Rick Perry - Israel
Summary
In July of 2007, Governor Perry visited Israel and stated that the nation has an inherent right to exist and to defend itself. He states that he supports a foreign policy that aggressively advocates for the protection and preservation of democratic states in that part of the world, including Israel. He asserts that America cannot be neutral in the debate between the goals and aspirations of Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas.
That same month, Governor Perry stated that he wanted Texas to be Israel's number one trading partner and that although we desire economic profit in our business relationships, we must also partner with Israel in our defense of basic human dignity.
In January of 2009, Governor Perry responded to a series of mortar attacks in Israel by calling on Hamas to cease the attacks and stating that no other nation on earth would be expected to stand idly by while a neighbor fired missiles and mortars into its cities, but Israel is being held to an unreasonable, irresponsible standard of restraint. He called for the world to unite in its support of Israel’s right to defend its citizens and clear in its condemnation of Hamas.
Visiting the Holy Land
In July of 2007, Governor Perry wrote an editorial noting a recent trip to Israel. He discusses his view that Israel has an inherent right to exist and to defend itself. He states that American cannot be neutral towards Israel and that he has long supported an American foreign policy that recognizes the right of a Jewish state to exist in the Middle East, one that aggressively advocates for the protection and preservation of democratic states in that part of the world, including Israel.
Visiting the Holy Land
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 • EditorialOn a recent trip to Israel, I heard the gripping words of Natan Sharansky who told an assembled audience of Israeli, American and European dignitaries about his eight years in a Siberian gulag, and what freedom means to someone like him. I was moved to tears by his powerful words as they strengthened my desire to one day see a Middle East where Muslim, Christian and Jew can live together without fear of violence, free of the centuries-old hatred that poisons that great Holy Land.
This vision may seem myopic with Hamas and Fatah engaged in a struggle for Palestinian supremacy, sectarian violence in Iraq that has colored the political landscape throughout the region, and the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Such strife has been the norm since Israel declared its independence in 1948. That war was followed by the hostilities at the Suez Canal in 1956, the Six Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the conflict in Lebanon which spanned nearly two decades, the Palestinian intifada, and the seemingly endless seesaw of suicide bombings and military operations that have scarred the region.
I have long supported an American foreign policy that recognizes the right of a Jewish state to exist in the Middle East, one that aggressively advocates for the protection and preservation of democratic states in that part of the world, including Israel. America cannot be neutral, for instance, in the debate between the goals and aspirations of Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas, which has yet to recognize Israel’s right to exist. While peace in the Middle East is our ultimate goal, it cannot happen when major political factions do not even recognize the Jewish state. And we cannot turn a blind eye to the agenda of a terrorist organization like Hezbollah, nor to states that help finance their acts of terror like Iran.
That is why, during my visit to Israel, I expressed my support for Texas divestment from companies that do business with Iran. I recently signed similar legislation in protest of the outrageous state-sponsored genocide in Sudan. If Texas were its own nation, it would rank as the world’s tenth largest economy. If we were to divest pension fund assets from any involvement with companies that do business in Iran, they would surely feel the economic ramifications for their irresponsible actions.
Iran poses two particular threats today. First, its pursuit of a nuclear program endangers not only Israel, but also the balance of power in the entire Middle East region. This certainly concerns the western democratic world, but seriously threatens moderate Arab states whose ability to experience peace and prosperity in their region is compromised by the prospect of a nuclear-capable Iran.
Second, we must recognize the aggressive approach Iran has taken in financing terrorist activities, such as arming terror groups like Hezbollah, still waging a war of attrition with Israel as warring Palestinian factions do the same. Should Hezbollah continue to gain power in Lebanon, while Hamas strengthens its hold on Palestinian territories, this grave threat to Israel and to our western, democratic values will become the defining stigma of our lifetime. America cannot be neutral in the face of such a serious threat.
