another, i want to say thank you -- from one carolina woman to another, thank you for your relationship the between the united states of america and israel, and for your commitment to our leadership. thank you to ambassador nikki haley. [applause] ♪ announcer: secretary of state mike pompeo talked about the president's proclamation reprising israel's sovereignty over the role height in his remarks. he also talked about the rise of anti-semitism. his remarks are about 20 minutes. ♪ [cheers and applause]

secretary pompeo: thank you. it is truly wonderful to be here tonight. i want to thank the aipac president and ceo, for inviting me to be a speaker here tonight. and thank you for that incredibly warm welcome. as some of you may have seen, my wife susan, who is here with me tonight, i just returned from a trip to israel. [applause] and we made a little news. i have been to israel many times but it was the first time i got to visit our embassy in jerusalem.

[applause] thank you. it was incredibly moving to be there. i also became the first american secretary of state to visit the firstn wall, and the high-ranking american official to do that with an israeli prime minister. [applause] sec. pompeo: i then traveled to beirut to speak to the leadership about a big problem, the threat of hezbollah to lebanon and israel. and we minced no words. wasof course, of course it a great honor to be on is really

soil and to celebrate with prime minister netanyahu at the very moment president trump recognized the golan heights for what it is, a part of israel. [applause] sec. pompeo: as most of you would have seen by now, just a short while ago, president trump alongside prime minister , aanyahu signed the decree decree affirming israel's sovereignty over the golan heights. great two days for two great nations. [applause] sec. pompeo: that ties

into my own connection with israel, and more importantly, to america's connection to israel. as a former west point cadet and former tank officer, i have had a chance -- all right, for all you attack officers in the audience -- i had a chance while i was a student and on active duty to study the historic tank battle that took place on those historic heights. on my first visit, i took my family to the golan heights and i had my son stand in each of the positions so we could feel exactly what look like to the soldiers on that day. my son reminds me that it was muddy and wet, but he will never forget the walkabout that we all took on the golan heights. pressioned this in my conference that night with prime minister netanyahu, that susan, nick and i had a chance to gaze into the valley of tears, named for the vicious fighting that took place there in 1973.

we saw what those brave israeli soldiers would have seen. 9, themorning of october commander and the seventh tank brigade had been fighting for , and they were totally exhausted and totally outnumbered. they didn't know what would happen next. syrian tanks were on the cost of breaking through their lines, yet they held on -- on the cusp of breaking through their lines. reinforcements swooped in and the syrians retreated. [applause] settled, the voice of the general crackled through the radio. "you have saved the people of ."rael

how can you not be completely odd by these brave men, their defense of the golan heights and their commitment to their country? and how can we also not be proud here in america, proud to know that their relentless defense of israel, of zion, was aided by the united states of america? [applause] great battles, launched an operation of the provided israel with tanks, ammunition and all supplies needed to continue the defense of the homelands. israeli prime minister golder forer said, -- generations, all will be told of the miracles of the united states bringing the material that brought life to our people.

[applause] battle, the battle of the valley of tears, and without the american support of israel, there would not have in an israel to recognize as the proper sovereign over the golan heights. [applause] sec. pompeo: and this relationship, from truman to trump, is a tradition of supporting israel deeply. and i think about that every day as i serve as america's secretary of state. [applause] sec. pompeo: but i want to talk to you about something i am very indeed.about i am worried about an old threat that is reemerging to israel and to jews all around the world, the threat of anti-semitism. it is a cancer metastasizing in the middle east, and europe, and indeed, sadly, here in the united states as well.

in britain, the labour party's tolerance of anti-semitism. france's jews are under attack. anti-semitic attacks in germany are also on the rise. attacks have risen in this country by one third since 2017. consider the attacks in brooklyn this past year. none of us, none of us will ever forget the 11 americans murdered at the tree of life synagogue. mid-year memories be a blessing to all of us. -- may there memories be a blessing to all of us. [applause] sec. pompeo: every decent human being has the responsibility to fight anti-semitism. it is on affront to religious liberty. it denies the rights of jews to

worship their god. it attacks what it means to be jewish, ethnically and religiously. but americans have a special responsibility to combat the scourge, because religious freedom sits at the core of our funding. it is in our bill of rights as the very first freedom, the central freedom that all others who enjoy here in america are built. and it is because i am a champion of that religious toedom that i am here today tell you the united states stands with the jewish people and israel in the fight against the world's oldest bigotry. [applause] sec. pompeo: this bigotry is taking on an insidious new form, in the guise of anti-zionism. it has infested college campuses movement.m of the bds

it is discussed in our media, supported by some members of congress, i suspect many of whom are not here tonight. [laughter] sec. pompeo: don't get me wrong, criticizing israel's policies is something you have a right to do. but criticizing the very right to exist of israel is not acceptable. [applause] anti-zionism, anti-zionism denies the very legitimacy of the israeli state and of the jewish people. zionism reflects the determination of the jews to live as free people in their ancestral homeland. it grows out of the jewish faith. zionism was born in the old sentiment, crystallized in the rzlcentury under theodore he

and was crystallized in 1948, and the establishment of the modern state of israel. country today, only one of the 100 92 united nations, has its right to exist routinely questioned. recordends, let me go on --anti-zionism is anti-semitism. [cheers and applause] sec. pompeo: let trump administration opposes it unequivocally and we will fight for it relentlessly.

