Migrant Detention Centers that the u. S. Mexico border as concentration camps. [cheers and applause] well, hello christians united for israel. [cheers and applause] thank you for that warm welcome. Welcome back to our Nations Capital for this washington summit. Its a great honor to be with you all, and i know millions around the country are looking on. My thanksjohn hagey, for your leadership and your ministry. It has made a difference for america and for israel. [applause] friend gary bauer, who runs the Washington Office for cufi, to the thousands of proisrael americans who are gathered here and all those looking on. Since the founding of this nation, the founding we just celebrated a few short days ago, the people of israel have been at the very heart of the American People, and all of you gathered here and for 6 million you represent across this country continue this great tradition with christians united for israel, the largest proisrael Grassroots Organization in the world. [applause] thank you for your stand. Thank you for continuing that Great American tradition. Its great to be with so many friends of israel from all across this nation, and speaking of friends of israel, allow me to begin by bringing in a friend of mine. [cheers and applause] and a man that history has already proven to be the greatest friend of the jewish people in the state of israel ever to sit in the oval office, i bring greetings from the president of the United States of america, President Donald Trump. [cheers and applause] you know, as President Trump has said, this administration will always stand in solidarity with our jewish brothers and sisters, and we will always stand strong for the state of israel. [cheers and applause] you know, i have gotten to know this president over the last three years, since he asked me to join this team, and i have to tell you, he is a man of action. And hes a man of his word. He says what he means and he means what he says, and from the very first day of this administration, President Donald Trump has been keeping the promises that he made to the American People, at home and abroad. [cheers and applause] i mean, think about it. President trump said we would revive the American Economy with the strong support of republicans in congress. We cut taxes, rollback regulation, unleashed american energy, and since election day, businesses large and small have created more than 6 million new jobs, including more than a quarter million jobs in the last month alone. [cheers and applause] wages are up. The stock market is soaring. The Unemployment Rate across this country is near a 50 year low. And this president said he would rebuild our military. And President Donald Trump has already signed the largest increase in our National Defense since the days of ronald reagan. [cheers and applause] weve made the Strongest Military in the history of the world stronger than ever before. Jobs are back. Confidence is back. In a word, america is back, and were just getting started. [cheers and applause] im proud to report, with that renewed american strength, the United States is once again embracing our role as leader of the free world. President trump doesnt apologize for america, he stands up for america at three day on america every day on the world stage. [cheers and applause] and under this president s leadership, we are standing with our allies, and we are standing up to our enemies. Our nato allies are contributing more than ever before to our common defense, and we have taken the fight to radical islamic terrorists on our terms, on their soil. Isisnow, five years ago, controlled nearly 35,000 square ands in syria and iraq, nearly 5 Million People lived under their rule regime. Today, thanks to our armed forces, our partners in the region, and the leadership of this commanderinchief, earlier this year the last inch of ground controlled by isis in syria was captured. The isis caliphate is no more. [cheers and applause] and finally, under President Donald Trump, the world knows americaelse but this stands with israel. [cheers and applause] thanks to President Trumps leadership, our alliances have literally never been stronger. [cheers and applause] [chanting] [cheers and applause] welcome back to washington, d. C. [cheers and applause] you know, thanks to this president s leadership its true our alliance with israel has never been stronger. In the words of the prophet zion, ifor the sake of will not be silent. It was written, and my friends, this president for the sake of zion has not been silent. [cheers and applause] i mean, think about it. President trump promised israel have the resources and tools to defend itself by itself, and under his leadership, american support for the security of the state of israel has never been stronger, and the military of the state of israel is stronger than ever before. President trump promised to shut down the plo office in washington if the Palestinian Authority refused to take steps to stop funding terrorists who murder innocent israeli civilians with american tax dollars, and when the plo refused, President Trump shut down there vice pres. Pence now, the act is the law of the land. [applause] vice pres. Pence the president also promised to confront antisemitism on the world stage. And see to it that america would no longer allow the United Nations to be a forum for invective against israel, and last summer, this president withdrew the United States from the socalled Human Rights Council at the un, and two months later, President Trump ended all u. S. Contributions to unrah. [applause] vice pres. Pence and of course, last year, President Trump did what no american president before him had the courage to do. When he moved the American Embassy to jerusalem. The capital of the state of israel. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence you know, its amazing to think i was there when that decision was being made and being processed, and to say that everyone in the world opposed the president s decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel and to move our embassy there, to say everyone in the world was against it would be an understatement, but President Trump is a man of his word, and he kept his word to the American People. When he recognized jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of israel and moved our embassy there. [cheers and applause] of israel and moved our embassy there. