President Bush Welcomed by President Peres and Prime Minister Olmert VIDEO PODCAST

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush are joined by Mrs. Aliza Olmert, wife of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Israel’s President Shimon Peres as Israeli Prime Minister Olmert delivers remarks Wednesday, May 14, 2008, at arrival ceremonies for President and Mrs. Bush in Tel Aviv. White House photo by Chris Greenberg

President Bush Arrives in Israel, FULL STREAMING VIDEO Welcomed by President Peres and Prime Minister Olmert Ben Gurion International Airport Tel Aviv, Israel Ben Gurion International Airport Tel Aviv, Israel. In Focus: Middle East Trip 11:32 A.M. (Local) PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE PRESIDENT PERES: Our dear friend and President of the United States and Mrs. George Bush, first of all, mazel tov. Your joy is ours. Welcome to the new Israel, 3,000 years old and going on the 60th. We are grateful to you for gracing this occasion.

Mr. President, you have demonstrated toward us a Biblical attitude, which is very rare; a warm friendship; a determined dedication to the promotion of peace and security in the entire region. In those 60 years, we were able to demonstrate that though outnumbered and outgunned, a democracy could still win seven wars during this period. Furthermore, while fighting, we never postponed democracy even for a single day. And even though many times under attack, we never lost our desire for peace.

Miracles happen when dedicated people make them happen. Mr. President, you stood like nobody else on our side in sunny mornings and stormy weather. So thank you, Mr. President. Your presence here permits us something that we really wanted to do, and that is to celebrate a real thanksgiving party to the United States from the depth of our heart, expressing our thanks to you, to the greatest phenomena of freedom in history, the United States of America.

Welcome to Israel, Mr. President and Mrs. Bush.

PRIME MINISTER OLMERT: It's an honor and a privilege to welcome the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, and Mrs. Bush, in Israel for the second time this year. This is an historic year for the state of Israel, as we mark 60 years of independence. The ideals reflected in America's Declaration of Independence inspired Israel's founding fathers in their quest to shape the character of the state of Israel as a democratic country based on the principles of freedom, justice and equality.

Throughout the years, the strategic alliance with America has become one of the fundamental pillars of our national security. And the bond between our peoples has grown deeper and stronger with time. America has been there at each and every important crossroad in the life of our young country, and stood by us in times of hope and in moments of crisis.

Since assuming office almost eight years ago, President George Bush has been our closest ally and partner. Your decision to celebrate this historic milestone with us is an extraordinary gesture of friendship, and is further evidence of your unending commitment to the security and well being of our country.

I welcome you and Laura to Israel. I thank you for your friendship and decision to come and celebrate this important occasion with us.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Mrs. Olmert, thank you very much for your warm welcome. It's good to be back again. We're proud to reaffirm the friendship of our peoples, and we're delighted to join you in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel.

Our two nations both faced great challenges when they were founded, and our two nations have both relied on the same principles to help us succeed. We've built strong democracies to protect the freedoms given to us by an Almighty God. We've welcomed immigrants, who have helped us thrive. We've built prosperous economies by rewarding innovation and risk-taking and trade. And we've built an enduring alliance to confront terrorists and tyrants.

Americans and Israelis can be proud of our past, and the best way to honor our founders is to continue the work they started. Tomorrow I'm going to address the members of the Knesset and the people of Israel. I look forward to discussing how I believe our two nations can continue to advance our ideals and approach our next 60 years of partnership with confidence and with hope.

Laura and I appreciate your invitation, your kind invitation to share these days of celebration with you. We consider the Holy Land a very special place, and we consider the Israeli people our close friends.

Shalom.

