Yet anyone watching the event on the White House lawn saw something equally moving in the words and demeanor of my friend, the Israeli prime minister. Choked with emotion, the former IDF chief of staff voiced his hopes for, but also his concerns about, this new start. I can understand, at least partly, the prime minister's strong feelings. I am moved by the promise of peace for Israel and its Arab neighbors. And I know that promise is unlikely to be fulfilled if we do not play our part.
American leadership is required.
And that is in our interest, in Israel's interest, and in the region's interest. Every American president since Harry Truman has understood the strategic importance of pursuing peace in the Middle East. Although the bipolar world of the past complicated the pursuit of peace, it did not prevent American efforts. The disengagement agreements in the mid-1970s and Camp David provided essential building blocks. With the demise of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the Middle East was no longer beset by the rivalry of superpowers.