government for the tax code. that is what we do. simplicity, low rates. there is a reason -- there are

many reasons why we need to do that. it will stimulate growth and opportunity. unlike the other people in this race, i do my own taxes. i want a simpler tax code. [applause] we have an opportunity to tell the business community that we will make this country competitive again for businesses to start and grow. the corporate tax rate, which is now 35%, the highest in the world, the highest tax rate in the world. what we do with our tax plan is take that corporate rate of 35% and cut in half to 17.5%. here is the cool thing. thank you. >> we pick rick! >> the corporate tax rate is cut in half and we simplify it. no loopholes, no deductions, no credits. small business pays the same as the large business. 17.5%. if you go to most small towns

in america, most of those small towns came about because there was a manufacturing or processing plant there. as a result, little towns grew up. little towns all across america, they created opportunities for people to live. the small town values that came as a result of that. what you are seeing in america is a lot of those small towns are getting smaller and smaller.

the people are forced to come to the bigger cities for the opportunities to be able to make ends meet. most of the population loss in this country is in small towns. that is, in fact, if you look at the map of the united states, looking for the values are better reflect the values of our founders, it is in those very communities. here we are as the republican party and as conservatives, we have not talked to those people in those communities about what we can do to help revitalize their neighborhoods. there are two big things we can do. manufacturing and resources, particularly energy. [applause] we have a federal government doing more to destroy the energy sector of our economy, the resource sector of our economy, than any president in history.

his epa is a job crushing, small town killing agency with a bunch of people in washington, d.c., who think they care more about their community than you do. let me assure you, they do not. we need an energy plan and a manufacturing plant that will revitalize small town america. give it the opportunity to grow. i take the tax on manufacturers from 35% to zero. we want those jobs back in america. [applause] if you happen to have moved your production offshore, and you made some money, we understand a lot of businesses had to do that in order to survive. we became uncompetitive. the average manufacturer pays 20% more in costs, excluding labor costs, to do business here than in our top nine

trading partners around the world. a lot of those businesses moved. now we are eliminating the cost differential under our plan. what we want to do is create a further incentive for them to come back. if you bring the money back, you have to pay a 35% tax. you bring that money back, you invested and you pay zero attacks. we want that money back.

we want that money invested in jobs in america. on the energy front, it is simple. we will have a president who understands the word yes to opening up the drilling offshore, drilling in the water, drilling on federal land, yes to the keystone pipeline. we have tremendous resources in this country. we have the saudi arabia of coal. we have over 150 years left of oil in this country. we're finding new ways to extract oil every day. this is an opportunity for us to use our technology to affordably get that energy from the ground. the president looks at that energy buried in the ground and sees it as a liability. i see it as an asset. i see it as a job creator. it is increasing our standard of living and reducing our dependency on foreign oil. [applause]

we need someone with a bold economic plan, not just to get the economy growing, but understands that this economy will not grow it if businesses and investors around the world look at america and our credit rating getting downgraded and sees america on the brink of bankruptcy. we need someone who has the track record of being successful and making big changes in washington. someone who did not put forth a big entitlement program, but someone who has a track record of taking on the biggest problems that confront this country. let me tell you what the biggest problem is. the problem facing the federal budget and the deficit, you would think and listening to president obama, is our defense department has grown too big.

it is the only place where the president has proposed major cuts. he has cut half a trillion dollars from the defense budget. now he wants to cut another half a trillion. you would think that must be the fastest-growing, biggest area of the budget since the president has such a keen eye focused on defense. when i was born, defense spending was 60% of the federal budget. today, it is not 60 anymore. it is not 50, 40, 30, 20. it is 17% of the budget. that is the area the president says needs to be cut some more. somebody needs to do some remedial math teaching in the white house. [applause]

the area of the budget, when i was born, called entitlements was less than 10%. it is not 10 or 20 or 30 or 40 or 50. it is 60% of the budget. with the president and obamacare, it will grow to 70% of the budget. it is going to explode and create an entire federal government that will be just a great redistributor of wealth. it will take from some and give to others. we need to take those entitlement programs and repeal obamacare. [applause] i keep going back to obamacare, the central issue in this race because it is about economic freedom. it is about freedom of religion. it is about an exploding and expanding federal government.

an exploding deficit. it is one of the principal reasons our economy is not growing today because of the uncertainty of the businesses will have to deal with in the future. why would republicans nominate someone who gives that issue away in the general election? the exact same place as barack obama. [applause] i am for repealing obamacare. the people of america are going to believe me because i have never been for anything like obamacare. that is the key. secondly, we have to look at all of these entitlement programs. medicaid, food stamps, food stamps at the highest level ever

in this country. when i was in the united states senate, we had another program and that was aid to families with dependent children -- welfare. there were many of us who said we want to reform welfare. we want to end welfare as we know what. we want to take that program and give it back to the states. we want to put a time limit on welfare and a work requirement. [applause] everybody said it could not be done. we had a democratic president, bill clinton, but i went out to the american people and made the case to break this cycle of dependency. to create hope and opportunity. to believe in the dignity of every human person. [applause] even though president clinton vetoed it twice. we do not need someone to manage washington. we need someone to motivate the american people to go to washington and change

washington. we need to do with all these entitlement programs what we did with welfare. even though we are in the fourth year of recession, we cut the welfare by more than half and people went to work. they did not stand in the bread lines. they went to work. they change the attitudes and their families.