After walking the 2,000 year old streets below the Temple Mount, dining atop the Aish Hatorah World Center overlooking the Western Wall, taking a boat ride on the Red Sea, crossing into Jordan to visit the ancient city of Petra, and traveling to the Dead Sea, it is my hope that this special land of historical and religious significance can one day be home to people of different faiths who live in peace. That peace cannot be realized, however, as long as rogue nations like Iran pursue policies aimed at destabilizing the entire region. They must be dealt with. Though our state cannot pursue its own foreign policy, we can pursue economic policies that are consistent with the promotion of peace and the deterrence of terrorism.
People like Natan Sharansky, who felt the oppression of tyranny, deserve a homeland that protects their liberty. Jew, Christian, Gentile and Muslim alike deserve such a place. Our aim should be to pressure nations that threaten the peace with measures that make their behavior too costly to continue.
Divestment from Iran
In September of 2007, Governor Perry issued a press statement noting that he was sking the Employees Retirement System (ERS) and Teachers Retirement System (TRS) to divest all investments from companies doing business with Iran.
Gov. Perry: TRS, ERS Should Divest Funds from Companies with Ties to Iran
Announces Establishment of Texas-Israel Chamber of CommerceTuesday, September 25, 2007 • Press Release
DALLAS - Today at an event announcing the establishment of the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Rick Perry said he is asking the Employees Retirement System (ERS) and Teachers Retirement System (TRS) to divest all investments from companies doing business with Iran.
“The example we set in Texas can have international ramifications. Today I am asking the Employees Retirement System and the Teacher Retirement System, as the keepers of the state’s multibillion dollar investment funds, to divest their respective interests from all companies doing business with Iran,” Perry said. “While Texas cannot set its own foreign policy, we can send a strong message that Texans will not condone Iran’s continued support of those seeking to do harm to our men and women in uniform.”
Approximately 400 internationally-traded companies have ties to Iran.
In addition to Iran’s role in terrorist activities, Gov. Perry expressed concerns about that nation’s aggressive posture toward Israel. The Governor has long supported an American foreign policy that recognizes the right of a Jewish state to exist in the Middle East, one that consistently advocates for the protection and preservation of democratic states in that part of the world, including Israel.
During a recent visit to Israel, the Governor and First Lady met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres, an event that set in motion the establishment of the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce.
“I want Texas to become the preferred location for Israeli companies doing business in the U.S.,” Perry said. “Like Texas, Israel has a long history of growing new technology companies through partnerships that include universities, government and private investors and entrepreneurs. Strengthening relationships between these two ‘Lone Star States’ will benefit our respective economies and increase understanding.”
Texas is Israel’s third largest American trading partner. Israel’s dedication to fostering new technology has made it second only to the U.S. in the number of start-up companies worldwide.
The commercial relationship between Texas and Israel began with agriculture and natural resources and has in recent years grown to include virtually all other major business sectors, including information technology, medical technologies, aerospace and defense, homeland security and energy.
The Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce serves to bring companies and industries together and to bridge the geographic and cultural barriers to benefit businesses in Texas and Israel. Through the chamber, Texas-based member companies will gain access to not only the Israeli market, but also indirectly to other international markets such as European Union countries through trade with Israel.
Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce
In September of 2007, Governor Perry issued a press statement noting a speech he made to the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce. He spoke about the threat Iran was to Israel.
Gov. Rick Perry's Remarks to the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce
* Note: Gov. Perry frequently departs from prepared remarks.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 • SpeechThank you, Senator Shapiro, for that gracious introduction. It is a pleasure to be here in Dallas today to celebrate the next step in the relationship between a great state and a great country. I have the highest hopes for the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce. I believe Texans share a special kinship with the Israeli people. We are both independent-minded and self-reliant, and our history is grounded in strong stands against impossible odds.