sec. pompeo: i want to talk about why anti-semitism is on the rise, i have a few thoughts on the reasons. ,irst, western civilizations and our youth in particular, are losing firsthand experience with the holocaust, as the postwar generation dies out. i have thought about it on my most recent trip to israel when i visited yad veshem. teach ourofessors children that israel is the academy of imperialism. third, journalists who helped drive our public -- always take the time to consider facts and think critically, and i am being polite. but frankly, worst of all, some politicians think anti-semitism can actually win them votes. and we have to correct the record. we all have an obligation to do so because israel should be admired, not attacked, embraced,

not vilified, and emulated, not ostracized. [applause] president trump has made the fight against anti-semitism a top priority. you can see it in our actions. in june, we left the u.n. human rights council, which had more resolutions condemning israel than all other nations combined. we have a real fighter in that role, who i am so proud to have in our team. year, it was my honor to host the first ever religious freedom ministerial at the state department and i am proud to say that we will do it again in july. 15, i took action to

deter the lawless international criminal court from targeting americans and israelis alike. [applause] sec. pompeo: and the trump administration and my team at the state department is confirming the world's number one proponent of anti-semitism, the islamic republic of iran. he has seen it not only in the promises the president has made, we pulled out of the iranian nuclear deal, which put more than $100 billion in the pockets of the ayatollah and funded the islamic republic's quest for regional domination. we have enacted the strongest pressure campaign in history against iran and its proxies and they are feeling the pain. sec. pompeo: as i said earlier, i was in israel 48 hours ago.

there, as well as terrorist in chief recently bagged for contributions from the very people in lebanon that he and the israeli masters that he and his a runny masters have subjugated and terrorized. people ine very lebanon that he and his masters have subjugated and terrorized. we are supporting israel's right to defend itself with military support to the tune of $38 billion a year and with the moral 30 that israel demands and deserves. the list is long. a few weeks ago we deployed one of our most advanced antimissile israel.in he has seen the work that our team, hard at work at devising a proposal to help the israelis and palestinians find a just and lasting peace. in part of the, too, my team is working to mobilize and rally

nations across the middle east to find common ground. in february, our polish friends partnered with the state department for a conference. over 64 ministers and arab leaders from all around the world sat with israel's leaders. historic.ly , in spitely, frankly of its historic nature, it didn't feel historic. it simply felt right. [applause] sec. pompeo: jews, muslims, christians, working together to toeat islamic terrorists, defeat a run, and to protect each of our nations, was the right thing to do for each of those countries. times. in dangerous we have to speak the truth. anti-semitism shed and must be rejected by all decent people.

anti-semitism -- anti-zionism is anti-semitism and any nation that espouses anti-semitism like iran must be confronted. we must defend the right for a homeland of the jewish people. [applause] sec. pompeo: we must see to it that the old dreams of moses, of america's poet laureate, mls or is, who wrote the words inscribed in our statue of liberty, never fade. as i close, i went to return to the memorial. those of you who have been there no, there is a list of people called "the righteous among the non-jews who have risked their lives to save the jews during the holocaust. [applause]

sec. pompeo: 40 years ago this year, one man was added to the list. risked life and limb to save thousands of jews in hungary during world war ii. he later immigrated to america and became a citizen. he passed away in january at the age of 96. in the course of his heroic labors, a nazi officer had a gun to his head and said the following. why do you, a christian, helped jews? he answered, you are either silly or an idiot. it is because i am christian that i help the jews. [applause] sec. pompeo: know with

confidence that the trump administration will not grow weary of the fight. to abandon it would mean to abandon our principles. and as secretary of state, and as a christian, i am proud to lead american diplomacy to support israel's right to defend itself. and i am proud to stand with the jewish people and to champion the cause of religious liberty in israel and in america. [applause] [cheers and applause] sec. pompeo: these are special times, amazing times, and i want to thank each and everyone of you. and may god bless each and everyone of you, israel, and the united states of america. thank you. [cheers and applause]

senate minority leader customer spoke at aipac and talked about calling out anti-stamine is him -- seminism in all forms. ♪ [applause] >> hello, everybody. strong. it is great to be here among friends. i want to take your great leadership o