we did the same thing, put time limits on food stamps, work requirement on medicaid. dependency is not a way of life. we believe in you to take care of yourself and your family. [applause] of course, we will never turn this country around unless we understand what built this country in the first place. if you look at the founding principles of our country and how this country was built, it was not built by having an all- powerful government and designing things out of washington, d.c. america was built one family, one school, one church, one business, one local library at a time.

we've built great communities that built a great country. that is the way america works best. when you are in trouble, you have a mom and dad that are there to help. if it is too much for them, you have neighbors. you have the folks at the church. or at the school. or at your place of employment. there are a lot of people out there in america today that are alone. they're out there in a river with a lot of rapids and there's nobody around to help them. so they reach for what is there and that is the government. the more people out there paddling along, the more government is going to get bigger and bigger. when you see, for example, that 40% of the children are born out of wedlock.

many of them to teenage moms. when you see large percentages of people not graduating from high school. brookings institute, a liberal think tank, did a study three years ago. in that study, they wanted to analyze what caused poverty in america. here is what they found out. this is a liberal think tank. they said if you did three things, you were almost guaranteed never to be in poverty. what are those things? work. this was a liberal think tank. ok? to get the liberals to see work is a requirement is a good thing. so let's applaud them.

[applause] graduate from high school. number three, get married before you have children. [applause] if you do those three things in america, the chances you'll ever be in poverty in your lifetime is 2%. 2%. if you do those three things, the chances you'll ever be in the top half of income earners in this country, 77% chance. if you fail to do just one of those things, the chances are that you'll be in poverty is 74%. the chance you'll ever in your

life be a top half of income earners, 4%. we know what works in america. you have politicians going around saying that marriage does not matter. we do not need to encourage moms and dads to stay together. this program that was not put in place by the obama administration and has been underfunded. they came out with new regulations at the end of last year. no longer can you teach abstinence as a preferable way of not having children out of wedlock.

you can teach marriage, but you cannot hold it up and single it out as the only alternative. we are deliberately telling our children to do things that we know are unhealthy for them to do. why would a government do that? why would a government not look and say, if you do those three things, why don't we talk to people about that?

we will talk to them about what type of sugared soda you have in a vending machine, but we will not talk to them about things that will save their lives. folks -- [applause] we need to have a president who is going to get up and paint that positive vision for our country, who will not be intimidated by the liberal media to just go around and say politically correct things. but will stand up and speak the truth. and talk about the limited role that government should have. [applause] thank you. since i am talking about family, let me introduce my family. let me introduce to came on stage with me. first is my wife karen. [applause]

karen and i have been married 21 years. we have seven children. three of those children are here with us today. john, daniel, and sarah maria. people ask me why we are doing this. we have children ages 20 to 3.5. think about all the other people who have stepped forward, defending our freedom is all over the world. this is the least we could do when our country is in a perilous state. it is in a state of great opportunity.

this election has to mean something. it cannot just be an election between tweedle dum and tweedle dee. it has to be an election where there are choices for the american public. if we want to make a big things happen, we want to reduce and balance the budget, we have a plan that cuts $5 trillion over five years and balances the budget in five years. we will spend less money next year than we did the year before. [applause] we need someone who is going to

shake things up. someone who does not have billionaires running negative ads. in the general election, whoever the republican nominee is, it is not going to be able to outspend barack obama. they will have to win this election being outspent. governor romney has never won a state in this country where he was outspent. think about the fact that every state he has won, he has outspent his opponent four to one. what does that tell you about the ability to rally the people of america for the big change we need?

you have an opportunity in oklahoma to sound a very clear bell to conservatives. you are the conservative lone star. you could send a very strong message in the state as to what oklahoma -- [applause] you go out and give us a win. i guarantee you, we will go on past super tuesday. we will go to alabama and mississippi. this race will turn around and we will be the nominee. thank you. god bless you. god bless america. [applause] >> we pick rick!

>> now i conversation with newt gingrich. he was a guest on "washington journal. this is 30 minutes. host: joining us from virginia, republican candidate newt gingrich. guest: it is always good to be

on c-span. host: let me begin with your news. your former co-chairs supporting rick santorum after originally supporting you. what does that say by your campaign in tennessee? guest: it was unfortunate because we had agreed to yesterday with herman cain and my daughter. we won a straw poll at a conservative caucus meeting. we want a little bit earlier in the week the national business council poll beating out both romney and santorum. we have some significant momentum there. he suisse sides, and i think that is important -- that is unfortunate. i will be in knoxville and chattanooga on monday. i'm excited to be there.

host: we welcome your calls and comments here on c-span. our phones are at the bottom of the screen. mr. speaker, what do you need to do on tuesday? guest: well, the first he was to make sure we one georgia. i think each of the three kennetts have to carry their home state. romney struggle to carry michigan, but did so. georgia is the biggest delegate count in a super tuesday. we're competing in ohio, tennessee. welso have some effort under way. north dakota. vermont. massachusetts. in addition, i am continuing to develop the idea of $2.50 a gallon for gasoline and a national policy that no future

american president would er about to a saudi king. i went to the lincoln day dinner which is one of the largest in ohio. i had a terrific response for a national american energy policy that would get us back to $2 and did the cents per gallon. -- $2.50 per gallon. host: we have a lot of comments from our facebook page. guest: he raises a couple of good points. governor romney's technique has been to dramatically outspend his opponents. if he outspent me five to one in florida. he will not do that with obama, so thamore work.