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence and beyond that, for 20 years after israels revert, syria held a strategic ground known as the Golan Heights with its massive artillery, it held israel hostage. This crucial region change can changed hands only after israel won a war forced upon her. Ever since then, the Golan Heights have been critical to the Strategic Security of the state of israel. But in one administration after another, america hesitated to recognize that because of its importance and because of our commitment to israel, earlier this year, for the first time in 52 years, Prime Minister with Prime Minister netanyahu at his side, i had the privilege to stand with President Trump as the United States of america formally recognized israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence our president made all these decisions, keeping his word to the American People. He made them in the best interest of our nation, but i want to assure all of you here that this president also believes they were in the best interest of peace. Because a lasting peace can only be built on a foundation of truth. So we pray for the peace of jerusalem. That those who love her will be secure. [applause] vice pres. Pence and even as we pray, we will work for peace. President trump is committed to finding a path that can lead to a true, just, and lasting peace for israel, palestinians, and all the peoples of the region. For peace to be lasting and to be real, it must be negotiated. But peace can only be negotiated with partners who are committed to peace. Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of israel, and the United States will never negotiate with terrorist hamas. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence but last week, in pursuit of peace, there was a historic conference in bahrain. After more than two years of painstaking efforts, the president s extraordinary middle east peace team led by Jared Kushner unveiled a new vision of how the Palestinian People could be empowered to build a prosperous, vibrant, and Peaceful Society if they choose peace over war. Now, i know the cynics out there say the president s dreams for these are too big. It is also too high, but it was none other than david then gary gary on, israels first Prime Minister who said and i quote, anyone who doesnt believe in miracles around these parts isnt a realist. So we will keep dreaming and keep working for peace. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence and let me assure you, while any piece will peace will undoubtedly require compromise, you can be confident of this. The United States of america will never compromise the safety and security of the jewish state of israel. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence in the wake of all those actions, finally, the president also made one other promise. He promised to stand up to the worlds leading state sponsor of terror. And he did just that when he withdrew the United States of america from the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal. There will be no more cash for the mullahs in iran. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence dan pastor and pastor hagan mentioned, i served in the congress of the United States, i was on the Foreign Affairs committee. Back when i was in congress, there was a Bipartisan Group of members of congress who brought together sanctions on iran years ago. Those sanctions were isolating a regime and was bringing tremendous pressure on it. But in 2015, we all remember, we when the Iran Nuclear Deal was signed, all of that pressure went away. The previous administrations deal didnt prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, it delayed it. For roughly a decade. In exchange, the deal gave away billions of dollars in cash sanctions really iran has used to fund more terrorist attacks ts across the region. President trump withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal and we have reimposed every last sanction that was lifted. And under this president , we implemented a maximum Campaign Pressure campaign to change misaligned behaviors and hold the regime accountable for its destructive actions. Its remarkable to think as we see, our actions are already having an effect. Theyre cutting off the regimes ability to support their terrorist minions across the middle east. The iranian economy is reeling under unprecedented us sanctions. U. S. Sanctions. Now, iran must choose between caring for his people and continuing to fund its proxies who spread violence and terrorism throughout the region and breathe out murderous hatred against israel. Over the last several months, despite promises and hopes to the contrary in 2015, iran has been even increasing more of their malign activity and violence in the region and weve all witnessed it. Last month, iran attacked tankers passing near the strait hormuz and they downed an unmanned american drone. Last week, iran exceeded the amount of low enriched uranium in half. Today, it actually proclaimed it was going to start enriching uranium beyond the levels permitted by the agreement. So let me be clear. Iran should not confuse american restraint with a lack of american resolve. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence we hope for the best, but the United States of america and our military are prepared. Are prepared to protect our interests and protect our personnel and our citizens in the region. We will continue to oppose irans malign influence. We will continue to bring pressure on their economy, and under President Donald Trump, america will never allow iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence history teaches that when authoritarian regimes breathe out violent vile, antisemitic hatred and threats of violence, that we should take them at their word. Earlier this year, my wife, karen, and i stood and prayed and grieved at the auschwitz birkenau, nazi death camp in poland. It was an indescribable experience to walk those immense rounds. Killing on an industrial scale. As we gazed down at the remains of the gas chambers, as we walked past the personal affects, the piles of little shoes that were gathered there. It merely reinforced our resolve. That our answer to that unspeakable tragedy through this and every generation must be never again. Never again. Never again. [applause] [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence israel was reborn of that resolve, so we must as americans maintain it. We can never allow the memory of those losses in the holocaust to be forgotten by freedom loving people around the world. We must teach our children and our childrens children the truth of what happened. We must preserve the memory of those lost for future generations. And in that same spirit, we must never allow the memory of those lost in the holocaust to be cheapened as a cliche to advance some leftwing political narrative. [applause] vice pres. Pence but sadly, sadly in recent weeks, thats exactly what some democrats have done in the national debate. Last month, a leading democrat in Congress Actually compared our u. S. Customs and Border Protection facilities to concentration camps. Her allies in congress, the left and the media shamefully came to her defense. As recently as yesterday morning, one of her allies in congress was asked if they agreed with comparing the noble and compassionate work done by u. S. Customs and border personnel at detention facilities to the concentration camps of nazi germany, and she answered absolutely. To compare the humane work of the dedicated men and women of customs and Border Protection with the horrors of the holocaust is an outrage. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence the nazis took lives. American Law Enforcement save lives every day. [cheers and applause] make nos. Pence mistake about it. This slander of Law Enforcement was an insult to the six million killed in the holocaust. And it should be condemned by every american of every Political Party everywhere. [applause] i promise you,e i promise you President Donald Trump and i will always honor the memory of the victims of the holocaust, and we will always honor the service of the brave men and women of Law Enforcement all across this country. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence the truth is, as i stand before you today, we have a crisis in our southern border. At our southern border. We are actually on track this year to see nearly one Million People come across our southern border. To take advantage of well advertised loopholes in americas asylum laws. And for the first time in history, ive seen it firsthand. The majority of those coming across our southern border are families with vulnerable children. Who are being enticed by human traffickers and drug cartels to pay cash to make the long and dangerous journey north. And its a dangerous journey. Fraught often with unspeakable violence and abuse. 70 of Illegal Immigrants once they present at the border report being victims of violence along the way. According to doctors without borders, nearly one third of young women traveling to our southern border from Central America are sexually assaulted on the journey. Our customs and Border Protection and health and Human Services personnel do compassionate work to care for those who have made a dangerous the dangerous journey and suffered for it, and they provide that compassionate support every day. Unaccompanied children across who cross our border are provided with food, education, and transportation to their destination city all at taxpayer expense. Health and Human Services works to place these children with family members in the United States or alternative arrangements like foster care. Family units who are kept in ice custody are sent to Family Residential centers where they can receive shelter and care. Make no mistake about it, the facilities on our border are overcrowded. Because theyre overwhelmed. So the last six months, democrats denied there was even a crisis at our border. They called it a manufactured crisis, remember that . In so doing, they denied additional funding to care for the vulnerable families going across our southern border and as i stand here today they continue to refuse to close the loopholes used by human traffickers to exploit those vulnerable families. But in the face of this democratic obstruction of congress, president from good strong. He demanded that mexico and now that mexico step up, and now mexico is doing more than ever before to secure their southern border and ours. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence and just last week, President Trump signed into law a bipartisan measure providing 4. 6 billion in humanitarian aid to support the work of hhs and customs and Border Protection. [applause] vice pres. Pence but you all deserve to know the same members of congress who had the gall to compare our detention facilities to concentration camps voted against providing additional humanitarian aid to the same facilities they denounced. In the face of that type of democrat obstruction, ill make you a promise. Under this president s leadership, we will secure our borders. We will provide compassionate relief to vulnerable families swept up in the crisis, and we will fix this broken immigration system once and for all. [applause] vice pres. Pence the men and women of christians united for israel, weve reached a decisive moment in history. Support for israel and the jewish people, i believe, is more important than ever before. All over the world, antisemitism is on the rise. We see it on college campuses, in the marketplace, and sadly, even in the halls of congress. You know, there was a time that support for israel was not a partisan issue here in washington. Ill never forget the day in 2007 that i, a conservative christian republican, was asked to cofound the congressional Antisemitism Task force with the only holocaust survivor ever to serve in congress, the lake the late and great congressman tom land house. Congressman tom land hous tom landhouse. We formed that task force because of the broad consensus that existed in the congress that support for israel is support for the jewish people, but how things have changed. Its astonishing to think that the party of harry truman which did so much to help create the state of israel had been coopted by people who promote rack antisemitic rhetoric. And work to undermine the broad american consensus of support for israel. Recently, a freshman democrat in congress traffic and repeated trafficked and repeated antisemitic tropes. We all remember them. She alleged that congressional support for israel reflected a an allegiance to a foreign country. She said that israel had, and i quote, hypnotize the world. Hypnotized the world. Let me say this from the heart. Antisemitism has no place in the congress of the United States of america or anywhere else in this nation. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence and anyone who slanders the Historic Alliance between the United States and israel should not be sitting on a Foreign Affairs committee. On the Foreign Affairs committee. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence maybe most astonishing of all, as we talk about how times have changed, the party that has been home to so Many American jews were so for so long, recently couldnt even muster the votes to unequivocally condemn antisemitism in our resolution. Thats why the work of christians united for israel is more important than ever before. Unfortunately, cufi is also bigger and more effective than ever before. