Here are 15 Things American Presidents Had to Say About Israel & The Jews
1. John Adams
“I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize man than any other nation.”
(Letter from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson)
2. Abraham Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln said that restoring the Jews to their “natural” home in Palestine was “a noble dream and one shared by many Americans.” The President also said his chiropodist was a Jew who: “has so many times ‘put me upon my feet’ that I would have no objection to giving his countrymen ‘a leg up.'”
3. Warren G. Harding
“It is impossible for one who has studied at all the services of the Hebrew people to avoid the faith that they will one day be restored to their historic national home and there enter on a new and yet greater phase of their contribution to the advance of humanity.”
4. Calvin Coolidge
“The Jewish faith is predominantly the faith of liberty.”
5. Herbert Hoover
“I wish to express the hope that the ideal of the establishment of the National Jewish Home in Palestine, as embodied in that Declaration, will continue to prosper for the good of all the people inhabiting the Holy Land….I have watched with genuine admiration the steady and unmistakable Progress made in the rehabilitation of Palestine which, desolate for centuries, is now renewing its youth and vitality through the enthusiasm, hard work and self-sacrifice of the Jewish pioneers who toil there in a spirit of peace and social justice. It is very gratifying to note that many American Jews, Zionists as well as non-Zionists, have rendered such splendid service to this cause which merits the sympathy and moral encouragement of everyone.”
(Message to the Zionist Organization of America on the Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, October 29, 1932)
6. Harry Truman
“I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now. I believe it has a glorious future before it – not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.”
7. Dwight D. Eisenhower
“The teaching of their ancient belief is filled with truth for the present day. Its profound sense of justice, nation to nation, man to man, is an essential part of every religious and social order. The health of our society depends upon a deep and abiding respect for the basic commandments of the God of Israel.”
(Statement on Jewish High Holy Days, September 14, 1958)
8. John F. Kennedy
“Israel was not created in order to disappear- Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.”
9. Lyndon B. Johnson
“Our society is illuminated by the spiritual insights of the Hebrew prophets. America and Israel have a common love of human freedom and they have a common faith in a democratic way of life.”
10. Richard Nixon
“Americans admire a people who can scratch a desert and produce a garden. The Israelis have shown qualities that Americans identify with: guts, patriotism, idealism, a passion for freedom. I have seen it. I know. I believe that.”
11. Gerald Ford
“America must and will pursue friendship with all nations. But, this will never be done at the expense of America’s commitment to Israel. A strong Israel is essential to a stable peace in the Middle East.”
12. Jimmy Carter
“The United States is squandering international prestige and goodwill and intensifying global anti-American terrorism by unofficially condoning or abetting the Israeli confiscation and colonization of Palestinian territories.”
13. Bill Clinton
“America and Israel share a special bond. Our relations are unique among all nations. Like America, Israel is a strong democracy, as a symbol of freedom, and an oasis of liberty, a home to the oppressed and persecuted… The relationship between our two countries is built on shared understandings and values. Our peoples continue to enjoy the fruits of our excellent economic and cultural cooperation as we prepare to enter the twenty-first century.”
14. George W. Bush
“We will stand up for our friends in the world. And one of the most important friends is the State of Israel. My administration will be steadfast in support Israel against terrorism and violence, and in seeking the peace for which all Israelis pray.”
15. Barack Obama
“The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.”
(May 19, 2011)
Notice the comments made by Obama and Carter.