he told me down for love and iowa -- florida and i will. he will not be able to out negative obama. his candidacy is sort of a dead end. the key to beating obama will be who can debate him in october. and force the president into a position of defending a record that is not very defendable. i think most people believe i would be a better debater, a better explanation of conservative values. i can carry our message against obama. my hope is to continue to gather delegates. next we, we will go to mississippi and alabama. on to kansas. our hope is to continue to gather delegates. governor perry in texas has told me he thinks we can sweep texas with 100 of the five delegates in may. then we would go one week later into california. there are 17 hispanic co-chairs

across the state. they're working hard to organize the whole state. if we have momentum coming out of may and early june, i think that a lot of these delegates are soft. you could see a surprising convention by the time this is over. host: are you prepared to stay in this race to the convention? guest: 0, sure. i have said all along, the key is georgia. frankly, with santorum, the key will be pennsylvania, which is not automatic. he lost by thlargest margin in the history of pennsylvania by any senator. all this have to make sure we can carry our home state. the one thing that would not fly is losing georgia. we are back campaigning again tomorrow night. and then we will go to hans fell during the day.

host: on the line with newt gingrich, good new evening. caller: good morning, mr. speaker. i voted for you in the florida primary. i just wanted to alert the rest of america it to your wonderful series of books. i just want to tell you that just finished reading "the battle of the crater cot." "the red badge of courage" i believe is one of the three great books about the civil war. i wish you well on tuesday. i encourage anyone who wants to know about your, shall i say, feelings or thoughts about race,

to read "the battle of the crater cot." the other thing i wanted to say is that i believe -- should not be made into a movie but an opera. i wish you well on tuesday. guest: [laughter] all right. well, this is my wife's birthday. i will tell our for a birthday present you suggested that it's become an opera. she will find that fascinatg. she has had a new york times best-seller in which an elephant introduces great advance in americahistory. she and i are a mutual author. thank you for your very kind words. part of my passion for running for president is illustrated in these books. i have such a deep hatred believe that america and in the

importance of american history. in particular, learning the lessons of our founding fathers. host: our next call, a democratic line, good morning. caller: in a first-time caller. i am a democrat, but i consider it a real honor to speak to former senator speaker. two quick questions that i have. it is a very inspiring talk on the need to improve education in port inter-city areas which you call an issue of national security. he said that otherwise kids in these areas would be assessed -- success -- susceptible to al qaeda. you gave a speech by former democratic senator and praised kennedy for his work on education. so here are my two questions. given that we are still at war in afghanistan and the americans

are dying over there, do you still believe improving inter- city education is an issue of national secury for the reasons of that speech? and my second question is, if you do, as president, how do you see the federal government's role in implementing that issue of national security? guest: well, it is a great question. it goes all the way ta report in the reagan administration in 1983. it said that a foreign govement was doing as much as damage to our children as we are, we would consider it an act of war. for almost 30 years now, we've had a report telling us that our children are in really bad shape. we spent three years looking at american and national security.

we said the greatest threat to the u.s. was a weapon of national -- a weapon of mass destruction. we said the second greatest threat was the failure to invest in math, science, education, and basic research. we said the greatest threat in any conceivable war. the president tried to convince people to be for very bold, very dramatic reform in schools. i actually favor a pell grant so the money goes to the parent and child and they decide where to spd it. i would dramatally shrink the federal bureauccy and give power back to the states. i challenge the state departments of education to strength. give the power back to local school boards, local parents. recognize that t teachers' union, any moral authority has

to put the children of first and not protect bad teachers. i think that is a powerful moment in american history. say that we are in doubt by our creator with certain unalienable rights which are life, liberty, -- the pursuit of happiness. i believe that applies to every background in every single neighborhood. i want to change a safety net, as it is called, into a springboard to give every person a chance to join the middle class by getting a job, getting an education, having a chance to rise and earn their way into their pursuit of happiness. host: this question and comment on our facebook page. if you do not win the nomination, which considered a vp position? i believe to be a great asset to the republican campaign in the

general election. guest: n responsible citizen can turn down a request from a potential president. buit is not something i think will happen. if i'm not the leader, iill help the leader in defeating barack obama. that is essential for the future of this country. i'll do everything i can to defeat barack obama. i think i can do a better job at bating him. when you look at how much money he will raise, is is pretty clear that the traditional raw meat strategy of out raising his opponents will not work against obama. obama will be more negative with more money. the only way to beat him is to have a very big solutions and be able to articulate. that is why i have the idea of $2.50 a gasoline. the obama strategy is going to $9 or $10 a gallon.

my strategy of $2.50 or less a gaon. i think we can win that debate in october. we could win the general election. host: if you were the republican nominee, which to consider mitt romney as your running mate? guest: i would certainly consider a number of people. i could not imagine governor romney would want to be on the list, but he would be. host: in north carolina, good morning, to wear for waiting. caller: speaker gingrich, what an honor to speak to the master debater. your popcorn machine is an idea that love. i love science andxploration. the moon base idea caught my attention. we are paying $50 million per astraut for a taxi ride up to the space station.

