Transcript [00:01] [applause] [00:05] [applause] [00:11] >> Shalom everyone. [00:16] I am very grateful [00:18] and I feel blessed to have a voice on [00:21] behalf of my people [00:23] and I feel equally blessed to be here [00:25] now together with you amazing people at [00:29] Christians United for Israel for the [00:31] seventh time. [00:33] >> [applause] [00:36] >> Now, [00:37] usually [00:39] I'm invited here to speak about the [00:41] situation in the Middle East, to speak [00:43] about different jihadi enemies, [00:46] enemies of Israel and the US. [00:49] But today, [00:51] I'm not going to confine myself only to [00:53] that [00:54] because the threats are more dangerous [00:58] and they are imminent. [01:00] Both against Israel and the United [01:03] States. [01:04] Naturally, [01:06] I will begin and I'll describe the state [01:08] of the war against Israel, [01:11] the achievements that we have made so [01:12] far and the remaining challenges. [01:16] And I will do so with candor. [01:19] No sugarcoating. [01:21] I will also speak about the other [01:23] challenges that are closer to home for [01:26] all of you good people. [01:29] Now, [01:30] unlike the Iranian-funded terror [01:33] organizations that we are fighting and [01:37] defeating in the Middle East, [01:40] >> [applause] [01:43] >> the other threats are on US shores and [01:47] they are already inside American [01:50] society. [01:53] Last year, [01:55] we celebrated CUFI's 20th anniversary. [01:58] This weekend, we celebrated the 250th [02:02] independence of this great nation, the [02:04] United States of America. [02:07] And [02:08] a lot has changed since last year's [02:10] summit. Most of it is for the better. [02:14] And I want to name a few of the things [02:16] that when I compare last year to this [02:19] year from a security perspective, how do [02:21] we stand? [02:23] For starters, [02:24] Ali Khamenei, [02:26] the so-called supreme leader of Iran, [02:29] the former supreme leader of Iran, is [02:31] dead. [02:33] >> [applause] [02:36] >> He is dead. [02:38] And so are the main henchmen of that [02:41] evil Iranian regime. [02:43] >> [applause] [02:46] >> Now, [02:48] during the funeral proceedings this [02:50] weekend, [02:51] Tehran [02:52] has virtually been painted in red, [02:55] which is the color of revenge according [02:58] to Shiite culture. [03:00] And several pledges have been made for [03:04] retribution and vengeance. And these [03:07] pledges have been made by official [03:09] Iranian politicians and heads of their [03:12] military. [03:14] The usual chance of death to America [03:17] were amplified. [03:19] And the masses, many of them, waved big [03:22] posters with the president on them [03:25] calling for the assassination of [03:27] President Trump. [03:30] Now, a second important thing that has [03:32] happened [03:33] is [03:34] that the Iranian nuclear weapons program [03:37] has been dialed back years, and it it is [03:40] exposed under our watchful eyes. [03:45] >> [applause] [03:47] >> Now, I would have wanted to say [03:49] destroyed, obliterated, never again to [03:52] be spoken about, but we're not quite [03:55] there yet and we keep it interesting for [03:57] the future. [03:59] Together, [04:01] in a historic and really a world-class [04:04] effort, the US and Israel punched a hole [04:07] through Iranian regime defenses, [04:10] obliterated their air defenses, their [04:12] missile launchers, and exposed Iran for [04:15] future attacks. [04:18] But the job is far from over. [04:22] To be clear, [04:24] neither the Middle East nor the region [04:27] or the world will know peace and [04:29] prosperity as long as that evil Iranian [04:33] regime exists. [04:35] Regretfully, the MOU, [04:39] which is acronym for memorandum of [04:41] understanding, [04:43] I and a few other people call it the [04:45] memorandum of misunderstanding, [04:48] that MOU forfeits many of the [04:51] hard-earned battlefield achievements [04:55] and sadly, it provides the regime with [04:59] desperately needed cash and a lifeline [05:02] to continue to oppress their own people [05:05] and to bully the region. [05:08] All this [05:09] in return for the temporary and [05:12] conditional reopening of the Hormuz [05:15] Strait. [05:18] The Iranian people is still suffering, [05:21] suffocating under the boot of their [05:24] Islamist oppressors. [05:26] The Iranian regime is still the world's [05:29] biggest state sponsor of terrorism. [05:32] And they are still chanting, "Death to [05:35] America and death to Israel." [05:39] For how long? [05:43] Another new and positive development is [05:46] that for the first time in history, [05:48] there's a