Monday, March 22 was a full, informative day at the AIPAC Policy conference. In the morning session, we heard from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the administration's approach to dealing with Iran and peace in Palestine; and Colonel Richard Kemp, former British military commander who evaluated and found that Israel's defense forces utilize the utmost ethical conduct on the battlefield of any army ever deployed (to refute the infamous Goldstone report accusing Israel of war crimes).
In the afternoon I attended sessions on "Dangerous Liaisons: Iran's Alliances with Rogue Regimes," and "Friends of Faith: Understanding Evangelical Support for Israel."
The evening featured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Gala Banquet attended by nearly 8,000 people, including most members of Congress. The Prime Minister delivered a powerful speech outlining Israel's quest for peace, proseperity and security in the Middle East. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) made it clear that there is strong bipartisan Congressional support of Israel and the need to prevent Iran from successfully developing a nuclear bomb.
The conference wrapped up on Tuesday morning, March 21, with a focus on "Global Perspective: Israel's Quest for Peace and Prosperity in the Middle East." The key speaker was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
All in all, the conference was very informative and educational. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet and make new friends. I was truly humbled at the Gala Banquet Monday evening when I was publicly recognized as a Congressional candidate from Missouri in attendance at the dinner, and my new friends from Missouri cheered for me.
We live in challenging, dangerous times. But through bipartisan cooperation in the Congress, unity with Israel and the pursuit of responsible policies, we can meet these challenges and secure the opportunity for peace and prosperity.
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