that is about to a 38,000 loss from the moon. if john kennedy had planned, he is the republican antithesis. he had not hadis brain -- if he had not had his brains a shot out in dallas until the day, there would have been no apocalypse in southeast asia with ever but still paying for. no continual robbing of the trust funds by the republicans. abdulla host: -- we will stop you on those notes and get a response from gingrich. guest: the tragedy of kennedy being killed is one that affect all of us. i still remember where i was weller about it. i was shopping. the whole nation watched for 24 hours. it was the first time in a very

long time we had seen someone like that happen to a president. he was so young and so vital, his wife was so beautiful. it is a moment th is unforgettable for our generation. i do share his passion for going into space. the differences that i want to use lots of private-sector incentives. i want different entrepreneur rules trying different techniques. you know, the wright brothers spent five summers tried to learn how to fly. it costs about an average of $1 per flight. this is that when money was more difficult. there were a private enterprise. bicycle mechanics. did not have much money. they camped out every summer. they've managed to learn how to fly for about $500 over five summers. the smithsonian had $50,000 from

congress to invent an airplane and failed. i give you that example because we spend $181 billion on nasa and the last 10 years. if we had saved a fair amount of that and put into private money and incentives for the private sector for entrepreneurs, for people just want to do it, i think we would have generated four or five private-sector dollars for every $1 be put up. and you have almost one trillion dollars in the last decade. when i talk about this bold, exciting new thing, i'm talking about getting bureaucracies out of the way. i know governor romney said he would a firestorm with a big a deal like that. that is sort of like saying he would have fired christopher columbus to proposing to discover the new world. or fired the wright brothers for

inventing the airplane. or fired henry ford. for that matter, steve jobs and build dates for their wild ideas about computing and icons and ipads. i am a visionary. i believe in a bigger, better, more interesting american institution. je and i believe we can use signs of technology to create new things for our children and grandchildren. i believe we can do it largely in the private sector by using government incentives and intelligent way and getting bureaucracy out of the way. host: an exact your earlier point. here's a question ryder to dr. to cents per gallon of gasoline. are you talking to are regulating businesses? what is your plan? guest: if you go bato newt.org you'll see a speech i gave rice said how to

incentivize the system. yet new technology producing what they now believe beat 2500% more oil. in natural gas today, because of new technology, we have got from seven-year supply to a wonder 25-year supply. the price of natural gas has dropped. if you applied that to oil, you would have gasoline down at around $1.20, $1.30 per gallon. we have historic examples right now. if the president would sign the keystone pipeline, that would bring $700,000 a day of canadian oil to houston to open up the gulf of mexico. and open that designated alaskan

areas that we know about. that is breeze groves of depends to get 2,000,003 a thousand extra barrels of oil. -- that is the two strokes of the pen to get 230,000 barrels of oil. the obama policy, which can see in his two speeches in miami and new hampshire last week where he is against the drilling for oil. he talks by using algae as a solution. i am for bio fuels, research, science. the idea that algae is a replacement for drilling, it is a little like being told that if only we inflated our tires to save enough gasoline not to drill. these are fantasies. drilling works. we have proof and natural gas

that drilling works. only the president posey left- wing ideology is blocking some pushing us towards $9 or $10 a gallon gasoline. host: if your joining us on c- span radio, our guest is newt gingrich. mr. speaker, let me get to some of the news of the weekend. on friday, the president calling sandra sleep because of the comments made by conservative radio talk show rush limbaugh. guest: i think rush correctly apologize. it is interesting. the apology that i worry about is that barack obama, as commander in chief, apologizes to religious fanatics when they are killing americans. i think that is a much bigger

news story and bigger problem than a radio commentator. i find it fascinating, it's the news media has honed in on rush limbaugh and avoided barack obama. as commander-in-chief, i think he made a much bigger mistake d one with very long-term implications. now you have thenited nations secretary general for trying american troops. these had already been defaced by muslim extremists who work in prison. yet, but nobody has -- the prisoners who were defacing the koran. i think it is one of the most politically exploited mammas. if you want to talk about apologies, i suspect president obama's apology in a time of religious fanatics are killing americans is a much bigger -- term issue than a radio commentator. host: let me follow up on that

point. the president said his apology defused the situation and may have saved lives in afghanistan. guest: the president's apology communicate aense of american guild which is very dangerous. you he the u.n. high commissioner suggesting that we try our troops. i think our troops have been very bravely and courageously tried to find a way to help the afghans achieve freedom. if we're going to be faced with religious fanatics to believe they have the right to kl young americans a over books, we may have to siously consider drive for afghanistan society. this is not a society we are capable of helping modernize at the present time. host: the republican debate focused more on social issues than economic issues in the last couple weeks. guest: i think it has. candidly, we had a great forum

with mike huckabee on fox. it ran two hours on jobs. if you look, advertising, if you lots newt.org you'll see of stuff on to got to do cents a gallon of gasoline. we have a new #. i'veeen talking up the economy. the importance of coming into the middle east. i am very happy to talk about jobs and energy. host: we're joined from the bronx in new yk on the republican line. good morning. caller: it is an honor and pleasure to speak to the next president of the united states. i want to thank you for being in this race. all my questions have been answered from mr. newt gingrich. he has answers for everything. a big ideas and great answers to the questions that we need. in this time, which is so

terrible right now, we need somebody with his experience. we do not need anoer inexperienced president, republican or democrat, sitting at the white house. please keep going. stay in ere. you'll be the next predent. thank you. guest: thank you. i will need to help in york. that was a very nice statement. host: how do you get to that point in terms of delegates? at the end of the day, you need more than 1100 to become the republican nominee. you expect to win georgia. where else do you win? guest: habib lester with georgia which is the largest state -- let's start with georgia which is the largest in terms of delegates. oklahoma, idaho, ohio, alaska, maybe north dakota.

possibly in massachusetts where the conservative wing did not like governor romney. we then go to mississippi and alabama which we hope to win in one week. from there, to kansas. we hope to be very competitive there. our goal is to keep picking up delegates and keep talking about $2.50 a gallon of gasoline. people who are attracted, we have is based on newt.org where people can give one newt gallon of gas for $2.50. 95% of our voters are under $250. we have a huge base people give more. we hope by the time we get to texas, governor perry has said he things -- 155 delegates. that set the stage one week

later for the biggest aid in california. we have a number of key republican leaders. chinese-americans, tie- americans. -- thai-america. if it is clear in the one candidate, i think frankly, these delegates are legally bound. you can easily see all summer towards a big idea, big solution gingrich candidacy. the fighting there is a real chance of us taking the nomination. in the end, people recognize that governor romney's entire strategy has been to raise a much money on wall street and rent some of negative ads that it is basically a scorcher candidacy.