realistic chance for peace [05:52] between Israel and the land of the [05:54] cedars, Lebanon. [05:57] Thanks to the bravery, sacrifice, and [05:59] skill of the IDF and under the wise [06:02] leadership, indeed. [06:05] >> [applause] [06:10] >> Believe me, the the fights on the ground [06:12] are worth every round of applause. [06:16] So, under their sacrifice and skill and [06:18] under the wise stewardship of President [06:21] Trump and Secretary of State Rubio, who [06:23] also are worthy of our applause, [06:26] >> [applause] [06:31] [applause] [06:32] >> what used to be the most wanted and [06:35] cruel Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, [06:38] is now the weakest that it has ever [06:41] been. [06:43] >> [cheering and applause] [06:46] >> We, [06:48] and I mean, [06:49] Israel, [06:51] the state of Lebanon, the US, we now [06:54] have them on the ropes. [06:56] And the coming months, they will [06:58] determine [06:59] whether Iran gets to continue to spread [07:03] war and instability in Lebanon or [07:06] whether the Lebanese people will finally [07:09] exercise sovereignty. [07:11] And we might have an opportunity to [07:14] chart a brave path towards peace between [07:17] us. [07:19] I think we all understand why the [07:21] Iranian regime is so desperate to create [07:23] that link between the Strait of Hormuz [07:26] and Lebanon [07:27] and Hezbollah. [07:29] Why? [07:30] Because they are terrified that 35 years [07:34] and billions of dollars of investment [07:37] and prestige will go down the drain from [07:40] their perspective. That's what's at [07:42] stake. [07:44] Currently, [07:46] Israeli soldiers are deployed [07:48] approximately 7 miles into Lebanese [07:51] territory. [07:52] They're discovering and dismantling [07:54] Hezbollah's military infrastructure. [07:57] As of last week, [07:59] we're doing it with the permission and [08:02] support of the Lebanese government. [08:06] >> [applause] [08:11] >> Now, what we're talking about here is a [08:13] sprawling network. Think entire [08:16] neighborhoods underground. A sprawling [08:19] network of tunnel complexes that [08:22] Hezbollah excavated through solid rock. [08:25] All all of them without [08:29] without mistake, [08:31] all of them are hidden underneath [08:33] civilian homes and buildings. [08:37] These tunnel complexes were built by [08:39] Hezbollah with Iranian help and Iranian [08:42] money [08:43] in order to fire rockets at Israeli [08:45] civilians, [08:46] to prepare and stage attacks for [08:49] Hezbollah storm troopers into Israel, [08:53] which luckily didn't happen on October [08:55] 7, but it could have. [08:57] And they're designed to serve as command [09:00] bunkers and drone launch pads into [09:03] Israel. [09:04] Thankfully, [09:05] none of that is going to happen. [09:10] Now, [09:12] >> [applause] [09:13] >> it's not going to happen not because the [09:16] Iranians or Hezbollah don't yearn for it [09:19] and dream about it with every fiber of [09:22] their being. And it's definitely not [09:24] going to happen because UN peacekeepers [09:27] did their job in Lebanon. [09:30] It won't happen for the simple reason [09:33] because the IDF is defeating Hezbollah [09:36] on the battlefield and making Israelis [09:39] safe in their homes again. [09:42] >> [applause] [09:48] >> What needs to happen is the following. [09:51] Israel needs to maintain and enhance [09:54] military pressure on Hezbollah in all of [09:57] Lebanon. [09:58] The Lebanese government, using its armed [10:01] forces, they need to man up, confront [10:05] Hezbollah, [10:06] and exercise their legitimate dominance [10:09] and sovereignty over their country. [10:12] The US and other regional partners need [10:15] to continue to squeeze Hezbollah's [10:18] financial networks, [10:20] squeeze it so hard that Hezbollah will [10:22] be forced to lay down their weapons. [10:26] If that happens, [10:27] and if Iranian interference is kept at [10:30] bay, [10:31] then we have a chance at peace. [10:35] Now, regrettably, not all the news are [10:37] positive, obviously. [10:40] The situation in Gaza is bad, and ladies [10:43] and gentlemen, it is unsustainable. [10:47] Hamas refuses to disarm. [10:50] They're violating the Trump peace plan [10:53] and UN Security Council Resolution 2803. [10:58] On the ground, for the time being, [11:00] tactically, Israel is in control. [11:03] And we're making good use of the time. [11:06] We're hunting the last [11:08] remaining Hamas terrorists who [11:11] perpetrated the greatest massacre of [11:14] Jews since the Holocaust. [11:16] We're hunting them, and we're bringing [11:18] them swift justice, biblical