In his final address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as a U.S. senator, Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) urged that the U.S. embassy be relocated to Jerusalem, and vowed to keep fighting to see that happen.
“The American embassy in Israel is still not where it belongs,” Lieberman said to loud cheers. “Jerusalem.”
“We will continue to fight for the day” when that happens, he said, and “that day I believe will come soon.”
President Obama has delayed the relocation of the embassy, authorized by a 1995 act of Congress. Obama has to update lawmakers every six months on the progress of relocation, which is still left up to the commander in chief.
Lieberman also stressed that military force may be needed — and should be used, if necessary — to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability.
“It is definitely within our power to stop Iran,” he said, but the question is “whether we will choose to stop them.”
Lieberman said the message to Tehran should be, “Either you peacefully negotiate an end to your illicit nuclear activities or they will be ended for you by military attack.”
“It’s time for us to make an iron-clad pledge which will be heard by both our friends and enemies,” he said. “By peaceful means if we can, but by military force if we absolutely must.”
The senator said that the Tehran regime’s days are “numbered” and urged action against the nuclear weapons program before it’s too late.
“The time for action is before Iran has crossed the line of capability to put together a nuclear weapon,” Lieberman said.
“If a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable… then we must prove that to the world,” he said. “The president said he doesn’t bluff and neither can we in Congress.”
Though retiring from the Senate at the end of this term, Lieberman said his pro-Israel activism will continue.
“Next year, I’m just leaving the Senate; I’m not retiring,” he said. “I will continue to stand with you as you have stood with me.”
Good Guy that Joe Lieberman….
I may disagree with him on some points, but its an honest disagreement. A gentleman’s debate. I always had the feeling you could disagree with him on a host of topics, but respect his convictions as he certainly would respect yours, and expect something USEFUL to emerge from the debate. In the way The Founders envisioned.
He was (is) not into the politics of personal destruction. He is no shrill and venomous Anthony Weiner, therefore such “fire with fire” personal combat with him was never necessary. Even though his OWN PARTY became bitter and vile towards him, he remained a gentleman throughout.
Joe Lieberman was a Statesman, often from the “other side of the aisle”, but a Statesman. He faithfully represented what he believed were the best interests of his constituents and the nation at large, with a fair and honest heart. He was reasonable. He was reachable.
I only wish there were more like him in politics. The nation needs more guys like Joe Lieberman, even if you don’t agree with them 100% of the time.
Forget about the stupid embassy! Just recognize the capital, as the Congress did long ago. Stop pretending Jerusalem is in some other country. Is anyone here aware that the exchange rate list from the Dept. of the Treasury has TWO rates for Shekels – one for Israel, and one for “Jeresalem”? I was not aware that Mayor Nir Barkat, jerk though he may be, is minting money. This sort of stupid, annoying, and insulting stuff is all over, and it didn’t start with Obama.
Oh, well at least we aren’t Macedonia. The UN doesn’t even rocognize their NAME, so as not to insult what’s left of Greece. (The US does, although you wouldn’t know it from maps. So does Israel, by the way.)
And you wonder why people say the State Dept. is antisemitic…
I think State wants t obe the British Foreign Offcie. Adn the latter never forgave us (Israel) for taking the Mandate away from them.
Lieberman just never learned. A life-long liberal Democrat, he stood with President Bush for national defence…and the Democrats tried to flush him out of the Senate by running another candidate in the primary election. Lieberman ran as an independent and won re-election. He claims he is still an independent, but votes with the left on almost every issue.
Sure, Lieberman is for a strong defence, and claims to support Israel, but votes with the party that shunned him on most issues; that party being full of folks who are decidedly anti-Israel. No Us president has ever turned his back on Israel or insulted that nation’s leader as has Democrat Obama, but Lieberman stands with him.
Lieberman should understand those who are anti-Israel are thus because of anti-Semitism and would destroy him along with the Jewish State. The Senator have been wrong on too many issues for far too long.
Beat me to it. My thoughts exactly. I guess I gotta get up earlier in the morning.
I’m afraid your history is wrong. If there is a time that the US really “stood with Israel” in fact, I am not aware of it. The four times the Arabs tried to wipe us out, the US was either neutral or anti-, except 1973, when rearmament was intentionally held up until it was almost too late, and then we were not allowed to achive a victory. Eisenhower had an Arabist policy until Egypt stabbed him in the back, and Bush I was decidedly on the other side. Obama is only third worst.
But Israelis still love the US, because the rest of the world is so much worse.
No, the Embassy should stay where it is BUT! The United Nations Headquarters in NYC should be moved to Jerusalem or Tehran.
No thank you. There is already a training school in Jerusalem, in a place whose English name is, believe it or not, the Hill of Evil Council. We don’t need more Scandinavians trying to pick up our girls.
Move the UN to Switzerland.
Disagree. Since the UN is effectively under the sway of the Arab and Muslim bloc that make up the OIC, I say move it to one of those countries. (Without the US, of course.) How about Pakistan? That will drive India to pull out as well. Good. Then we can set out to creating a League of DEMOCRATIC countries.
The United nations was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt so he, after winning a third and fourth term as us President, contravening the two-term tradition set by George Washington. FDR, a would-be dictator in the age of Mousellini, (did I spell right), Hitler, Stalin, Tito and Franko, wanted to rule the world. So created the United nations and based it in New York City (he used to be Gov of NY, it’s where his home was), but died before his dream of world domination could come true for him.
Yes, the UN recognized Israel’s right to exist in 1948, after the horrors of the Holocaust, but did not grant the Jewish State all the land, including Jerusalem, that God himself did in the Holy Bible.
Therein is the root cause of the continuing war of the Palistinians against Israel.
Since 1948, Israel has been attacked and attacked time and again while the UN has stood by and done nothing.
The United Nations has served as nothing but a forum for anti-Americans and anti-Semites to attack us. It’s time the United States withdrew from the UN and chased it off out soil; let them move to some paradise like North Korea or Iran.
United States out of the United Nations; the United Nations out of the United States. NOW!