that does not work against obama. that will not get him the presidency. his record shows an inability to offer a big program. host: qui note about the debates. as you know, the have been occasions who opted out of any debates. any concerns if you are the nominee that the president may say that he does not nd to debate you and won't? guest: well, he can try to say that, but we live in an age where it is almost impossible to sustain that. i will fall abraham lincoln's policy. when he announced the incumbent senator to challenge debates, he said no. everywhere he went, lincoln with the following day and answer him. his rebuttals got more press coverage than speeches. he agreed to a three-hour debate. i have said as the republican nominee in tampa that the president has not agreed to 73-

hour debate by the time i'm the nominee, i will announce that night that the white house will do my scheduler. given the nature of modern news media, wherever he speaks, i will answer him for hours later. -- four hours later. his energy speeches were absurd. it would be great fun to have rebuttals him within hours. he -- its impossible to hide in the modern era. frankly, people deserve to have a debate. host: george gets the last question in a new juror -- in virginia. good morning. caller: it is a pleasure to talk to you. i've been falling ever since your in the house. i have been in two wars. i went into the service at 15

years old. i agree with everything you say. i'm a conservative. we have to get this man after the white house because he has ruined this country from day one that he went into office. host: we will give the speaker the last word. guest: i agree with him. i think this is the most important election of our lifetime. i think if he is present, it will be so radical. it to be very different country. i think a country that believes in the declaration of independence, believes in the constitution, believes in defending america, i think this may well be the most important election of our lifetime. i agree with tt. host: we support the eventual nominee if it is not newt gingrich? guest: sure. i believe barack obama is a disaster for my children and my grandchildren.

i think you'll find all the support the nominee because all of us are in agreement on our side that reelecting obama is a disaster for our country and a disaster for our children and grandchildren. host: as always, we appreciate timememememememememememememememe

.

>> this matters to israel and to the united states of america, too. prediction?'s >> we will see more arab countries in which the arab's are transforming them for the first time in history. [applause] and we should applaud them. >> right. >> i think this time next year we will be able to judge better whether democracy, which is coming to the arab world, or anarchy, witches,

unfortunately, a possibility. we will still be debating the nuclear program, only the i iranians -- >> thank you. so much for applauding. i want to thank you for that in sight. thank you very much. [applause] >> now,isrealie public affairs -- president shimon peres

speaks. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you very much periods

my people thank you. thank you, president obama, for being such a good friend. [applause] thank you, aipac, for your dedication and excellence as an organization like yours. [applause] friends, it's great to be here. it's great to be here together,

strong, united. i see old friends and new ones. i see many young faces, young boys and girls, the future, it belongs to you. israel loves you. [applause] i am moved by your generous gift. i stand here before you. i am a hopeful man, proud to be jewish, proud to be israeli, proud to be here to have served my country for 65 years. [applause] i am proud of our alliance with

the united states of america. israel, like america, was conceived as an idea to create a new world by breeding together the past in the innovations of the future. friends, the restoration of a jewish faith after 2000 years in exile is a historic miracle. [applause] we started as a doubt and we wound up a long way away. we had to fight six wars in six decades.

we did not lose one. we never will. [applause] we cannot afford it. we have to defend ourselves so it is our life and obligation. [applause] with all land, water, or resources, israel grew tenfold in population and the 50 fold in gdp. [applause] israel's high-tech and innovation made herself green.

israel is building new cities, universities, new theaters. our children are speaking the language of our prophets. [applause] hebrew literature is flourishing. from a disparaged people, we became a united democracy. [applause] no day of war ever interrupted a day of democracy. never. [applause] dear friends, permit me a personal moment. in the eye of the storm, i was 11 years old.

he said only three words to me, "shimon, stay jewish." those were his last words to me. i never saw him again. when i arrived in his village, they forced him with the remaining jews into the wooden synagogues and set it on fire. but no one survived. no one. what remained of my grandfather was his legacy, his last words to me. "stay jewish." [applause]

dear friends, i was privileged to work as the father of our nation. the unforgettable david. my grandfather's legacy became my compass which is comprised of four things -- our pursuit of peace and security, our quest for knowledge, and our alliance with the united states of america. [applause]

we returned to the book and its values. it has helped the jewish people survive for 4000 years, not because of our quantity of because of our quality. not because we had thousands of guns but because we had 10 commandments. [applause] we are guided by the call of our prophet. i tell you what it means to me. to never deny justice to others, the pursuit of peace for us. it is not opportunity.

