- 2 -

to consult with Golda and Eban, and asked them whether in the light
of the turmoil in Israel (and turmoil in Israel, my friends, is the
rule rather than the exception), "Where do we stand in reference to
Dr. Kissinger in the midst of this ungodly clamor. I am deeply
troubled by it." I showed them the script of our Citation. Their
answer came swiftly and almost simultaneously, in different accents,
as you can readily imagine (there is still some distance between
Cambridge, Kiev and Milwaukee) but the meaning was the same.

I am quoting: "Meyer dear, yours is an academic institution.
Dr. Kissinger besides being Secretary of State of the United States,
is a historian and an academician of world renown, and so is the
Institute. Don't change a single word in the original citation. You
must always keep aloof from political struggles." Their words reminded
me of Dr. Weizmann; so he would have spoken.

As most of you know, I am a disciple of Dr. Weizmann. I have
devoted the best years of my life to the pursuit of his policies, to
the advocacy of his philosophy and to the principles of Zionism and
Judaism. I am deliberately adding the word "Judaism" because to
Dr. Weizmann, Zionism and Judaism were synonymous. The advocacy of
Zionism without the fundamental precepts of Judaism and its high
ethical principles were meaningless to him.

During the critical days of Dr. Kissinger's negotiations
with our "friends" across the border, I was asking myself many
questions. I asked myself, for example; how would Weizmann react
under similar circumstances? How would Israel look today if he
were alive? What would have been our fate if he had been 50 instead
of 75 when the State was proclaimed?

- 3 -

I would like, with your permission, to quote the words of Dr. Weizmann spoken on the very night when the U.N. decided on the partition of Palestine. In this brief quotation, my friends, lies the answer to the many questions I had asked myself. In a public address in New York, when tens of thousands of people gathered to get a glimpse of Dr. Weizmann, without the slightest hope of gaining entrance into the hall, he was literally carried on the shoulders of his admirers. When he rose to speak, he said: "The world will judge us not by the size of our territory; witness Athens and its contributions to the world; not by our military strength, however much, unfortunately, it may be needed, but by our spiritual and intellectual quality and by how we shall treat the stranger in our midst. We must never become a victim of our enemies. We must never fall prey to their idolatrous ways."

As I was following Dr. Kissinger's daily exertions on our behalf. I reminded myself of Dr. Weizmann's arduous eleven day journey in 1918 into the desert to meet the then leader of the Arab people. Today the same journey would take less than an hour, but Dr. Weizmann did not shrink from the exertion. As a mark of respect for their tradition, he also donned their attire. We all remember what the result was of this historic meeting with Prince Faisal, whom I quote: "We shall welcome you back as our kinsman; we shall work together to reclaim our land." In 1919, a year later, it was sealed in a solemn agreement. What happened later is also history, but it is irrelevant today. What is relevant is that Dr. Kissinger, through his almost superhuman efforts, was trying to restore the spirit of 1919 that

- 4 -

was created between Weizmann and Faisal. During all his exer-
tions, and there were many and painful, I was hoping, but in
vain, to hear similar sentiments as those expressed by Prince
Faisal from at least one of the Arab leaders; none came.

Our guest of honor tonight, the recipient of our academic
award, has been trying to do it his way. Debased journalese
called it "shuttle diplomacy"; I would prefer to describe it as one
man's relentless efforts for the ideals of peace. Weizmann also
shuttled, not only between Cairo and Jerusalem but between one
continent and another, seeking the sympathy and understanding of
a hostile world. Show me one Secretary of State in the 200 years of
American history who would exhibit the patience -- yes, the indignity
of travelling from one country to another, one hour after another --
in an attempt to bring about a modicum of peace or open a small chink,
as he did between ourselves and Cairo, for understanding between our
two peoples.

Dr. Weizmann once said: "One cannot always achieve success,
but one must earn it." By this dictum, whether Dr. Kissinger succeeded
or not, whether he will reach his ultimate aim, he earned it as no
other Secretary of State has earned it on our behalf. For this we
must be grateful to him. We need not agree with his method, but we
must agree with his intentions; we must honor his motives and his
dedication.

Those of us who are steeped in Jewish history, read with
anguish and horror that terrifying prophecy repeated every year on
the Passover, *Bechol dor vedor*, in every generation there will arise

- 5 -

someone to destroy us -- a prophecy, alas, that has been fulfilled
over the centuries, and in our own time, by the indescribable horror
of the Holocaust. But we have survived. There was always a remnant
that kept the torch alive in the midst of mourning and sadness,
never for one moment forgetting the promise of final restoration.
Yes, often we bent with the wind. It was not cowardice nor even
humility; it was rather the faith that we shall overcome and arise
again for the day of restoration. This was the eternal Jewish
belief, the eternal faith which kept us alive and will continue to
keep us alive. Despite our faith, which will always remain with
us, the supreme tragedy which follows us wherever we are, even in
our own ancient Homeland, with which we are tied by a thousand
unbroken ties, we must prove daily our right to exist as a people.
Our legitimacy is questioned everywhere. No people on earth has
been cursed with this intolerable experience. And yet, I say again,
despite all our enemies, we shall overcome

Dr. Henry Kissinger, we are a people of long memories. Your
efforts on our behalf, your devotion to our people's desires, your
understanding of our ultimate aim -- these we shall never forget.
And the God of Jewish history will write your name in large and
indelible letters.

I thank you.