Bush used the speech to highlight his optimism that Israel's democracy can be spread elsewhere in the Middle East.

Bush received a standing ovation from the crowd, which included Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Bush reportedly teared up when Olmert told him "you are an unusual person. You are an unusual leader. And you are an unusual friend of the people of Israel."

1. "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."
2. "As we celebrate the anniversary it is useful to look back at the story of your founding. It's a story about faith guiding the Jewish people through centuries of bitter exile. It is a story of how those hiding inside ghetto walls behind barbed wire, never lost sight of Jerusalem."
3. ""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."