ben-gurion said, "an israel capable of defending herself, which cannot be destroyed, can bring peace nearer." and so he's worked with every american president since john f. kennedy. that's why i've worked with prime minister netanyahuensure that the security cooperation between the united states and israel is closer and stronger than it has ever been -- because the security of the state of israel is non-negotiable, and the bonds between us are unbreakable. [applause] pres. obama: of course, shimon also knows that a nation's security depends not just on the strength of its arms, but upon the righteousness of its deeds -- its moral compass. he knows, as scripture teaches, that we must not only seek peace, but we must pursue peace. and so it has been the cause of his life -- peace, security and dignity, for israelis and palestinians and all israel's arab neighbors. and even in the darkest moments, he's never lost hope in -- as he puts it -- "a middle east that is not a killing field but a field of creativity and growth." at times, some have seen his hope and called shimon peres a dreamer. and they are right. just look at his life. the dream of generations, after 2,000 years, to return to israel, the historic homeland