style. [11:23] >> [applause] [11:28] [applause] [11:30] >> Similar to the situation in Lebanon, [11:33] Israeli troops are systematically [11:35] uncovering and destroying hundreds of [11:39] miles of Hamas tunnels under Gaza. [11:42] Thanks to the IDF and President Trump [11:45] and his team of negotiators, all Israeli [11:48] hostages are finally home in Israel. [11:52] >> [applause] [11:57] [applause] [12:00] >> And that, I must say, as a person who [12:04] prays in private and not necessarily in [12:06] congregation, [12:09] I want to thank you in this room, [12:12] and I want to take the opportunity [12:15] on behalf of hostages, their families, [12:18] and the entire nation of Israel, a lot [12:21] of people didn't think that that would [12:23] be achievable. A lot of people didn't [12:25] think that we would be able to get all [12:27] of the hostages home. Granted, we would [12:29] have wanted all of them alive. [12:31] Regretfully, many of them came back [12:34] murdered from Hamas captivity, but we [12:37] got all of them back home, and I have no [12:39] doubt that it wouldn't have happened [12:42] without prayers, your prayers, and I [12:46] thank you for it. [12:48] >> [applause] [12:52] >> And just to show the power and the [12:53] beauty of life, yesterday, [12:56] in a specially moving ceremony, two [12:59] Israeli survivors of Hamas captivity, [13:02] Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen, they [13:05] were married in Israel. [13:08] Surrounded by family, [13:10] >> [applause] [13:13] >> surrounded by family, by loved ones, and [13:16] many other hostage survivors, and that [13:18] is a beautiful way to defeat terrorism. [13:24] Now, [13:25] today, [13:26] Hamas is but a hollow shell of what it [13:30] was before October 7th. [13:33] But as long as Hamas exists, is armed, [13:36] and controls Gaza, [13:38] neither Arabs nor Jews will know peace, [13:41] and the chances of war grow each day. [13:45] Why? [13:47] Very simple. Because Hamas is a binary [13:50] organization. [13:53] They're incapable of moderation or [13:55] flexibility. [13:57] What is their goal? [13:59] Their goal is the annihilation of the [14:01] Jewish state. [14:04] So, what should we expect in this [14:06] difficult situation? [14:09] I think, unfortunately, we need to [14:10] expect continued Hamas oppression of the [14:13] people in Gaza. [14:15] We should expect that Egypt, their Arab [14:18] Muslim neighbor, [14:20] continue in their cruelty, [14:23] and they'll continue not to refuse to [14:25] refuse to allow people out of this [14:27] war-torn area. [14:30] I think we should expect [14:32] the world in general to blame Israel for [14:34] the suffering. [14:37] And if enough time goes by, Hamas will [14:40] regain strength to return to their jihad [14:43] against Israel. [14:45] This is, of course, unless we put an end [14:49] to Hamas first. [14:52] >> [applause] [14:56] >> Therefore, [14:58] the bottom line in terms of security, [15:01] just a little bit more than a thousand [15:04] days after October 7th, can be summed up [15:07] like this. [15:08] Things are better today than a year ago, [15:12] and last year was better than the year [15:15] before it. [15:17] We still have our work cut out for us, [15:19] but as you all know, in Israel, we are [15:22] neither shy of work or of fighting. And [15:25] we will continue. [15:30] Now, [15:32] >> [applause] [15:33] >> what worries me almost just as much as a [15:37] jihadi terrorist armed to their teeth [15:40] with weapons trying to kill Jews in our [15:43] native homeland may surprise you a [15:45] little bit. [15:47] I worry, as an Israeli, [15:50] that many states in Europe have already [15:53] fallen to the Islamist conquest [15:57] without a fight [15:58] and without really knowing that that is [16:00] what has happened. [16:03] I worry that a similar fate awaits the [16:06] US. [16:10] I see worrying signs of homegrown and [16:13] imported politicians in the US [16:17] who normalize and legitimize Jew hatred, [16:21] who poison the minds of young Americans [16:25] to hate their own culture, heritage, and [16:28] religion, [16:30] and seek to undermine [16:32] the very foundations of this [16:35] Judeo-Christian [16:37] free society that you have built here. [16:41] The assault on the alliance between the [16:44] United States and Israel is powerful and [16:48] gathering steam [16:49] from left and from right. [16:52] Islamists masquerading as Democrats and [16:56] Jew haters disguised as American [16:59] patriots, we all know their names. [17:03] Our covenant is going through the stress [17:06] test of its life. [17:09] For the sake of Israel and for the US, [17:12] our alliance must