it is a moral imperative. it is a tenet of our nation's security. to make peace, israel must be strong. let me assure you. israel is strong. [applause] israel is undergoing its greatest storm in history with horrible bloodshed in syria. a tyrant is killing his people -- killing his children. i admire the courage of the syrian people and i wished them peace and freedom from the depths of our hearts. [applause] in spite of the storm copper -- in spite of the storm, we have

to reach out to the young generation in the arab world, to those who strive for freedom, democracy, and peace. dear friends, the palestinians are our neighbors for life. peace can and must be achieved with the them. [applause] a peace based on a two-state solution, a jewish state of israel, and the independent palestine. it was accepted by past and present israeli prime ministers, and american presidents like bill clinton, george w. bush, barack obama, all of them. the president of a two-state

solution is a paramount is really interest. we want to preserve in israel that is jewish, democratic. i need from time to time with president habbas and the prime minister. they need and they want peace. i believe that it is possible with them. they are our only partner. [applause] it is a piece that is a dream for both of us and it is a nightmare for iran. they are afraid that we shall make peace. iran is an evil, cruel, morally

corrupt. it is an affront to human dignity. they are the sponsor and finance are of world terror. iran is a danger to the entire world. [applause] it threatens berlin as well as madrid. it does not threaten just israel. their ambition is to control the metal least so they can control the major powers of the world economy. it must be stopped. it will be stopped. [applause]

israel experienced the whole of war. it does not seek it. peace is always our first option. if we are forced to fight, trust me, we shall prevail. [applause] president obama is leading in the implementing an internationally complex policy imposing economic and political sanctions against iran. president obama made it clear that the united states of america will never permit iran to become nuclear. [applause]

he made it clear that containment is not a viable policy. as the president stated, all options are on the table. dear friends, the united states and israel share the same goal to prevent iran from developing a nuclear weapon. [applause] there is no space between us. our message is clear. iran will not develop nuclear weapons. ladies and gentlemen, the quest for knowledge defines jewish history. judaism is in constant debate. it is about asking the right questions. it is about being a liberal and

pluralistic society. i believe jews are never satisfied because they are always seeking nuances, a better world, a different tomorrow, or what we call [speaking hebrew]. i believe the next decade will be the most scientific it, the best chapter in human history. it will expose possibilities that today's sound like science fiction. it's a center will be research. the more we shall not about ourselves, and the more we shall be able to control our souls.

it in a global world, without a global government, self control is vital. friends, a world of science and knowledge, on in a world of signs of knowledge the jewish people and israel have an exciting world play, much to contribute, and so we shall. friends, members of congress, may i say america is, and will remain, the indispensable leader of the free world. [applause] the indispensable friend of our people.

today, more than ever, the world needs america. [applause] i have had the privilege to meet all american presidents in the last 50 years. democrats and republicans. i was always impressed by their deep commitment, their real character is real. their commitment was, and is, my comfort. mr. president -- [applause] mr. president, members of the administration, members of congress on both sides of the

aisle, but we are forever grateful to you. your unwavering support, but you're unparalleled alliance between america and israel. thank you from the depths of my heart. [applause] thank you. [applause] i first met president barack obama, our great friend, when he was a senator from illinois. i saw before me a born leader. the care and devotion to israel's security was already

then evident to me. mr. president, i know your commitment to israel is profound. [applause] under your leadership, security cooperations between the u.s. and israel has reached its highest level. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we have a friend in the white house. [applause] it reflects the values that have made america great and makes israel secure. thank you, president obama, on

behalf of my people. [applause] soon, i will return home, great challenges and opportunities await us. i know this. thank you for your love and commitment and america's great friendship. ladies and gentlemen, i return home much more hopeful, much more encouraged. thank you. really. all of you. from the depths of the hearts of my people. god bless america. god bless israel. shalom to you. thank you very much. [applause] ♪

>> now president obama addresses

the conference here it he defended his policies towards israel and extended his commitment to israel. [applause] >> thank you. good morning everyone.

seen in rosy on the basketball court. i bet it would be a tree. -- a treat.

rosie, you have been a dear friend of mine for a long time, and a tireless advocate for the unbreakable bond between israel and the united states. as you complete your term as president, i salute your leadership and your commitment. [applause] i want to thank the board of directors. as always, i'm glad to see my longtime friends in the chicago delegation. [applause] i also want to thank the members of congress here with us today and will be speaking to you over the next few days. you have worked hard to maintain the partnership between the united states and israel. i especially want to thank my close friend and leader of the democratic national committee, debbie wasserman shultz. [applause] i'm glad that my outstanding young ambassador to israel is in the house, dan shapiro. [applause] i understand dan is perfecting his hebrew on his new assignment and i appreciate the constant outreach to the people of israel. i'm pleased that we're joined by so many officials including michael horn.

[applause] in many ways, this award is a symbol of the ties that bind ourtomorrow, i'm looking forward

to welcoming prime minister netanyahu and his delegation back to the white house. [applause] every time i come to aipac, i'm especially impressed to see so many young people here. you do not yet get the front seat, so i understand. you have to earn that. but students from all of the country who are making their voices heard and engaging deeply in our democratic space. you carry with you an extraordinary legacy of more than six decades of friendship between the united states and israel. you have the opportunity, and a responsibility, to make your own mark on the world. for inspiration, you can look to the man who preceded me on this stage, who is being honored at this conference my friend, president shimon peres. [applause] shimon was born a world away from here. in what was then poland. but few years after world war i. his heart was always in israel, the historic homeland of the

jewish people. when he was just a boy, he made his journey across land and sea towards home. in his life, he has bought for israel's independence, fought for peace and security. as a minister of defense and foreign affairs, as a prime minister, and as president, shimon helped build a nation that drives today, the jewish state of israel. [applause] but beyond these extraordinary achievements, he has also been a powerful moral voice that reminds us that right makes might. not the other way around. [applause] shimon once describedthe story of the jewish people by saying that it proved that arrows in gas chambers can annihilate man but they cannot kill dignity and freedom. he has lived those values. he has taught us to ask more of ourselves and to empathize more with our fellow human beings. i am grateful for his life's work and his moral example. i'm proud to announce that later this spring i will invite shimon peres to the white house to present him with the presidential medal of freedom. [applause] [applause] in many ways, this award is a symbol of the ties that bind our nation's. the united states and israel share interests, but we also share those human values shimon spoke about. a commitment to human dignity, a believe that freedom is a right that is given to all god's children, an experience that shows us that democracy is the one and only form of government that can truly respond to the aspirations of citizens. america's founding fathers understood this truth just as israel's founding generation did. president truman put it well, describing his decision to formally recognize israel only minutes after declared independence. he said, "i had faith in israel before it was established.