END 11:37 A.M. (Local) For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary May 14, 2008

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President Bush Visits Jerusalem PODCAST VIDEO

President George W. Bush addresses his remarks during the Israeli Presidential Conference 2008 at the Jerusalem International Convention Center in Jerusalem, Wednesday, May 14, 2008, in celebration of nation's 60th anniversary. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

President Bush Visits Jerusalem FULL STREAMING VIDEO ICC Jerusalem International Convention Center Jerusalem In Focus: Middle East Trip 9:20 P.M. (Local) PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. President Peres, thank you, sir, for your hospitality. Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Olmert, it's great to be with you. We consider you friends. Heads of state, thank you all for coming. I think it's a great tribute to this conference, as well as to Israel that some so many heads of state have come.

Ex-heads of state and ex-leaders, thanks for being here. Save a seat in the ex-leader's club. (Laughter and applause.) Citizens of Israel, Laura and I loved coming to your beautiful country, and thank you for your warm hospitality. Citizens of the United States, my fellow Americans -- (applause) -- spend freely and behave yourselves. (Laughter.)

Distinguished guests, I really appreciate your warm welcome. And we are thrilled to be here with one of America's closest friends. Laura and I are honored to represent the American people on the 60th anniversary of your independence. Happy birthday. (Applause.)

As we celebrate the anniversary, it is useful to look back at the story of your founding. It is the story of how faith guided the Jewish people through centuries of bitter exile. It is a story of how those living behind ghetto walls and barbed wire never lost sight of Jerusalem. And it is a story of how brave pioneers risked everything to redeem the promise of this land. It is a marvelous story.

When Israel's founders gathered in Tel Aviv to sign your declaration of independence, the threat of war loomed. But it could not overshadow the joy of people who had lived to see their prayers answered. Celebrations broke out all across this land, and of course they broke out in America, as well. In New York, young men and women danced the hora in the streets. In Washington, a crowd gathered to watch a flag-raising ceremony outside the building that would become Israel's first embassy. After one man saw the flag bearing the Star of David, he said, "I never thought I'd live to see this day."

Looking back 60 years later, it is important to remember what the founders of Israel had to overcome at every stage of the journey. They established one of the world's great democracies in a region where democracy had few roots. They formed a unified army out of immigrants and refugees from many different countries. They planted the seeds of a modern economy in the sands of an ancient desert. In these accomplishments, we see the visionary leadership of men and women like Herzl and Weizmann and Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir and Rabin and Sharon -- and we honor each of them this evening. (Applause.)

And looking back 60 years later, we've also got to remember the courage of Harry S. Truman. As Israel prepared to declare independence, President Truman faced a tough choice over whether to recognize a new state. The future of Israel hung in the balance. As Chaim Weizmann told the President, he said, "History and providence have placed this issue in your hands." And today we know that the forces of Providence could not have chosen a better man than America's 33rd President. (Applause.)

Eleven minutes after Israel came into existence, the United States became the first nation to recognize its independence. And because Harry Truman did what was right instead of following the conventional wisdom, we can say today that America is Israel's oldest and best friend in the world. (Applause.)

With every passing year, the bonds of friendship between America and Israel have grown stronger. America stands for peace, and so does Israel. And as we stand in peace, we must understand the realities of the world in which we live. We must be steadfast, and we must be strong in the face of those who murder the innocent to achieve their objectives. (Applause.) And in the long run, we share a powerful belief in a powerful weapon against the terrorists. We believe that the surest way to defeat the enemies of hatred is to advance the cause of hope through the cause of freedom; liberty as the great alternative to tyranny and terror. (Applause.)

Mr. President, and Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for inviting me to speak at the Knesset tomorrow. I hear it's a place of many a sharp elbow. (Laughter.) I'm looking forward to giving my speech. (Laughter.) I'm not going to be throwing any elbows. But I will talk about the day when I believe every child in the Middle East can live in peace and live in freedom. (Applause.) With trust in the Rock of Israel, we know that day will come. And when it does, the United States of America will be by at your side.

God bless Israel, and God bless America. (Applause.)

END 9:28 P.M. (Local)

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary May 14, 2008

Tags: President Bush and Jerusalem or Israel