My first impressions of Israel came from the Old Testament. In the Sunday school lessons and sermons taught in my little hometown church, I learned the history of struggle in the Holy Land. Visionary leaders like David, Abraham and Moses inspire me to this day. When I was elected our state’s Agriculture Commissioner, I began working directly with Israeli businesses through the “Texas Israel Exchange” program. We worked hard to build bridges through joint technology research in the areas of agriculture and natural resources. When I made my first visit to the Holy Land in 1993, I was honored to walk in the footsteps of Biblical heroes and meet their descendants face-to-face. Struck by the rapid pace of economic development, I was glad we could work together for the mutual benefit of our states. The commercial relationship between Texas and Israel has grown to include virtually all other major business sectors, including information technology, medical technologies, aerospace and defense, homeland security and energy. Many of these companies grew to maturity as a result of Israel’s vibrant business climate.
Of special interest are your innovative partnerships between universities and entrepreneurs, funded by investment from the public and private sectors. Texas also is making great strides in this area, thanks to our Emerging Technology Fund. Since its creation in 2005, we have invested $95 million in young start-up companies and to bring world-renowned experts to our institutions of higher learning. With it, we are investing in great ideas and the people who have them. I hope that ideas incubating in small Texas companies today will someday become products sold in Israel, through relationships forged in this new Chamber of Commerce.
If you were to ask me my goals for this new undertaking, I would challenge the members of the Texas / Israel Chamber of Commerce to pursue these key objectives. First, I want Texas to become the preferred location for Israeli companies doing business in the U.S. Our business-friendly climate, talented work force and strong education system provide the ideal incentive for relocation, investment or startup operations. Second, we would like commerce to flow in the other direction as well, with more Texas companies, regardless of their size, establishing a presence in Israel. Trade is about mutual benefit and that is not just possible, but a necessity here. Thirdly, I would like to continue efforts to connect the massive brainpower of our respective universities by building bridges of communication with academic partnerships, collaboration on research projects, and increased joint study programs between our institutions of higher learning.
Although we desire economic profit in our business relationships, we must also partner in our defense of basic human dignity. So, we share the commitment to making our citizens safe in their homes, their workplace, and their places of worship. We share a commitment to self governance and equal rights for all of our law abiding citizens. We should cherish the lessons of our respective histories while building a better future for our citizens. Expanding our commercial relationships will foster these shared interests, leading to increased economic strength that can yield even greater freedom.
I want everyone here to know that Texas deeply appreciates the threats to Israel’s safety and freedom. On a June trip to Israel, I had the honor of listening to Natan Sharansky as he told a group of Israeli, American and European visitors about his eight years in a Siberian gulag. He is clearly a man who understands oppression and truly cherishes freedom. I was struck by the similarities in the challenges facing our respective states, including our shared concerns about border security. However, the threats to Israel’s sovereignty and safety are much more vicious and constant than anything we’ve ever experienced here in Texas. I have long supported an American foreign policy that recognizes the right of a Jewish state to exist in the Middle East. That policy must aggressively advocate for the protection and preservation of democratic states in that part of the world, including Israel.
While peace in the Middle East is our ultimate goal, it cannot happen when major political factions refuse to recognize the Jewish state. We cannot turn a blind eye to the agenda of a terrorist state like Iran and their ongoing investment in acts of terror. As was recently confirmed by the director of national intelligence, Iran is an epicenter for terrorist activity, having provided a safe haven, training and equipment to al-Qaeda. Their leaders are also providing aid and arms to terrorist insurgents fighting American troops in Iraq. It is clear that Iran has every intention of continuing its aggressive behavior toward the United States and its allies, including Israel.
This is why I have repeatedly expressed my support for Texas divestment from companies that do business with Iran. Let me be very clear on this: I personally believe that any company that does business with Iran is actively assisting those who seek to harm American men and women who are serving in the Middle East and funds terror attacks on our allies in the region. Therefore, I am announcing that I have asked our state’s two largest investment funds to divest from all companies who do business with Iran. In a letter I have sent to the directors of the Teacher’s Retirement System and the Employee Retirement System, which together invest over $130 billion dollars, I asked them to formulate a plan for prudent divestment and present it to me within 30 days. I have also conveyed my concerns to my fellow governors, asking them to consider a similar approach in their states. And, I intend to work with the legislature to pass an Iran Divestment act during the next legislative session as Florida and California have recently done. The combined economies of just these three states constitute 26% of our country’s Gross Domestic Product. If these three states were their own country, it would have the 3rd largest economy in the world – larger than Germany and China. That kind of economic power can not be ignored.