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence you know, i remember when christians united for israel was a group of a few hundred bible believing christians. Last time i spoke to you, this organization had grown to more than three million believers. And on my way over, i was just told christians united for israel now has more than six million members all across america. Karen and i have she said seven million. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence its a movement that spans this nation and it is a movement for such a time as this. [applause] karen and ience have always treasured our relationships at christians united for israel. In fact, we work handinhand with this organization when i was governor of the state of indiana. With your strong support, i was proud to sign the toughest antibds legislation of any state in america, and i thank you for your support. [applause] vice pres. Pence but you deserve to know, remarkably today all but one democrat running for president voted against the combating bds acts in the United States senate. So let me get this one more point. Let me make this one more point. Anyone who aspires to the highest office in the land should not be afraid to stand with israel. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence ladies and gentlemen, israel and the United States will always stand together. Because america and israel are more than friends. We are more than allies. The United States and israel are family. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence descended from a common tradition of faith, were a family that upholds common values, and together, we share a common destiny. You know, the president s state of the union speech this year, that bond came into high relief. In the faces of two extraordinary men, the president men that the president introduced to the nation. One was a Jewish American hero, sergeant hermann, a veteran of the day and the battle of the bulge. Truly a Great American of the greatest generation. You know, last month marked the 75th anniversary of dday, and we will never fail to honor that heroism of those who served in the greatest war. In the greatest generation. [cheers and applause] but if youpence remember, sitting beside the sergeant was joshua kaufman. A survivor of dachau. A real concentration camp. The sergeant helped liberate it nearly a year after dday. These two men, more than seven decades later, were reunited that night. United not just in their stories, but in our history, in our cause. For freedom and justice. 75 years later, without a dry eye in the house, they stood together in the congress of the United States. And in that relationship, was a and a survivor poignant reminder of the unbreakable bond between america and israel. The bond that brings you all here today. It was ultimately a bond of faith. Im told before they left the capital, that the sergeants family and Kaufman Family met for the first time. And herman and his bible with him. A bible that he had when he was in service in the army. They opened it together, and they sang praise to a faithful god. [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence that bond endured the horrors of war, endured through the decades, and it always will. So, why israel . We stand with israel today for the same reason americans have always stood with israel. We stand with israel because her values are our values. Hefight is our fight. We stand with israel because we believe in right over wrong. And good over evil. In liberty over tyranny. And we stand with israel because we cherish that ancient promise. That americans have always cherished throughout our history. That those who bless her will be blessed. [applause] vice pres. Pence today and every day, the jewish state of israel bear witness to god faithfulness. To gods faithfulness. As well as their own. The American People have always marveled through nearly 1,900 years of exile, the longest exile of any people in history, the jewish people drew strength from the promises of god through pilgrims, persecution, and expulsions, in the ghettos, and finally even in the death camps, the jewish people clung to gods clung to gods eternal promise. And they remembered, even if youve been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there, he would gather them and bring them back to the land which their father possessed. Fathers possessed. And so he did. [applause] vice pres. Pence and america was there. America was standing with the people of israel every step of the way. Amazing to think even in those darkest of times, he heard from heaven, his holy dwelling place, and they had faith. So its on the basis i close today, and i know you have a full program ahead of you. Youll be hearing from other friends of israel throughout this administration and throughout the country. And let me just say before i close on behalf of my wife karen and our whole family, thank you for the honor of serving as your vice president. It is the greatest [applause] [cheers and applause] vice pres. Pence it is deeply humbling to be with you today, and i leave here encouraged. Greatly encouraged. I cant wait to get to lunch to tell them that i saw you. And i want to close i want to close with faith. Faith in the good people of israel and america, and in the immutable bonds of friendship that bind us today and always will. Faith in the ideals and the principles of both america and that both america and israel hold dear. A commitment to liberty and freedom, and the notion that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights. And finally, faith that is ever bound the people of this country together from our nations founding, people of different backgrounds and religious belief, the faith that binds the people of israel together. That he who watches over us will never leave us nor forsake us he will guide us and he will surely bless us. God bless you all. May god bless israel. And may god continue to bless the United States. United states of america. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] announcer a number of other officials were on hand for the conference, including National Security advisor john bolton and secretary of state mike pompeo along with the israeli ambassador. They speak after a conversation with a former congressman. Watch the entire event on cspan. Org. On cspan. Org. [applause] it is truly my honor and with thisto be here administration, who deserves a round of applause. [applause] thank you