As a Jew, as a gay Jew, a Zionist, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East as we all know.

The only place in the Middle East that I can walk down the street with my wife

hand in hand and not be afraid.

You can go and walk down the street of Tel Aviv holding the hand of your wife, I can't get in the airport

without seven hours of harassment because I'm on Arab descent.

I'm not even Palestinian.

I'm Lebanese American.

The treatment of people of Arab descent, just going there is discriminatory.

The people who live there suffer horrific discrimination, we have to be able to call it what it is.

It's an occupation that humiliates people, that breeds contempt, that breeds anger and despair

and hopelessness that leads to violence.

Bush said that there was occupation.

Ariel Sharon said there was an occupation.

Barack Obama has said there was an occupation.

There is an occupation.

It denies people freedom.

In 1988, when we call for mutual recognition.

We could not get that done. We couldn't even get the word Palestinians in the

platform. We're asking to move beyond this now. Reality has moved way beyond just recognizing they're there.

It's hearing their voices, understanding their pain, saying that our Democratic Party understands that this is a conflict that must be resolved

by respecting the rights of both people.

I thank you.

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