I do want to take a moment to commend Texas Senator Dan Patrick who championed this very issue in the past legislative session and was denied in his efforts. I hope you will help carry this legislation to passage in 2009. I know there will be critics of my directive who will contend that Texas’ investment portfolios will not perform as well. I refuse to accept the premise, however, that the only way to make money is by investing in terrorism. Our push for divestment can bring about positive change, much as it did on the issue of apartheid twenty years ago. As you recall, dozens of cities, states, universities, pension funds and portfolio managers pressed American companies to divest from South Africa in the 1980s. The resulting revolution has made South Africa a member of the international community with whom Texas is now proud to have many valuable economic ties.
Approximately 400 internationally traded companies have ties with Iran. I believe these companies have deliberately turned a blind eye to Iran’s dangerous policies in exchange for profits, and Texas will no longer condone such action. Ignoring the threat that Iran poses to American armed forces overseas and our allies will not make it go away. Instead, people of conscience and conviction must stand on principle and advocate for necessary change.
And so, today, as we usher in a new era of relations between Texas and Israel, we speak of a grand vision of a world where terror is defeated by kinship, economic partnerships create new opportunity, and people are free to work and live in peace. I am confident that this new Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce will be a stepping stone on that path. It is an honor and privilege to present this proclamation, marking the next step in the relationship between our two states.
Hamas Attacks Must Stop
In January of 2009, Governor Perry released a press statement noting his views that recent Hamas attacks on Israel must stop.
Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on ongoing conflict in Gaza
Calls for support of Israel’s right to defend its citizensFriday, January 02, 2009 • Press Release
“Hamas must cease its attacks on Israel. No other nation on earth would be expected to stand idly by while a neighbor fired missiles and mortars into its cities, but Israel is being held to an unreasonable, irresponsible standard of restraint. Instead, the world community should be united in its support of Israel’s right to defend its citizens and clear in its condemnation of Hamas.
"While I am saddened by the loss of life on both sides, a suitable resolution to the conflict is possible if Israel's neighbors will acknowledge Israel's sovereign right to defend its people. That acknowledgement would be an essential first step toward a lasting peace.
"The world community must not tolerate terrorism in any form, regardless of any false nobility assigned to its perpetrators or their motives.”
CBS Foreign Policy Debate
In November of 2011, Governor Perry participated in the CBS foreign policy debate. He was asked about foreign and if he would support returning funding for all countries to zero. He expressed support for the plan and stated that it would apply to Israel as well.
Scott Pelley: Welcome back to South Carolina and the Republican commander in chief debate. Governor Perry, we just got a-- question via Twitter from Barbara McMann (PH). And Barbara asked this question of you. "Does Governor Perry's Foreign Aid Starts at Zero include Israel?"
Rick Perry: Well, as Governor Perry-- would tweet back to her that-- absolutely. Every country would start at zero. Obviously, Israel is a special ally. And my bet is that we would be funding them-- at some substantial level. But it makes sense for everyone to come in at zero and make your case. As a matter of fact, we oughta try that-- doin' that with some of those agencies that I was tryin' to think the name of the other night.
Starting at zero, zero-based budgeting, and Newt will share with you, is we've gotta go there. And everyone has to come in and make your case. It's what the American people are doin'. There's somebody at home sittin' watchin' T.V. tonight, lookin' for a job. And they're havin' to budget. Why in the world would our federal government get a pass on sending our tax dollars to any country--
Scott Pelley: And, Governor, I have to s--
Rick Perry: --without havin' an answer? Why?