but i believe and has a glorious future before it, as not just another sovereign nation, but as the embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization." for over six decades, the american people have kept that faith. yes, we are bound to israel because of the interests we share in security for our communities, prosperity for our people, the new frontiers of science to light the world, but ultimately it is our common ideals that provide the true foundation for our relationship. that is why america's commitment to israel has endured under democratic and republican presidents and congressional leaders of both parties. [applause] in the united states, our support for israel is bipartisan and that is how it should stay. [applause] aipac's work continually nurtures this bond. you can expect that over the next several days you will hear many fine words from elected officials describing their commitment to the u.s.-israel relationship. as you examine my commitment, you do not just have to count on my words. you can look at my deeds. over the last three years as president of united states, i have kept my commitment to the state of israel. at every crucial juncture and

at every port in the road, we have been there for israel every single time. [applause] as the book for you and i said israel's security is sacrosanct. it is non-negotiable. my administration's commitment to israeli security has never been closer. our joint exercises and training has never been more robust. this has increased every single year. we are investing in new capabilities.

we are providing israel with more technology, products, and systems that only goes to our closest friends and allies. we will do what it takes to preserve israel's military edge because israel must always have the ability to defend itself, by itself, against any threat. [applause] this is not just about numbers on a balance sheet. as a senator, i would speak to israel's troops on the lebanon border. i have been to visit the families to have known the terror of rocket fire. that is why as president i have

provided critical funding for the system that has intercepted rockets that may have hit homes, schools, and hospitals in those towns and in others. [applause] now our assistance is expanding israel's capability so that more people can live free from the fear of rockets and ballistic missiles. the family, no citizen, should live in fear. just as we have been there with our security assistance, we have been there through our diplomacy. when they unfairly singled out israel for criticism, we challenge them. when israel was isolated in the aftermath of the flotilla incident, we had their backs. we would always reject the notion that zionism is racism. [applause]

when one-sided resolutions has brought us to the human rights council, we oppose them. when diplomats feared for their lives in cairo, we intervened to save them. when the efforts to boycott or the best from israel, we will stand against them. whenever an effort is made to delegitimize the state of israel, my administration has opposed them. there should not be a shred of doubt by now that when the chips are down, i have israel's back. [applause] which is why it is during this

political season you hear some questions regarding my administration's support for israel. remember that this is not backed up by the facts. remember that the u.s.-israel relationship is simply too important to be distorted by partisan politics. america's national security is important. israel's security is too important. [applause] of course, there are those who question not my security and diplomatic commitments but rather my administration's ongoing pursuit of peace between israel and palestine.

let me say this. i make no apologies for pursuing peace. israel's own leaders understand the necessity of peace. prime minister netanyahu, the defense minister, president peres, each of them have called for two states, and secure israel living side by side with an independent palestinian state. i believe that peace is profoundly in israel's security interests. [applause] the reality that israel faces, shifting demographics, emerging technologies, to an extremely difficult international environment come and resolution of this issue, i believe that peace with palestine is consistent with israel's founding values. because of our shared belief in self-determination, because

israel's place as a jewish and democratic state must be protected. [applause] of course, peace is hard to achieve. there is a reason why it has remained elusive for six decades. the upheaval and uncertain in israel's neighborhood makes it that much harder, from the horrific violence raging in syria to the transition in egypt. the division within the palestinian leadership makes it harder still. most notably, with hamas's continuing israel have has no right to exist. we should not and cannot to give in to more despair. the changes taking place in the region make peace more important, not less. i've made it clear that there will be no lasting peace unless it israel's security concerns

are met. [applause] that is why we continue to press arab leaders to reject israel. that is why we will continue to support the peace treaty with egypt. that is why, just as we encourage israel to be resolute in the concerns of peace, we insist that any palestinian partner must recognize israel's right to exist. [applause] that is why my administration has consistently rejected any efforts to shortcut negotiations or impose an agreement on parties. as well as you noted, last year is the before you and pledged that the united states would stand up against the kurds to single israel out of the united nations.

as you know, that pledge has been kept. [applause] last september, i stood before the u.n. general assembly and reaffirmed that any lasting peace must acknowledge the fundamental legitimacy of israel and its security concerns. i said that america's concern and commitment to israel's security is unwavering. israel must be recognized. no american president has made such a clear statement about our support for israel at the men in such a difficult time. people usually give those speeches in instances like this one, not before the general assembly. [applause] i must say that there was not a lot of applause. but it was the right thing to do.