hold. [17:19] >> [applause] [17:23] >> The forces who seek to undermine our [17:25] alliance are also [17:28] secret or semi-secret haters of America. [17:32] Granted, [17:34] an Israel without America is definitely [17:37] a weaker Israel, and I don't want to see [17:39] that reality. [17:41] But, an America without Israel is also a [17:46] weaker America. [17:49] And the enemies [17:52] And the enemies of the United States all [17:55] pray for that to happen, for America [17:59] to turn its back on Israel. [18:01] On that topic, [18:03] I must say [18:04] that America has chosen some strange [18:07] bedfellows lately. [18:09] Qatar and Pakistan brokering deals with [18:13] Iran. [18:14] Turkey's want-to-be Sultan Erdogan [18:18] lauded as a strong leader and NATO ally [18:22] of the US. [18:23] And Syria [18:25] suggested as a nation that should take [18:28] care of Hezbollah in Lebanon. [18:33] All the while, traditional and loyal [18:36] allies of the US in the region, like [18:39] [clears throat] Israel and the United [18:41] Arab Emirates, are demoted and even [18:44] shunned publicly. [18:47] That's neither a good nor a wise look. [18:51] The battle over Western civilization is [18:54] on. [18:55] This battle [18:57] This is a battle that is waged on [19:00] university campuses and schools, [19:02] in the established and social media, [19:05] in Congress and in the Senate, [19:08] in town halls across America and union [19:12] headquarters, in New York and in the [19:14] great state of Texas. [19:17] It is not a battle that you can allow [19:19] yourselves to lose. [19:22] In this battle, [19:24] I can think of very few organizations [19:27] more battle-ready and crucial than [19:30] Christians United for Israel. [19:33] >> [applause] [19:37] >> Christians United for Israel, you matter [19:41] and the enemy knows it. [19:43] That's why you're being targeted. [19:46] Another organization that matters and is [19:48] in the crosshairs of the forces of [19:51] darkness in America is AIPAC. They [19:54] matter, too, and they are feared by our [19:56] enemies. [19:59] >> [applause] [20:02] >> You know, [20:03] as I was preparing this year's speech, I [20:07] reread my notes from last year and [20:10] something pleasant struck me. [20:13] Almost all of the things that I prayed [20:15] for and suggested from this very podium [20:18] that should happen actually became [20:20] reality. [20:24] >> [applause] [20:26] >> I asked for and I prayed first and [20:28] foremost for the return of our hostages. [20:31] That has since been achieved. [20:33] I asked for joint strikes on Iran. [20:37] I asked for the weakening of Hamas and [20:39] Hezbollah. [20:40] And I voiced a genuine Israeli yearning [20:44] for peace and prosperity for all of [20:46] God's children in the region. [20:49] So, I guess there's something special [20:51] about prayers and requests being made at [20:54] the Kulfi Summit. [20:56] >> [applause] [21:03] >> So, I suggest we make another list [21:08] And we meet re-measure it next year. [21:11] So, on Iran, [21:13] maximum pressure on the Iranian regime [21:17] and maximum support for the Iranian [21:19] people. [21:21] Until the regime breaks or the people [21:24] take back their country. [21:26] >> [applause] [21:27] >> No appeasement deals, no protracted [21:30] negotiations, [21:31] and no tolerating Iranian regime [21:34] aggression. [21:39] >> [applause] [21:41] >> On Lebanon, [21:42] maximum pressure on Hezbollah, and [21:45] maximum support for the legitimate [21:48] Lebanese government and their armed [21:49] forces. [21:52] >> [applause] [21:53] >> And we maintain that until Hezbollah is [21:56] disarmed and Lebanon is returned to its [21:59] people. And for peace to be forged for [22:02] the benefit of everybody. [22:05] On Gaza, [22:06] short and simple, [22:08] implement United Nations Security [22:11] Council Resolution 2803 [22:13] to the letter. And that starts with [22:17] disarming Hamas or prepare for war. [22:23] >> [applause] [22:26] >> And finally, [22:28] for our great Western civilization, [22:33] strengthen your communities, your [22:35] families, and care for your young and [22:37] their education. [22:39] Stay proud and steadfast in your faith. [22:43] Don't fight alone because you are not [22:45] alone. [22:47] Fight. [22:48] Fight in church, in Congress, in media, [22:52] and on the campuses. Fight for good, for [22:55] Israel, and for the strength and success [22:58] of the United States of America. Fight [23:02] because our future depends on it. [23:05] Thank you. [23:06] >> [applause] [23:11] >> Thank you very much. [23:12] >> [applause] [23:14] >> Thank you. [23:16] >> [cheering] [23:18] >> Thank you.
