Petraeus: Nation built by Shoa survivors "one of our greatest allies."
By JTAUS Gen. David Petraeus 311(photo credit: .)
WASHINGTON – The Holocaust survivors who helped build Israel "made our world better," US Gen. David Petraeus said Thursday."The men and women who walked or were carried out of the death camps, and their descendents, have enriched our world immeasurably in the sciences and in the arts, in literature and in philanthropy," said Petraeus, the key note speaker at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum commemoration in the Capitol Rotunda."They have made extraordinary contributions in academia, in business,and in government. And, they have, of course, helped build a nationthat stands as one of our great allies. The survivors have, in short,made our country and our world better, leaving lasting achievementswherever they settled."Petraeus's speech comes just days after the commander of CentralCommand, who directs US deployments in the Middle East, said "Israel is- has been, is and will be an important strategic ally of the UnitedStates.”Petraeus has sought to place in context his Senate testimony last monthwhich drew some conservative and pro-Israel crticism - and some liberalpraise - for linking some US difficulties in the region withperceptions that the United States favors Israel.
