​Thank you, Ms. Moskowitz, for your kind introduction.

I would like to take this opportunity to also thank the Jewish Federation, particularly Anita Zusman-Eddy at the JCRC, for inviting me to speak at this luncheon with such esteemed guests.

I have been asked to come and speak about the current situation in the Middle East, about Israel, and then open it up for you to ask questions.

Furthermore, I hear it is a rare opportunity for so many representatives of various faiths to come together.  So, today’s luncheon is also a wonderful opportunity for me to hear all of you discuss issues important to you.

Being a diplomat, I do not have the qualifications – especially compared to all of you – to discuss matters of faith.  However, I can provide insights to current events and a context about Israel that affect us all, no matter what faith we practice.    

The current event I would like to discuss is Iran.  As you know, my most recent post was Israel’s arms control representative to the United Nations in Geneva, so I can tell you firsthand how dangerous a weaponized nuclear Iran can be for us all.

Iran has been spreading terror all over the globe since the ‘80s with the suicide attacks on the American embassy in Beirut that killed 17 American diplomats and 246 marines; it’s true that the perpetrator was Hezbollah but equally true is that the mastermind behind the attack was Iran.

But it did not stop there.  The minister of defense of Iran had a warrant out on him by Interpol after he was indicted by the Argentinean government for the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 and the blowing up of the Jewish community building in 1994, leaving 75 people dead and 300 wounded.

Also, there are the Iranian footprints on the killing of U.S. soldiers in Iraq according to the former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, James Jeffrey, who, after a forensic test of weapons used by Iraqi insurgents, said, and I quote: “There is no doubt this is Iranian.”

And then there is the Iranian attack on an Israeli diplomat in India, the Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador in Washington DC , the Iranian terrorist cell caught red handed in Thailand, and the recent killing of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria.

Unfortunately, I can go on and on about Iran's dubious track record, but I think that the case of Iran’s long standing policy to destabilize the region employing terrorism is pretty conclusive.

Add to that Iran is a country whose Supreme Leader and most recent president openly declare their intention to annihilate the U.S. and the State of Israel, it is no wonder that many of us lose sleep at night knowing Iran can have a nuclear weapon any minute.

However, what I do not lose sleep over is knowing Israel will stand strong against such an enemy.  How do I know this?  Because Israel is and forever will be a real democracy.

Of course, using Facebook and holding street demonstrations does not constitute a real democracy.  As we all know a “real” democracy includes: human rights, freedom of speech and expression – which includes religion – equality between genders, civic participation, and many other such qualities. 

Israel fits that bill.  Between North Africa and Pakistan, Israel is the only real democracy.  Sounds simple, but we all know how difficult it is to turn a country and society into a real democracy.  Iraq is a recent case in point.  Israel is an island of stability in a very unstable region, which explains why, unlike other countries in the Middle East that turn from one day to another – from being pro-American to anti-American, Israel has been, is, and always will be a loyal and trustworthy friend of the American people and a haven for Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze, and people from all faiths.

And Israel’s consistent “real” democracy has contributed to many of its remarkable qualities:

-         We started 67 year ago as poor country with less than 1 million people and a shaky army that had to defend it.  -- Today we are 8 million people and going strong.

-         We have a peace treaty with Egypt and Jordan 40 years ago that was science fiction for us.

-         We have excellent relationship with China, India, and all the former East-European countries. We had no relationship at all with these countries 20 years ago.

-         We are leaders in innovation and technology: voicemail, instant messaging, firewalls, and flash drives, which were all developed in Israel.

-         Israel ranks no 3 under NASDAQ, preceded by 2 “small” countries - US and China.

-         3 of our universities rank within the first 100 best universities in the world.

-         We registered more patents per capita than any country in the world.

-         We have the second most educated work force in the world after Canada.

-         We sell caviar to Russia wine to France and pasta to Italy (gluten free).

-         Last, but not least, Newsweek poll has ranked Israel the 12th best countries to live in.

My friends, we Israelis do have our flaws, but my point is that we are doing the best we can, and, as a result, Israel is not only surviving - it is thriving!​