as a result, today there's no doubt anywhere in the world that the united states will insist upon israel's security and legitimacy. [applause] that will be true as we continue our efforts to pursue peace, and it will be true when it comes to the issue that is such a focus for all of us today, iran's nuclear program. let's begin with a basic truth that you all understand. no israeli government can tolerate a nuclear weapon in the hands of a regime that denies the holocaust, threatens

to wipe israel off the map, and sponsors terrorist groups committed to israel's destruction. [applause] so i understand the profound historical obligation that weighs on the soldiers of benjamin netanyahu, ehud barak, and all of the political leaders. a nuclear-armed iran is counter to israel's security interests. it is also counter to the national security interests of the united states. [applause]

indeed, the entire world has an interest in preventing iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. and nuclear-armed iran would certainly undermine the nonproliferation regime we have done it so much to build. there are risks that an iranian nuclear weapon could fall into the hands of a terrorist organization. it is almost certain that others in the region would feel compelled to get their own nuclear weapon. there are risks that an iranian nuclear weapon could fall into the hands of a terrorist organization. it is almost certain that others in the region would feel compelled to get their own nuclear weapon, triggering an arms raised in one of the world's most local regions. it will involve the regime that has been was its own people and embolden by iran's prophets who have carried out terrorist attacks. when i took office, the efforts to apply pressure on iran were

in tatters. iran had gone from zero central future spending to thousands without push back from the world. the reason was that iran was a symbol increasingly extending its reach. the iranian leadership was united and on the move. from my very first months in office, we put forward a very clear choice to the iranian regime.

a path that would allow them to rejoin the community of nations if they meet their international obligations or a path that leads to an escalating series of consequences if they do not. in fact, our policy of engagement quickly rebuffed by the iranian regime allowed us to rally the international community as never before, to expose iran. because of our efforts, iran is under greater pressure than ever before. some of you will recall the people predicted that russia and china would not push to move toward pressure. they did. in 2010, the un security council overwhelmingly supported a comprehensive sanctions effort. few thought that sanctions could have an immediate bite on the iranian regime. they have.

many thought we could hold the coalition together. but our friends in europe and asia and elsewhere are joining us. in 2012, the iranian government faces the prospect of even more crippling sanctions. that is where we are today. because of our work. iran is isolated, its leadership divided and under pressure and, by the way, the arab spring has only increased the use trends as the hypocrisy of the regime is explode. as a result, the assad regime is crumbling. so long as iran fails to meet its obligations, this problem remains unresolved. the effective implementation of

our policy is not enough. we must accomplish our objectives. and in that effort -- [applause] i firmly believe that an opportunity still remains for diplomacy backed by pressure to succeed. the united states and israel both assessed that iran does not have yet a nuclear weapon and we are exceedingly vigilant in monitoring their program. now the international community has a responsibility to use the time and space that exists. sanctions are continuing to increase. this july, a european ban on iran in oil imports will take place. [applause]

faced with these increasingly dire consequences, i ran's leaders still have the opportunity to make the right decision. they can choose a path that brings them back into the community of nations or they can continue down a dead-end. given their history, there are of course no guarantees that the iranian regime will make the right choice. both israel and the united states have an interest in seeing this challenge resolved diplomatically. after all, the only way to truly solve this problem is for the iranian government to make a decision to forsake nuclear weapons. that is what history tells us. moreover, as president and commander in chief, i have a deeply held preference for peace over war. [applause] i have sent men and women into harm's way. i have seen the consequences of those decisions in the eyes of those i me to come back gravely

wounded and the absence of those who do not make it home. long after i leave this office, i will remember those moments as the most searing of my presidency. for this reason, as part of my solemn promise to the american people, i will use force when the time and circumstances demand it. and i know that israeli leaders also know all too well because the consequences of war. even as the recognize their obligation to defend their country. so we all prefer resolving this issue diplomatically. having said that, iran's leaders should have no doubt about the result of united states. [applause] just as they should not doubt israel's sovereign right to make

its own decisions about its own security needs. [applause] i have said that when it comes to iran to obtain nuclear weapon, i will take no auctions off the table. and i mean what i say. -- i will take no options off the table. and i mean what i say. [applause] that includes all efforts of american power. an economic effort that imposes crippling sanctions and, yes, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency.

[applause] iran's leaders should understand that i do not have a policy of containment. i have a policy to prevent iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. [applause] and as i have made clear time and again during the course of my presidency, i will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the united states and its interests. [applause] moving forward, i would ask that we all remember the weightiness of these issues, the stakes involved for israel, for

america, and the world. already, there's too much loose talk of war. over the last few weeks, such talks have only benefited the iranian government by driving up the price of oil which they depend on to fund their nuclear program. for the sake of israel's security, america's security, and the peace and security of the world, knows all the time for bluster. now is the time for letting pressure sinking in. now's the time to heed the timeless and vice of teddy roosevelt's. speak softly, carry a big stick. [applause] and as we do, rest assured that

the iranian government will know our resolve, that our coordination with israel will continue. these are challenging times. we have been through challenging times before. the united states and israel will get through them. we have both benefited from the bonds the bring us together. i am proud to be one of those people. in the past, i have shared in this for just why those bonds are so personal for me. the stories of a great uncle who helped liberate buchenwald to my memory is returning there with elie wiesel, sharing books and experiences with my friends on the campaign trail and in what has been to my friends in this room and the concept that has enriched and guided my life.

[applause] israel's story is one of hope. we may not agree on every single issue. no two nations do. our democracies contain a vibrant diversity of views. but we agree on the big things. the things that matter. and together, we are working to build a better world, one where people can live free from fear, one where peace is founded upon justice, one where our children can know a future that is more hopeful than the present.

there is no shortage of speeches on this friendship between the united states and israel. but i'm also mindful of the proverb that man is judged by his deeds, not his words. so if you want to know where my heart lies, look no further than what i have done. [applause] thank you very much, everybody. god bless you. god bless the people of israel. god bless the united states of america. ♪

>> today our live coverage begins at 9:15 a.m. eastern. then, live at 9:30 p.m. eastern, mitch mcconnell, house minority leader nancy pelosi, and is really prime minister will speak at the dinner. that is live today on c-span2. that is live today on c-span2.